The Days of Wine and Roses: SATB, a cappella Choral Octavo

Name: The Days of Wine and Roses: SATB, a cappella Choral Octavo
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 00-41609
Price: 1.95 USD
Availability: InStock

Lyrics by Johnny Mercer, music by Henry Mancini / arr. Steve Zegree

Item: 00-41609

$1.95

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Comprised of only two sentences, this Henry Mancini/Johnny Mercer masterpiece won the Academy Award for Best Original Song when it was featured in the film of the same name. Vocal jazz groups will savor this luscious treatment.

Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, The Days of Wine and Roses: SATB, a cappella Choral Octavo comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.

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Series: Alfred Pop Choral Series

Publisher: Alfred Music

Page Count: 8

UPC: 038081466897

SKU: 00-41609

More about this title

About the Composer: Henry Mancini

Henry Mancini (1924-1994) was an Italian-American composer and conductor whose film scores defined the sound of mid-twentieth-century cinema. His gift for melody and sophisticated orchestration earned him four Academy Awards and numerous Grammy Awards, making him one of the most recorded composers in history. Mancini's work bridged classical training and popular sensibility, a quality that made his songs endure across generations and performance contexts.

Beyond film, Mancini's compositions have become standards in jazz and popular music. His melodies are singable and emotionally direct, qualities that make his work particularly rewarding for choral arrangers and performers seeking material with both musical substance and immediate appeal.

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Why we love this

Steve Zegree's arrangement captures the sophistication and warmth of Mancini's original without relying on instrumental color. The a cappella voicing demands clean blend and sensitive phrasing from your singers, and the reward is a piece that sounds polished and complete with voices alone. This is one of those standards that audiences recognize immediately, yet the arrangement is fresh enough to feel like a discovery.

What to expect

The piece unfolds like an intimate conversation over a cocktail; there's elegance and nostalgia woven through every phrase. Mancini's harmonic language is warm and slightly melancholic, creating an atmosphere that feels both timeless and specifically rooted in the 1960s.

Who it's for

Jazz choirs and advanced mixed ensembles will find this piece sits perfectly in their repertoire. Singers comfortable with jazz vocabulary and a cappella singing will relish the harmonic sophistication and the freedom from instrumental accompaniment. This works equally well for groups seeking crossover appeal or a standards-based concert segment.

How to get the most out of it

Shape the phrase contours deliberately through sustained notes rather than rushing to the next beat. Mancini's melodies breathe, and your singers need space to let that lyricism unfold.
Balance the harmony so inner voices support without overwhelming the melody. SATB a cappella writing requires every voice to listen carefully across the chord.
Use dynamic contrast to emphasize the emotional arc. The text references wine and roses; let your singers find the bittersweet quality beneath the lush surface.
Mark breath spots in rehearsal. Eight pages of a cappella singing demands strategic breathing that doesn't break the musical line.

How to use it

Pair this with other mid-century standards to program a sophisticated jazz or pop concert section. Its eight-page length makes it substantial enough to anchor a segment without overwhelming an evening. The Academy Award pedigree also gives it natural appeal in special events or film-music themed concerts.