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

Kirby Shaw's arrangement honors the melodic brilliance of this Gershwin standard while making it genuinely singable for a mixed choir at a moderate level. The orchestration captures the song's romantic sophistication without demanding virtuosic solo work, letting the ensemble shine as a unit. It's the kind of piece that sounds polished in a concert setting yet doesn't consume weeks of rehearsal.

Elegant and wistful, with a wry undercurrent. The song sits in that sweet spot between cabaret sensibility and concert hall refinement, letting singers feel like they're performing real American songbook material without the technical demands of jazz ensemble work.

Directors programming a concert that needs a standard with real heart alongside more contemporary or classical repertoire. Choirs solid enough to handle close harmony and lyrical text delivery but not yet working at an advanced level.

• Balance the melody between sections as it passes around the voicing. The arrangement trades the tune frequently, so mark who has it in each phrase and listen for a cohesive line.
• Lean into the lyrics and their emotional specificity. This isn't just a love song; it's about what endures. Direct singers to the text first, music second.
• The recorded accompaniment gives you a rhythmic anchor, but use it as a teaching tool in early rehearsals rather than a crutch. Get the choir confident enough to own the tempo without it.
• Shape the phrase endings with slight ritardando where the harmonic motion suggests it. Gershwin's songwriting rewards small gestures of rubato.

Include this on a program celebrating American composers, or as a standalone classic that gives your choir a moment of understated glamour. It pairs naturally with other jazz-influenced or standards-based repertoire and works equally well as a concert closer or an opening number that sets an elegant tone.

• Singing jazz-influenced harmony with accurate intonation
• Passing a melodic line cleanly between voice parts
• Connecting lyrical content to phrasing and interpretation
• Balancing blend and clarity in close voicing
• Responding to subtle rubato and conductor gesture