Singin' in the Rain: SSA Choral Octavo

Mark Hayes has arranged this classic with real warmth and accessibility for SSA voices. The arrangement respects the original melody while giving your singers engaging material that feels fresh and contemporary. Audiences respond instantly to this tune, making it an ideal choice for concerts where you want genuine connection with listeners of all ages.

There's an irrepressible joy woven through this piece. The melody itself carries optimism and lightness, and Hayes's arrangement amplifies that feeling without losing sophistication. Even during intricate passage work, the piece maintains its cheerful, weather-resistant spirit.

This arrangement works for choirs of varying experience levels, from developing high school ensembles to adult community groups. The SSA voicing makes it particularly valuable for treble-voiced programs or mixed choirs seeking accessible, engaging repertoire that audiences genuinely want to hear.

• Establish the rhythmic bounce from the opening. The infectious swagger of this tune depends on confident rhythmic clarity from all three voice parts; don't let it drag or feel plodding.
• Balance the recorded accompaniment carefully during rehearsals so singers hear their own voice parts clearly before performing with it in concert.
• Shape the text naturally through the melody rather than forcing uniform phrasing across all three parts. Let each voice line breathe independently while maintaining ensemble cohesion.
• Bring out moments where the voices diverge from unison. These harmonic shifts create the color that keeps the arrangement interesting across 16 pages.

Program this as a concert highlight or finale where you want the audience smiling as they leave. It pairs well with other standards from the Great American Songbook or contemporary pop arrangements in the same series, creating a cohesive program that celebrates accessible, recognizable music.

• Balancing three independent melodic lines while maintaining ensemble unity
• Performing syncopated rhythms with confidence and swing feel
• Diction clarity in up-tempo material with text-driven phrasing
• Responding to recorded accompaniment tracks with secure rhythm and intonation