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

Frank de Vreeze has captured the spine-tingling unity of Queen's original without losing the rock edge that makes singers want to perform this. The SSAA voicing sits exactly where most women's choirs can access the material with confidence, and the arrangement respects the song's iconic call-and-response structure while adding sophisticated harmonic depth that keeps the singers engaged through all 126 pages.

Triumph without apology. The arrangement builds from a conversational opening into a full-voiced celebration, with moments of surprising harmonic sophistication nestled inside a rock anthem structure. Singers will feel the collective power of ensemble sound meeting cultural recognition.

Women's choirs of intermediate to advanced capability who want contemporary material that audience and singers alike will recognize. This works equally well for concert choirs seeking a show closer, festival competition entries, or community groups looking to balance pop repertoire with serious vocal writing.

• Lock the unison sections early; the power of this arrangement comes from the moment when all four parts lock together on the main hook.
• Blend the lower voices (altos and second sopranos) on the sustained chords underneath the melody line; these voices carry the harmonic weight that prevents the piece from sounding thin.
• Shape the dynamics across the full arc rather than thinking in isolated verses and choruses; build gradually from the first statement through the final climax to avoid plateauing midway.
• Tap into the celebratory, almost defiant energy of the text; this arrangement works best when sung with full confidence rather than held back reservation.

Save this for a program finale or an encore slot where the audience can join the emotional payoff. It pairs well on a mixed-repertoire concert after classical or jazz selections, creating a memorable throughline from art song to stadium anthem. The length makes it suitable as a centerpiece for a pop music-themed concert or as the capstone for a year-end celebration.

• Blending sustained chords across four-part voicing
• Maintaining rhythmic precision in rock and pop idioms
• Shaping longer phrases across multiple sections without losing energy
• Balancing individual voice independence with ensemble cohesion
• Singing contemporary popular material with expressive commitment