The Virgin Mary had a Baby Boy (arr. Tom Gentry): TTBB Choral Octavo

Joyful and grounded. The spiritual's resilient melody sits naturally in men's voices here, carried along by harmonies that suggest both intimate storytelling and group celebration. You can hear the carol's folk roots throughout.

Men's choirs seeking repertoire that feels festive without being precious, and holiday programming that welcomes engagement from singers who want to connect with the text. This works equally well for groups building their barbershop sensibilities or for mixed choirs wanting to feature their tenor and baritone sections.

• Balance the melody across all four parts rather than isolating it in the tenors; this arrangement asks everyone to carry the tune at different moments, which creates textural interest when executed with ensemble awareness.
• Lean into the barbershop harmony style by allowing the chords to ring slightly, especially on longer note values. This isn't classical precision; it's warmth and resonance.
• Pay attention to the dialect and phrasing markers in the text. Gentry's arrangement likely includes interpretive cues that shape how the storytelling unfolds across the eight pages.

Program this alongside other spirituals or carols to build a thematic set, or use it as an accessible entry point into barbershop style for singers newer to the genre. It works as a strong closer for holiday concerts because the text and melody lodge themselves in the audience's memory.

• Reading barbershop harmonic structures and voice leading conventions
• Singing in four-part TTBB voicing with independent melodic lines
• Developing resonance and blend specific to men's ensemble sonorities
• Interpreting spiritual traditions through contemporary arranging choices