Shrek: The Musical (Choral Medley): SAB Choral Octavo

Mark Brymer's arrangement captures the personality and humor of Shrek while remaining eminently singable for SAB ensembles. The medley structure lets you program a recognizable theatrical moment without requiring elaborate staging, and the orchestration stays transparent enough that your singers can really land the character moments that make this show work.

Witty and irreverent, with moments of genuine warmth. The music captures Shrek's sardonic charm alongside the sweetness of its central relationships, moving from swampy gruffness to earnest tenderness without losing the show's playful edge.

Treble and mixed choirs at the middle school through early high school level will find this accessible and engaging. Singers respond to Broadway material, and this arrangement gives them the satisfaction of singing recognizable music while building ensemble skills in a contemporary context.

• Treat the comedic timing as seriously as you would a concert work. Tesori's humor lives in the melodic shape and harmonic choices, not just the lyrics, so precision with rhythm and clarity of text will make the jokes land.
• Balance the three parts carefully in the ensemble sections. SAB voicing can blur if the soprano and alto lines sit too close in range; separate them slightly in rehearsal to build awareness of independence.
• Let the accompaniment guide the character shifts between songs. The underscore changes tell the story, so listen to how dynamics and tempo adjust as you move through the medley.

Fit this into a spring concert that celebrates musical theater, or use it as a palate cleanser between heavier concert pieces. The five pages move quickly enough to work as a standalone feature, and audiences will recognize the material immediately, which opens the door to talking about contemporary musical theater composition with your singers.

• Singing through stylistic shifts and character changes within a single piece
• Maintaining SAB part independence in ensemble sections
• Precision with comedic timing and rhythmic clarity
• Shaping phrases that serve both melody and theatrical intent
• Connecting contemporary musical theater repertoire to concert performance standards