The Longest Time (SAB with Tenor Solo) (arr. Kirby Shaw): SAB Choral Octavo

Kirby Shaw's arrangement opens up this 1983 Joel classic for three-part mixed voices while preserving the song's infectious charm and harmonic sophistication. The tenor solo creates a natural focal point that lets you feature a strong soloist without overshadowing the ensemble texture. This is the kind of accessible, genuinely fun repertoire that builds ensemble confidence while sounding polished in performance.

Warm and nostalgic, with the kind of earnest vulnerability that made the original recording resonate across generations. The arrangement preserves the song's sweet melodic contour while the three-part voicing creates gentle harmonic color that feels intimate rather than grandiose.

This arrangement works for SAB choirs at the high school level and beyond, particularly groups seeking contemporary material with pop credentials and modest technical demands. Ensembles looking to program a sentimental, singable piece that audiences immediately recognize will find solid musicality here.

• Balance the solo voice against the background parts; the tenor line should float above the texture rather than punch through it, especially in moments where all three parts move together.
• Shape the phrase lines to match the natural speech rhythm of the lyrics, resisting the urge to mechanically mark every beat.
• Lean into the a cappella sound by establishing clear tuning reference points during rehearsal and using sustained vowels to anchor the harmonic content.

This fits naturally into concert programs celebrating popular songwriting or creating a lighter second half that shifts from classical or contemporary art song repertoire. It also serves well as an encore or closer for spring concerts where you want to send audiences out with something familiar and uplifting.

• Balancing a featured solo against ensemble accompaniment
• Sustaining pitch and blend in a cappella singing
• Shaping melodic phrases to match lyrical intent in popular music
• Reading and interpreting three-part mixed voicing at accessible range