We Are The Champions (arr. Frank de Vreeze): SSAATB Choral Octavo

Frank de Vreeze's arrangement captures the anthem's legendary vocal architecture while making it genuinely singable for mixed ensembles. The 126-page score gives you room to work with varied voicings and dynamics, creating genuine impact without requiring operatic range or impossible blend.

Infectious and monumental. The piece channels Queen's knack for building collective energy, moving from propulsive rhythmic drive to soaring, almost operatic moments of unity. Singing this creates the sensation of speaking directly to an audience.

Choirs seeking repertoire that excites students while delivering legitimate musical challenges. This works for high school through community choirs with mixed voices and singers comfortable with contemporary pop arrangement techniques.

• Nail the rhythmic unison of the opening section. This is where your choir establishes the iconic swagger that makes the piece work. Lock in before adding dynamic contrast.
• Treat the layered vocal sections as instrumental voices rather than typical choral parts. Each line has melodic independence, so balance them as if you're mixing a recording.
• Build intensity through controlled crescendos rather than immediate volume. The emotional arc depends on restraint in earlier phrases so you have room to soar near the end.
• Record a rehearsal early and listen back as an ensemble. Hearing how the parts interlock will transform students' understanding of their individual contributions.

Consider this for spring concerts where you want to bridge classical programming with contemporary repertoire, or as a finale piece that sends audiences out energized. It also works brilliantly in pop/rock focused concerts or as a statement piece that demonstrates your choir's versatility.

• Navigating layered vocal textures with independent melodic lines
• Sustaining intensity and dynamics across extended phrases
• Balancing rhythmic precision with expressive interpretation in pop arrangement contexts
• Ensemble blend within non-traditional harmonic structures
• Connecting emotionally with contemporary secular text