Styx in Concert: Choral Instrumental Pak
As performed by Kirby Shaw / Arranged by Styx
Item: 35-PK00385047
$30.00
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Description
This 7-minute medley of songs from the band Styx features the qualities that marked their success: guitar driven pop/rock with keyboards and full showstopping vocals. Includes these top hits: "Babe, The Best of Times, Come Sail Away, Show Me the Way."
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Additional Details
Publisher:
Hal Leonard
SKU:
35-PK00385047
More about this title
About the Artist: Kirby Shaw
Kirby Shaw's influence spans music education across North America, Europe, and beyond. With advanced degrees in choral conducting, composition, and music education, he's built a career on making complex arranging accessible and joyful. His work as a founding director of celebrated vocal jazz ensembles at multiple universities, combined with direct mentorship from jazz legends like Bobby McFerrin and Al Jarreau, gives his arrangements both sophistication and immediate musicality.
Shaw has placed over 2,500 choral works in active use worldwide, with nearly 20 million copies sold and consistent ASCAP recognition. Beyond his prolific arranging career, he co-created the musical adaptation "Scroogical" and remains active as a performer in the a cappella group Just 4 Kicks. His approach to music education emphasizes humor, accessibility, and genuine musical depth.
Why we love this
Shaw captures what made Styx iconic without sacrificing vocal clarity or musical balance. The medley packs genuine concert energy into seven minutes while keeping arrangements singable by high school and college ensembles, a rare combination in pop/rock transcriptions. Directors get a piece that audiences recognize instantly yet requires real musicianship to execute well.
What to expect
Nostalgia meets energy. These Styx hits arrive with their original swagger intact: keyboard textures that shimmer, guitar lines that lock in tight, and vocal moments that demand both power and precision. The medley structure creates momentum, moving through familiar territory that audiences will hum along with.
Who it's for
High school and college choral ensembles looking for contemporary material with immediate appeal. Pop/rock affinity singers will respond naturally to the melodic hooks, and directors seeking repertoire that bridges classical training with modern ensemble work will find this professionally arranged.
How to get the most out of it
- Let the rhythm section drive the groove. Your accompaniment tracks are mixed to feature drums and bass, so encourage your singers to lock into that pocket rather than fight it.
- Balance keyboard textures carefully during transitions between songs. These four hits have distinct sonic identities, so slight dynamic reshaping between medley sections helps each song breathe.
- Shape the vocal line around the guitar riffs, not against them. Shaw's arranging honors what made these songs memorable on radio, so your singers should recognize where the instrumental hooks sit.
- Build intensity gradually across the seven minutes. Treat this as a performance arc that climaxes near the end, not four separate song performances strung together.
How to use it
Position this as a pops concert anchor or contemporary set opener where you want immediate audience engagement. It pairs well with both straight-ahead classical programming as a second-half bridge and with other pop/rock repertoire in a dedicated contemporary concert. Seven minutes makes it ideal for concert slots where you want impact without dominating a single program segment.
Skills your students will build
- Singing over a full rhythm section while maintaining ensemble blend
- Navigating harmonic language common to 1970s/1980s pop (extended chords, modal interchange)
- Executing quick stylistic transitions between distinct song contexts
- Balancing individual vocal storytelling with group cohesion in popular repertoire