This Will Be (An Everlasting Love): SSA Choral Octavo

Greg Gilpin's arrangement captures everything that made the original recording irresistible without requiring a full ensemble or complex instrumental simulation. The gospel energy is immediate and sustained, and the SSA voicing keeps the piece accessible while the harmonic richness remains completely intact. Your singers will feel the lift in their bodies from the opening measure.

Pure exuberance wrapped in sophisticated harmony. The arrangement pulses with the warmth of gospel tradition while maintaining the pop sensibility of the original recording. Singers feel the joy of the text in their bodies from the opening phrase, and that infectious energy sustains through the entire twelve pages.

Intermediate to advanced SSA choirs ready to tackle contemporary gospel repertoire with style and conviction. This works equally well for treble choirs, show choirs seeking legitimate crossover material, and any ensemble comfortable with rhythmic precision and soulful phrasing.

• Lock in the rhythmic syncopation early in rehearsal. This piece lives in the pocket, and loose ensemble rhythm will flatten the groove. Work the syncopated entrances separately before singing the full arrangement.
• Color the upper voices with brightness and projection in the sustained passages. The SSA texture gains fullness and warmth when the sopranos sing with intention rather than pulling back on longer notes.
• Bring forward the gospel inflections in the text. Lean into the repeated phrases and allow singers to feel the call-and-response moments with their full bodies, not just their voices.
• Balance the lower voices clearly during the harmonic fills. The alto line carries crucial harmonic movement that supports the soprano melody; underbalancing it muddies the arrangement's sophisticated foundation.

This is a concert-opener or closer that sets an uplifting tone while showcasing genuine musical chops. It pairs beautifully alongside lighter classical choral works as contrast, or program it within a contemporary pop/gospel segment to demonstrate how commercial music can be arranged with real harmonic sophistication. It's also a reliable crowd-pleaser for community performances where you want to engage general audiences while respecting your singers' musical development.

• Syncopated rhythm reading and ensemble precision in contemporary style
• Gospel phrasing and call-and-response textures
• Balancing homophonic and contrapuntal moments within a single arrangement
• Sustaining vocal energy and projection across a full two-phrase structure