The Lady Is a Tramp: SAB Choral Octavo

Kirby Shaw's arrangement preserves the swagger and attitude of this Rodgers and Hart classic while making it genuinely singable for three-part mixed choirs. The 12-page score delivers the kind of contemporary energy that comes from the Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett recording without demanding vocal gymnastics, so your singers get to feel current and confident.

Sassy, swinging, and unapologetically fun. The piece carries the energy of a late-night lounge performance, with enough harmonic spice to keep musicians interested and enough straightforward charm to make audiences smile.

SAB choirs looking for contemporary pop literature with real jazz pedigree. Conductors who want to program something familiar to singers and audiences but with enough sophistication to keep rehearsals engaging and musical.

• Balance the vocal lines carefully in the opener; the alto part needs to cut through without overshadowing the melody, which sits in the soprano range.
• Use the recorded accompaniment to lock down the groove, especially if your ensemble hasn't worked much with swing feel or jazz articulation.
• Shape the phrases with intent. This song thrives on attitude and personality, not just accurate notes.
• Pay attention to the lyrical subtext. The clever wordplay and conversational tone should come through the vocal delivery.

Program this as an opener or pre-intermission number on a concert mixing popular standards with other contemporary pop literature. It also works as a crowd-pleaser on a mixed-genre pops festival or as a showcase for SAB voicing when you want to highlight how much color three-part mixed arrangements can achieve.

• Jazz articulation and swing feel
• Balancing three independent vocal lines in a homophonic texture
• Interpreting lyrical subtext and attitude in performance
• Reading chromatic harmonic movement typical of jazz-influenced composition