This Time of the Year: Choral Octavo SoundTrax CD

Mark Hayes's arrangement captures the nostalgic warmth and bluesy sophistication of the original without overwhelming a choir. The piece sits beautifully for mixed voices, and the recorded accompaniment gives you a fully realized jazz texture that lets singers focus on phrasing and tone rather than fighting to hear their parts. It's the kind of holiday selection that feels fresh alongside traditional carols and actually gives your singers something rewarding to perform.

Warm, nostalgic, and gently swinging. The melody has an effortless elegance, supported by harmonies that evoke smoky jazz clubs and firelit living rooms. There's genuine sentimentality here, but never saccharine; instead, the piece lands in that space where memory and joy coexist, making it feel like a conversation rather than a performance.

This arrangement works for concert choirs, show choirs, and holiday programs seeking repertoire that appeals to both performers and audiences. Singers need solid blend and intonation but not extensive solo experience; the piece rewards musical maturity more than technical difficulty.

• Honor the lyrical quality of the verse by resisting the urge to rush. The sentimental snapshots need breathing room and conversational phrasing to land emotionally.
• Blend the crooner melody through the chorus; this isn't about soloists cutting through but about the whole choir creating a warm, unified vocal quality.
• Use the recorded accompaniment to lock in jazz swing and feel, then gradually reduce your reliance on it in rehearsal so singers internalize the groove rather than simply following along.
• Shape dynamics subtly around the lyrical content. The opening verses benefit from intimate singing, allowing the fuller sound to arrive naturally as the arrangement develops.

Pair this with other jazz or popular holiday selections to create a sophisticated seasonal concert that steps beyond traditional carols. It also serves beautifully as a closer or encore on a winter pops program, offering singers and audiences a moment of genuine warmth before the final notes fade.

• Phrasing and interpretation in a jazz-influenced style
• Blending warm vowels and sustaining legato lines
• Responding to swing rhythm and jazz accompaniment texture
• Balancing ensemble unity with lyrical expression