That Dixieland Sound (When the Saints Go Marching In): Choral Octavo SoundTrax CD

Besig and Price understood that arranging around a beloved standard offers immediate musical credibility while allowing singers to experience a familiar melody in fresh territory. The partner song structure transforms a single melody into a multi-part exploration without requiring your ensemble to master intricate counterpoint, and the included SoundTrax accompaniment delivers authentic New Orleans color that even a smaller program can't generate live.

Bright, celebratory, and unmistakably New Orleans. The familiar melody anchors singers while the partner lines add harmonic richness, and when the SoundTrax accompaniment kicks in with its brass-tinged arrangement and infectious rhythm section, the whole piece captures that razz-a-ma-tazz spirit of a street parade.

Middle school through high school choirs of any size and readiness level. The 3-part voicing accommodates mixed or limited ensembles without sacrificing the character of the arrangement, and the partner song concept works whether your group sings in unison or explores the full harmonic texture.

• Let the recorded accompaniment establish the style and groove during early rehearsals; this New Orleans sound is as much about rhythmic feel as pitch accuracy, and hearing the authentic percussion and piano together helps singers internalize the idiom faster.
• Emphasize the text clarity in the partner melodies to keep each line distinctive when both are sung simultaneously; the harmonies work only if your singers know exactly what they're singing.
• Build in time for the ensemble to sing with the recording before performance; the interaction between choir and accompaniment creates the full effect, and synchronization requires rehearsal just like any other accompaniment work.

Program this as a crowd-pleasing finale or mid-concert energy boost; the combination of a tune everyone knows and authentic regional style gives audiences an immediate connection. It also works beautifully in pops concerts, spring concerts, or any programming that calls for something joyful and distinctly American.

• Singing partner songs and maintaining independence when similar melodies overlap
• Stylistic interpretation of jazz and New Orleans idioms through rhythm and articulation
• Ensemble blend and balance when one line carries the melody and others provide harmonic support
• Synchronization with recorded accompaniment