Secret Love: Choral SoundPax
Words by Paul Francis Webster, music by Sammy Fain / arr. Greg Jasperse
Item: 00-PK-0007486
$15.00
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Description
This ACADEMY AWARD® winning ballad was originally featured in the film Calamity Jane starring Doris Day. This setting is filled with all the jazzy nuances you expect from the creative mind of Greg Jasperse. Optional repeats allow for scat or instrumental solos.
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Secret Love: Choral SoundPax comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.
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Additional Details
Series:
Alfred Pop Choral Series
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
6
SKU:
00-PK-0007486
Instrumentation:
SoundPax
More about this title
About the Composer: Sammy Fain
Sammy Fain (1902, 1989) was one of Hollywood's most prolific songwriters, composing the scores for dozens of films across four decades. His gift for memorable melody and his ability to write in multiple styles, from intimate ballads to upbeat production numbers, made him essential to the studio system's golden age. Fain won the Academy Award for Best Original Song twice, including for "Secret Love," demonstrating his skill at crafting songs that became standards.
Why we love this
Greg Jasperse's arrangement honors the song's Oscar-winning melody while injecting contemporary jazz vocabulary that energizes the ensemble without overwhelming it. The optional repeats for scat and instrumental solos transform this from a straightforward ballad into a platform for individual artistry, giving singers real ownership of the interpretation. Directors get a concert-ready arrangement that sounds polished on first read but yields deeper rewards with rehearsal.
What to expect
Warm and romantic, but with a knowing sophistication that keeps sentimentality in check. The jazz harmonies and syncopated rhythms give the piece an easy confidence, like a conversation between people who trust each other to understand the subtext beneath the words.
Who it's for
Intermediate to advanced high school choirs and college ensembles comfortable with jazz vocabulary and swing feel. This arrangement also works for lighter mixed or treble choirs seeking a stylistically authentic pop standard that doesn't demand extreme range or technical fireworks.
How to get the most out of it
- Use the recorded accompaniment to establish the jazz feel and swing subdivision, especially important if your ensemble hasn't sung in this style before
- Shape the optional solo sections as genuine musical conversations rather than showstopping moments; let the scat or instrumental interlude breathe as a bridge, not a peak
- Balance the harmonic sophistication by anchoring roots and fifths in lower voices while allowing upper voices the freedom to voice-lead expressively through the jazz chords
- Commit to consistent articulation during rhythmic unison passages so the ensemble locks together without sounding mechanical
How to use it
Program this as a relaxed centerpiece in a set of standards or pop hits, ideally after something with more angular energy so the ensemble and audience can settle into the ballad's groove. It also works beautifully as a concert closer if you want to end on warmth rather than spectacle, or as part of a film music medley that celebrates American cinema songwriting.
Skills your students will build
- Singing with authentic swing subdivision and jazz phrasing
- Navigating jazz chord qualities and voice leading in real time
- Managing optional solo sections with musical maturity and stylistic ownership
- Balancing harmonic sophistication with lyrical clarity in a secular ballad
- Listening vertically while maintaining horizontal phrase integrity in an arrangement