They Can't Take That Away from Me: Choral Octavo SoundTrax CD

Mark Hayes's arrangement captures the unhurried sophistication of this Gershwin classic while making it genuinely singable for mixed ensembles. The voice writing feels conversational rather than showy, and the swing feel sits naturally in the choral texture, giving your singers a real taste of American songbook style without the vocal gymnastics that can derail young singers.

Warm, urbane, and deeply human. The melody has the quality of someone sharing quiet observations with a close friend rather than performing for a crowd. There's melancholy underneath the charm, a recognition that love is built from small, irreplaceable details.

Mixed choral ensembles at intermediate to advanced levels who want to add Great American Songbook repertoire to their library. This arrangement works for high school choirs, college singers, and community ensembles ready to explore jazz-inflected popular song with serious musicality.

• Let the piano anchor the swing feel. The accompaniment isn't busy, but it establishes the groove your singers need to keep the rhythm unhurried and relaxed rather than rushed.
• Shape the lyric phrasing like speech. These lines are meant to sound conversational ("the way you wear your hat, the way you sip your tea"), not operatic; encourage singers to lift naturally at line breaks rather than breathe at bar lines.
• Balance the verses against the refrain. The "no, no, they can't take that away from me" section has the melodic weight; make sure it doesn't overshadow the charming specificity of what comes before it.
• Use the recorded accompaniment to lock the swing feel in rehearsal. The CD models the subtle push and relaxation that makes this style authentic.

Pair this with other Gershwin standards or Broadway repertoire to build a concert around American songwriting craft. It works equally well as a standalone feature or as part of a pops concert that celebrates sophisticated popular music. The modest orchestration and accessible style make it ideal for spring concerts or community performances where you want to reach beyond traditional choral audiences.

• Singing with a natural swing feel in a choral context
• Interpreting lyric phrasing conversationally rather than formally
• Balancing harmonic complexity with singable, musical lines
• Understanding how jazz and popular idioms function in choral arrangements
• Responding to recorded accompaniments to maintain stylistic consistency