The Holiday Season: 2-Part Choral Octavo

Mark Hayes's arrangement captures the glamour and swagger of mid-century pop without losing the song's genuine warmth. The flashy piano part and instrumental accompaniment give your choir a genuine showcase number that audiences recognize and love, while the 2-part voicing keeps the piece accessible for most ensembles. This is the kind of arrangement that lets singers feel like they're performing at a real holiday concert, not a school assembly.

Bright, sophisticated, and unmistakably festive, with the kind of Hollywood sheen that makes singers want to perform it and audiences want to hear it. The arrangement swings with genuine joy while maintaining the elegance that made the song a standard, giving your choir a chance to sound polished and contemporary without sacrificing warmth.

This arrangement works for school choirs, community choirs, church ensembles, and show choir programs looking for a crowd-pleasing holiday number with real musical substance. Singers need comfortable reading skills and the confidence to perform in a contemporary pop idiom, but the 2-part voicing and straightforward harmonic language keep it approachable for developing ensembles.

• Balance the vocal lines so the text remains clear through the full instrumental texture. The accompaniment is lush, so singers need confident projection without straining.
• Work the rhythmic swing into your ensemble early. Hayes's arrangement has real groove, and locking the rhythm section (via the recorded accompaniment or live piano) will make the whole performance snap into place.
• Shape the melody with intention across phrases. This is a song built on memorable hooks, so emphasize the contours that make it singable and satisfying.
• Consider the recorded accompaniment as a collaborator, not a backing track. It has personality and personality, so rehearse with it early and let your singers feel how it breathes.

This piece anchors a holiday concert as a second-half opener or encore, where its energy and familiarity can refresh the audience after more traditional repertoire. Pair it with a mix of carols and secular pop arrangements to showcase your choir's versatility, or feature it as the emotional high point of a themed concert celebrating American popular song.

• Performing in contemporary pop style with swing rhythm
• Balancing vocal lines within dense instrumental accompaniment
• Reading and executing modern harmonic language (seventh chords, chromatic movement)
• Shaping melodic phrases for clarity and expressiveness
• Ensemble blend across 2-part voicing