This Time of the Year: SATB Choral Octavo

Mark Hayes's arrangement captures the song's bluesy warmth while keeping the writing singable for mixed choirs of varying experience levels. The piece lands perfectly between nostalgia and contemporary relevance, giving your choir a holiday selection with genuine musical substance rather than seasonal novelty. Pairing a mid-century standard with a trusted arranger means your ensemble gets material that performs well and reflects actual American musical history.

Warm nostalgia wrapped in a gentle bluesy swagger. The piece unfolds like someone reminiscing by a fireplace, with a melody that feels both conversational and deeply felt. Harmony supports the sentiment without overwhelming it, creating space for the text's intimate observations about Christmases past.

Any SATB choir seeking genuine holiday repertoire with musical substance. This works for community choirs, church ensembles, and high school programs that want to program something beyond traditional carols while still honoring the season's emotional core.

• Shape the crooner melody with legit legit phrasing; this isn't a belted pop song, so encourage singers to find the lyrical line underneath the bluesy inflections.
• Balance the harmonic movement carefully in the verses, where sentimental storytelling depends on clarity in the inner voices.
• Layer the recorded accompaniment into rehearsal early to establish the piece's groove and help singers lock into the jazz-inflected rhythm without over-shaping it.
• Let the text's conversational warmth breathe; resist the urge to over-articulate or drive too hard, especially at phrase endings where the bluesy character softens.

Position this as your jazz or secular holiday offering, pairing it with either a traditional carol or a contemporary seasonal piece to give your concert textural variety. It also works well as a standalone selection for community concerts, holiday pops programs, or services where a non-religious but spiritually warm piece fits your community's needs.

• Singing jazz-influenced harmony with accurate intonation in chromatic movement
• Interpreting bluesy inflection and swing rhythms in a choral context
• Balancing melodic prominence with harmonic support across voice parts
• Singing with lyrical phrasing in a groove-based accompaniment