There's Still My Joy (arr. Audrey Snyder): SATB Choral Octavo

Audrey Snyder's arrangement captures the warmth and accessibility that makes this song resonate across generations, while respecting the harmonic sophistication Indigo Girls are known for. The piece sits comfortably in a mixed ensemble context without demanding excessive range or technical gymnastics, making it genuinely singable for school and community choirs. This is holiday music that feels contemporary rather than nostalgic, offering your choir something fresh alongside the usual seasonal repertoire.

There's an underlying optimism here, grounded in the folk tradition but expressed through pop sensibilities that feel immediate and genuine. The harmonies support a reflective quality, inviting listeners into a moment of quiet affirmation rather than bombastic celebration.

This arrangement works well for intermediate to advanced high school and college choirs, as well as community ensembles seeking contemporary holiday material with substance. Solo singers and smaller vocal groups can also adapt this effectively for special events or seasonal programming.

• Emphasize the natural phrasing of the lyric rather than rigid metric divisions; this arrangement rewards singers who listen to the melody as a complete musical thought.
• Balance the alto and tenor lines carefully in passages where they carry inner harmonic movement; these voices shape the arrangement's emotional arc.
• Let the dynamic arc breathe organically from verse to fuller sections, resisting the urge to overstate dynamics early in the piece.
• Lock in with the recorded accompaniment during rehearsals, but ensure your singers can perform confidently without it before performance.

This pairs naturally with other contemporary sacred and secular holiday selections, offering a bridge between traditional expectations and modern musical language. Consider programming it as part of a thematic set that explores different cultural and stylistic approaches to the season, or feature it as a showcase for your choir's blend and intonation prowess in a smaller concert setting.

• Singing in pop and folk idioms with authentic phrasing
• Balancing independent vocal lines within a harmonic texture
• Interpreting contemporary vocal arrangements with historical awareness
• Sustaining ensemble cohesion across varied dynamic and harmonic landscape