Starting Here, Starting Now: Choral SoundPax

This arrangement captures the emotional warmth of a love song while giving choirs the flexibility to perform it across multiple styles. John Leavitt's orchestration treats the piano as a genuine musical partner rather than mere accompaniment, and the optional instrumentation (percussion and string bass) lets you build the piece to fit your ensemble's strengths.

A sincere declaration wrapped in warmth and hope. The melody unfolds with the directness of a Broadway ballad, supported by the piano's gentle interplay. There's joy here alongside tenderness, making it feel both intimate and celebratory.

This piece works beautifully for treble or mixed choirs of any size, from smaller church and school ensembles to larger concert groups. Jazz and pop choirs will find the harmonic language and groove particularly natural, while classical choral directors appreciate the straightforward elegance of the arrangement.

• Balance the voices so the melody sings through clearly; this is fundamentally a song, not a showcase for harmonic complexity. The arrangement works best when the narrative remains in focus.
• Use the recorded accompaniment during rehearsal to lock in tempos and phrasing, especially if this is your first time working with Shire's songwriting style.
• If you're adding the percussion and string bass parts, introduce them gradually in late rehearsals so they enhance rather than overshadow the choral line.
• Treat the piano line as a vocalist would treat countermelody; it's written to converse with the choir, not disappear into the background.

Position this as a closing piece for end-of-year concerts or graduation celebrations, where its emotional sincerity lands with full impact. The love song context and accessible difficulty make it a strong anchor for concerts celebrating transitions and new beginnings.

• Singing through a full-range melody with emotional clarity and control
• Balancing solo lines with harmonic accompaniment
• Responding to piano cues and following a fully written accompaniment part
• Blending with mixed voice parts while maintaining individual phrase shape
• Interpreting style markers (jazz and pop inflections) within a choral context