The Man I Love: Choral Octavo SoundTrax CD

Mark Hayes's arrangement captures everything that makes this Gershwin standard endure: the elegant simplicity of the melody paired with harmonies that give your singers something genuinely rich to sing. The verse-and-chorus structure gives you a natural dramatic arc, and the lush voicing sits beautifully in an SSAA range without requiring soloists or compromising the ensemble sound.

Romantic without sentimentality, warm without becoming cloying. The opening verse establishes an intimate, conversational mood before the famous melody arrives like a gentle revelation. Gershwin's gift for melody shines throughout, and Hayes's harmonies drape around the tune like perfectly tailored fabric.

Treble choirs looking for accessible yet musically sophisticated material that will resonate with audiences and give singers genuinely interesting vocal lines. Directors programming concerts that mix jazz-age standards with classical repertoire will find this essential.

• Shape the verse as a gentle setup; let it breathe and allow the text to land clearly so the entrance of the famous melody hits with full impact.
• Balance the harmony lines carefully during the "Someday he'll come along" section; every voice part contributes to the harmonic color, so blend for warmth rather than clarity.
• Use the recorded accompaniment to lock in intonation and phrasing, particularly where the harmonies shift, then gradually move toward singing without it during rehearsals.
• Approach dynamic peaks with restraint; the arrangement's beauty lies in subtle swells and warm tone rather than forcing volume.

Program this as a centerpiece for a concert celebrating American song, or as a bridge between classical and contemporary pops repertoire. It works equally well as a concert opener that sets a warm, engaging tone or as a secondary selection that showcases your treble choir's harmonic sophistication.

• Singing sustained harmonies and identifying voice leading across chord changes
• Balancing blend within divisi passages
• Interpreting jazz-inflected melody and phrasing
• Maintaining tonal warmth while navigating wide intervallic leaps
• Reading and performing from a recorded accompaniment with ensemble precision