We Love the '60s: Choral SoundPax

Althouse knows how to build a medley that keeps energy high without sacrificing musicality. The five-song sequence moves quickly enough to hold an audience but gives your singers real moments to shine on some genuinely singable material. This is the kind of arrangement that makes people smile during rehearsal and applaud during performance.

Pure joy from the first note. The arrangement captures the infectious energy of 1960s pop while keeping the vocal lines accessible and fun to sing. There's nostalgia here for older audience members, but the arrangements are contemporary enough that it never feels dated.

Concert and show choirs looking for a crowd-pleasing medley with real substance. This works equally well for groups that specialize in pop repertoire and for traditional choirs wanting to add something fun to a spring program.

• Lock the rhythmic momentum early in rehearsals. These songs rely on forward motion, so establish a solid tempo baseline and keep it consistent across all five tunes.
• Pay attention to the transitions between songs. Althouse has written them to flow, but your singers need to know exactly where the breath points are and how each section connects.
• Bring out the personality in each number rather than treating them as one long piece. Each song has its own character; let your singers feel the shift in energy and style as you move through the medley.
• Use the recorded accompaniment during early rehearsals to help singers find their parts and understand the groove before you build ensemble blend.

Save this for a spot in your concert where you want the audience fully engaged and smiling. It works wonderfully as a closing number for a spring show or as a palette-cleanser between heavier pieces. The seven-minute length gives you a complete musical statement without eating up significant concert real estate.

• Moving fluidly between different song styles and grooves
• Maintaining rhythmic precision in pop idioms
• Balancing ensemble sound while interpreting distinct melodic hooks
• Using choreography and movement as a musical tool (staging included)