West Side Story: Choral Instrumental Pak
As performed by Stephen Sondheim / Arranged by Mac Huff
Item: 35-PK00291035
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Description
The music from Leonard Bernstein's landmark Broadway musical West Side Story has become an important part of our musical heritage. This 20-minute choral suite in four sections offers vivid and emotional contrasts along with some of the most beautiful and beloved melodies the Broadway stage has ever produced. Songs include: Something's Coming; Tonight; Maria; One Hand, One Heart; I Feel Pretty; Cool; America, Somewhere.
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Additional Details
Publisher:
Hal Leonard
SKU:
35-PK00291035
More about this title
About the Artist: Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Sondheim fundamentally changed what lyrics could accomplish in musical theater. His work demands that singers engage with sophisticated rhyme schemes, complex rhythmic patterns set to text, and emotional specificity that treats every word as musically consequential. For student performers, studying Sondheim's craft teaches the inseparable relationship between language and melody.
West Side Story, created in collaboration with composer Leonard Bernstein, stands as one of American musical theater's most enduring achievements. The show's music and lyrics grapple with serious themes of belonging, love, and social conflict while remaining immediately accessible to performers and audiences alike. Sondheim's contribution established the model for contemporary musical theater composition, where lyrical wit and dramatic depth serve the story without compromise.
Why we love this
This suite captures the emotional architecture of West Side Story in a format that serves choirs of varying sizes and skills. Mac Huff's arrangement preserves Bernstein's harmonic language while creating moments of genuine vocal beauty alongside rhythmically engaging passages that keep ensemble singing sharp and focused.
What to expect
A collision of joy and heartbreak, played out across some of the most memorable melodies written for the stage. The music shifts between youthful exuberance and aching vulnerability, demanding that singers find the full range of human feeling within a single 20-minute experience.
Who it's for
Directors programming a concert that benefits from immediately recognizable, emotionally powerful repertoire. Choirs looking for a substantial suite that offers both lyrical and rhythmic challenges without requiring soloists or a large ensemble.
How to get the most out of it
- Balance the dramatic contrasts between sections. The shift from the kinetic energy of "Cool" to the tenderness of "Somewhere" should register as a genuine change in atmosphere, not just a tempo adjustment.
- Keep the rhythmic precision tight in "America" and "Cool." These songs sit on the borderline between speech and song, and clarity in articulation makes the text come alive.
- Approach "Maria" and "Somewhere" with restraint. The beauty of these melodies lies in their simplicity, not in oversinging them.
- Pay attention to the recorded accompaniment's phrasing. Bernstein's harmonic language can feel unfamiliar at first; the track will help singers internalize the chord changes quickly.
How to use it
Program this as the anchor of a spring concert, positioning it as the emotional centerpiece that frames lighter or more classical pieces on either side. It also works effectively as a standalone tribute concert focused on Broadway's most significant contributions to American musical culture, paired with complementary material from other major composers.
Skills your students will build
- Lyrical clarity when singing text-heavy passages with complex rhythmic profiles
- Harmonic independence in contemporary chord progressions
- Stylistic contrast between speech-song and sustained legit singing
- Ensemble precision in syncopated and syncopated rhythmic figures
- Emotional authenticity in conveying narrative content through sung language