The House Is Rockin': Choral SoundPax

Alan Billingsley's arrangement strips away none of the original's attitude. The SoundPax instrumentation locks the rhythm section while saxes, trumpets, and trombone carry the riffs that made this track iconic, giving your choir a backing band that actually swings. Opening a concert with this piece signals to your audience that you're not interested in playing it safe.

Walking into a packed venue where the energy is already crackling. The moment the band hits, you feel the momentum; the choir enters as the main attraction, not an addition. It's bold, it's fun, and it makes an unmistakable first impression.

High school and adult choirs ready to command a room. This arrangement demands confident singers who can lock into a rock groove and directors who want to program contemporary repertoire with serious musicality.

• Plant your groove in the rhythm section and synth; lock the pocket before worrying about polish. This arrangement thrives on precision timing, not prettiness.
• Let the articulation in the horn parts breathe with your choir's phrasing. The sax and trumpet figures should feel conversational with the vocal line, not competing for space.
• Build dynamics gradually through the form rather than jumping to full intensity immediately. The power of this opener comes from forward momentum, not from starting at ten.
• Check balance between your treble and lower voices in the unison and harmonized sections; the synth will fill gaps, but your choir's blend should anchor the sound.

Use this as your concert opener to set an energetic, contemporary tone immediately. It pairs well with other pop or rock selections in the Alfred series and creates natural contrast when followed by a ballad or classical work. The compact arrangement (36 pages) makes it manageable for programs that span multiple genres.

• Singing with rhythmic precision in a rock/pop idiom
• Interpreting lyrical phrasing over a steady groove
• Balancing vocal blend while maintaining individual articulation clarity
• Responding to instrumental accompaniment with confidence and independence