Weatherman (arr. Roger Emerson): 2-Part Choral Octavo

Warm, approachable, and genuinely cool. The arrangement has genuine groove without pretension, and the soul idiom brings conversational ease to choral singing. This is the kind of piece that makes singers excited to come to rehearsal.

Choirs seeking contemporary repertoire that connects to students' musical lives without sacrificing musicianship. This works equally well for high school ensembles building confidence and middle school programs ready to move beyond traditional school music.

• Emphasize the legit phrasing over mechanical rhythm; these phrases breathe like speech, so resist the urge to subdivide every beat.
• Balance the parts carefully so the countermelody doesn't overshadow the primary line. Many singers instinctively sing too loud on the second part.
• Explore the recorded accompaniment early in rehearsal to establish the groove, then gradually reduce dependence on it so your choir owns the phrasing.
• Shape dynamics through vowel consistency and breath placement rather than volume alone; soul music lives in tone quality as much as intensity.

Drop this into a spring concert as a palate cleanser between more traditional repertoire, or build a contemporary set around it featuring other soul and R&B arrangements. It also works beautifully as a warm-up piece that doubles as crowd engagement on concert night.

• Singing with legit phrasing and breath control in contemporary idioms
• Balancing independent melodic lines in 2-part texture
• Interpreting dynamics and tone color through musical context rather than notation alone
• Developing rhythmic precision within groove-based accompaniment
• Connecting lyrics to emotional intent in secular vocal music