The Sun Will Shine Today: Jazz Ensemble Conductor Score

Williams writes jazz that swings effortlessly at professional tempos without requiring your ensemble to be a semi-pro group. The multiple solo options mean you can feature different voices across performances, keeping the piece fresh in rotation and giving more students the spotlight they deserve.

Optimistic and propulsive. The title announces the mood immediately, and the steady swing at 180 BPM carries that brightness forward without sentimentality. Soloists get room to stretch and play with the time while the ensemble stays locked into a groove that feels both supportive and energetic.

Jazz ensemble directors at the high school, college, or community ensemble level who want a polished feature that showcases individual soloists without requiring a rhythm section of rare maturity. This works equally well for ensembles comfortable reading at Grade 6 complexity and for programs that value repertoire with recorded reference performances.

• Lock the rhythm section into the groove at 180 BPM during early rehearsals; the tempo sits right at the boundary where tightness becomes audible, so anchor your comping and walking lines before soloists enter.
• Let soloists hear the original clarinet feature first, then discuss phrasing and chromaticism before they craft their own interpretation on their respective instruments.
• Balance the optional horn in F parts against your core voicings; these additions thicken the sound but can blur the punch if the mix isn't actively managed.
• Rehearse the head and final shout choruses as a unified rhythmic entity separate from solo sections; the distinction between time-keeping and groove-setting matters at this tempo.

Place this as a closer on a jazz concert or as the anchor of a set featuring multiple soloists across the ensemble. The uplifting character and professional sound make it an excellent choice for spring concerts or community performances where you want to leave the audience in good spirits.

• Swing rhythms and time-feel at fast tempos
• Solo development and chromaticism across different instruments
• Ensemble voicing balance with optional instrumental doublings
• Head and shout chorus section ensemble playing at professional tempo
• Rhythm section comping and walking bass lines in a feature context