Underneath The Tree (arr. Ed Lojeski): SSA Choral Octavo

Lojeski's arrangement captures the infectious warmth of Clarkson's original without overwhelming an SSA ensemble. The writing sits comfortably for developing singers while maintaining enough harmonic interest to keep advanced choirs engaged, making it genuinely useful across multiple ability levels within a single program.

Bright and celebratory, with the pop sensibility of the original translated into a cappella or light accompaniment textures. There's an ease and accessibility here that still rewards careful attention to blend, intonation, and rhythmic precision.

Choirs looking for contemporary holiday material that connects with student singers without sacrificing musicianship. This works for middle school through community groups seeking something current and approachable for winter concerts.

• Balance the upper voices so the melody reads clearly; SSA voicings can blur if sopranos I and II aren't distinguished dynamically.
• Find the groove in the rhythm section parts. This song lives in its pocket, so lock the internal pulse before layering in the festive energy.
• Shape the phrases to breathe naturally rather than pushing through every bar. The arrangement likely gives you clear sectional breaks; use them to reset and reset articulation.
• Nail the blend in unison or near-unison passages. Those moments anchor the arrangement and need consistent vowel shapes across all singers.

Pair this with traditional carols to show students how seasonal music evolves and how modern songwriters approach holiday themes. It lands well as a closer to the first half of a concert or as part of a medley that mixes classic and contemporary styles.

• Sustaining tone across held notes without loss of vibrato control
• Matching vowel shapes in sustained harmony passages
• Navigating contemporary pop rhythms and syncopation
• Balancing melody and harmony in three-part writing
• Interpreting dynamic shaping in a pop idiom