Tommy (Choral Highlights from the Broadway Musical) (arr. Mark Brymer): SATB Choral Octavo

Mark Brymer's arrangement captures the drama and accessibility of Tommy without requiring your singers to navigate obscure rock harmony. The four pages move quickly through the musical's central moments, giving your choir a chance to perform recognizable material from a genuine rock milestone rather than another pop cover adaptation.

Driving, purposeful, and unapologetically theatrical. The arrangement captures The Who's blend of accessibility and ambition, moments of power balanced against introspection. Singers get to feel like they're performing something substantial rather than novelty.

Choirs ready to move beyond traditional repertoire into rock territory, especially programs that want to connect with students through music they actually recognize and enjoy. Works well for high school and community choirs seeking contemporary concert material with legitimate artistic roots.

• Balance the theatrical quality against oversinging. These moments work best when the energy feels confident rather than stretched.
• Lean into the rhythmic precision. Rock harmony depends on locked ensemble rhythm more than classical legit singing does.
• Let the lyrics sit forward in the mix. The story and attitude matter as much as the voice quality itself.

Program these highlights in a pop or contemporary music concert to anchor the evening with a well-known rock narrative. Alternately, pair the arrangement with other Broadway or musical theatre selections to demonstrate how contemporary musicals have roots in rock and roll rather than traditional theatre music.

• Rhythmic precision in rock idioms
• Balancing projection without oversinging
• Character awareness in storytelling through music
• Ensemble blend in non-classical textures