We Are the Choir: SAB Choral Octavo
Based on March Militaire, Opus 51
Music by Franz Schubert / arr. with new words by Donald Moore
Item: 00-PO-0000443
$1.75
Minimum order quantity: 20 copies
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Description
The music is Schubert's "March Militaire." The text is wonderfully witty. The result is an unforgettable novelty number for mixed choirs. Each section of the choir brags about being "the very best in town" or having "the finest sound" in the chromatic B section, before recapitulating the strong "we are the choir" hook. Funny (to hear) . . . and fun (to sing)! Featured on the "Hooray for Hollywood!" movement DVD #28868.
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Additional Details
Series:
Alfred Choral Designs
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
8
SKU:
00-PO-0000443
More about this title
About the Composer: Franz Schubert
Franz Schubert (1797-1828) composed over 600 works across nearly every genre, yet remained largely unknown outside Vienna during his lifetime. His gift for melody was extraordinary; he could spin out a simple theme into something achingly beautiful or irrepressibly spirited, often within the same piece. His instrumental music—symphonies, chamber works, and piano sonatas—reveals a composer equally at home with intimate lyricism and grand architectural form.
Schubert's "March Militaire" exemplifies his ability to write music that feels both sophisticated and immediately engaging. Originally composed as a solo piano piece, it has survived countless arrangements because its march rhythms and clear harmonic structure translate so naturally to voices. That durability is one reason arrangers keep returning to it: there's genuine musical substance beneath the straightforward surface.
Why we love this
This arrangement solves the real challenge of programming something genuinely funny without sacrificing musical integrity. The witty text lands hardest when the underlying music has actual weight, and Schubert's march provides exactly that. Directors love it because singers commit more fully to a novelty number when they respect the melody they're singing.
What to expect
Military precision meets vaudeville humor. The march rhythm gives everything a strutting quality, almost like each section of the choir is marching onstage to claim their moment. The chromatic section tilts toward campiness, with overlapping boasts creating a kind of musical pileup before the hook reasserts itself with unshakeable certainty. It's absurd and earnest at the same time.
Who it's for
Choirs with confident singers who enjoy theatrical moments without needing heavy choreography. SAB voicing makes it accessible to mixed groups with lighter soprano or alto sections, and the arrangement works for both school and community choirs. You need singers who can deliver text with personality while maintaining harmonic blend.
How to get the most out of it
- Lean into the confidence of the hook. 'We are the choir' should sound declarative and proud, not apologetic. Your singers should feel like they're bragging.
- Let the chromatic section breathe slightly. The text gets chattier here (each voice claims superiority), so clarity matters more than straight metronomic precision.
- Shape the recapitulation as a payoff. After the chromatic B section's playfulness, the return to 'we are the choir' should feel like coming home to something unshakeable.
- Use the recorded accompaniment to lock the march's rhythmic foundation, especially if your choir tends to rush the momentum.
How to use it
Program this after something serious to shift the emotional temperature and remind your audience that choral music can entertain. It works beautifully as a standalone show-closer or paired with other novelty numbers in a thematic set. The movement and staging notation in the score makes it ideal for a concert where you want singers more visible and active.
Skills your students will build
- Rhythmic precision in march time while maintaining textual clarity
- Chromatic intonation in the B section
- Ensemble blend across three parts with distinct melodic independence
- Character singing and projection of personality without losing choral sound
- Coordination of text delivery across overlapping voice lines