Should've Been Us: Choral Octavo SoundTrax CD

Smooth and slightly wistful, with an R&B swagger underneath. The piece captures the reflective confidence of the original recording while keeping enough rhythmic life to hold an audience's attention without requiring complex orchestration.

Choirs at the high school and adult community level who want contemporary repertoire with solid harmonic writing. This works especially well for ensembles comfortable with pop idioms and looking to program something their singers actually know and enjoy singing.

• Establish the groove pocket early in rehearsal by having singers feel the underlying pulse rather than forcing straight rhythmic counting. Once that internal clock is set, the syncopation falls into place naturally.
• Balance the lead line with supporting voices; the arrangement works best when listeners can follow Tori Kelly's original melody but hear the full harmonic picture underneath.
• Work the text with intention. The conversational tone of 'Coulda been the real thing, now we'll never know for sure' should land with emotional honesty, not as throwaway pop phrasing.

Pair this with other modern pop singles to create a contemporary set within a larger concert, or use it as a lighter moment between classical or spiritual works. The recording on the SoundTrax CD makes it ideal for rehearsal when you want singers to internalize the original style before adding their own interpretation.

• Singing syncopated rhythms within a steady harmonic framework
• Balancing lead and supporting vocal lines
• Interpreting contemporary pop phrasing and articulation
• Reading triadic harmony in a modern context