Seven by Gershwin: Medium High Voice CD

Mark Hayes' arrangements here are anything but straightforward Gershwin homage. He finds new colors in these seven standards without erasing what makes them timeless. For singers, the collection offers immediate rewards (everyone knows these melodies) alongside genuine interpretive challenges that keep rehearsals engaging.

Listening to these arrangements, you hear Gershwin's melodies shimmer in new light. There's sophistication here alongside warmth, with unexpected harmonic turns that feel fresh even when the tunes are deeply familiar. The result feels both intimate and expansive.

This collection suits singers with developed musical maturity and secure technique. The medium-high tessitura works well for soprano and tenor voices seeking repertoire that demands attention to both melody and harmony without excessive vocal strain.

• Balance lyrical phrasing with the rhythmic snap these songs need; Gershwin's melodies sing, but they also swing.
• Study the accompaniment closely before rehearsal. Hayes' arrangements contain harmonic surprises that anchor the voice line in unexpected ways.
• Let 'I Got Rhythm' breathe as a rhythmic study rather than just a crowd-pleaser. The syncopation will sharpen your ensemble's precision across the whole collection.
• Use the recorded accompaniment to hear how Hayes voices the orchestration; his orchestral choices often suggest interpretive directions for the vocalist.

Build an entire concert around American songbook standards using this collection as your anchor, or sprinkle individual selections into a varied program to showcase genre range. These songs work equally well in formal recital settings or as accessible bridges between classical and contemporary styles.

• Phrasing across jazz-influenced harmonic progressions
• Rhythmic precision with syncopation and syncopated accompaniment patterns
• Stylistic flexibility between legit singing and rhythmic articulation
• Listening to harmonic movement in contemporary vocal arrangements
• Sustaining character across multiple selections in a themed recital