Wake Me Up (arr. Don Henken): SSSAA Choral Octavo

Don Henken's arrangement captures the infectious appeal of 'Wake Me Up' while making it singable and engaging for five-part treble voices. The pop idiom paired with accessible SSSAA writing gives your choir a contemporary piece that audiences recognize immediately, and the arrangement respects the original's melodic hooks without requiring instrumental accompaniment.

The arrangement carries the reflective, searching quality of the original while maintaining the propulsive beat that made it a streaming phenomenon. There's an emotional honesty beneath the pop production; singers feel both the lightness of the groove and the weight of the song's introspective message.

Mixed treble choirs ready to program something current and recognizable. The SSSAA voicing works for groups with stronger soprano sections, and the contemporary style appeals to students who engage with pop music.

• Keep the forward momentum consistent throughout. This song lives in its groove, so rhythmic precision across all five parts drives the energy even in slower passages.
• Balance the solos and featured lines so they cut through the texture. In pop arrangements, the tune needs to shine against the supporting voices.
• Pay attention to any layered vocal textures Henken uses. Many pop choral arrangements build impact by staggering entrances, so clarity on exactly when each voice enters matters.
• Let the lyrics breathe naturally. Pop phrasing differs from classical technique, so encourage singers to sing conversationally while maintaining proper technique.

Place this in a concert that celebrates contemporary music alongside your traditional repertoire, or use it as a crowd-pleasing closer that sends audiences out energized. It works well in pops concerts, end-of-year shows, or any program aiming to connect with younger listeners.

• Singing in pop/contemporary musical idiom with stylistic awareness
• Maintaining rhythmic precision in syncopated passages
• Balancing melody against five-part harmonic texture
• Layering and blending in treble voicing
• Interpreting modern music with emotional authenticity