What A Wonderful World (arr. Hans Reintjes): SSAA Choral Octavo

Reintjes' arrangement preserves the warmth and accessibility of Armstrong's original while building an imaginative harmonic foundation that rewards four-part voicing. The SSAA setting opens this jazz standard to ensembles that might otherwise skip it, and the orchestration choices create moments of genuine sophistication without sacrificing the tune's fundamental optimism.

You're singing optimism that somehow resists saccharine. The harmonies are lush enough to feel sophisticated, yet the fundamental melody remains conversational and direct. There's a quality of deliberate beauty here, not accident; Reintjes builds architecture around Armstrong's gift for making profound simplicity sound effortless.

This arrangement serves choirs that want to venture beyond traditional show tunes into genuine jazz repertoire. Intermediate to advanced women's choirs will find both the technical challenge and the emotional payoff satisfying, particularly programs seeking concert material that connects with diverse audiences.

• Balance the melody line carefully in the highest soprano part; the arrangement sits high enough that projection becomes crucial without pushing into shrillness.
• Lean into Armstrong's characteristic phrasing rather than treating this as a hymn; the rhythmic freedom built into jazz arranging actually sits at odds with mechanical quarter-note execution.
• Let the alto and second soprano parts breathe during their harmonic moments. These voices often carry supporting voicings that need space to register without drowning the tune.
• Record a practice version with the accompaniment first and listen for how Reintjes voices the transitions between sections; this arrangement reveals itself through repeated listening.

This works exceptionally well as a second-half closer on a concert mixing classical and contemporary repertoire; it provides tonal and stylistic variety while maintaining rehearsal challenge. Consider programming it alongside spirituals or other American roots material to show students how Armstrong's jazz vernacular connects to broader American musical traditions.

• Jazz phrasing and rhythmic flexibility within notated meter
• Balancing four-part texture with a soprano-dominant melody
• Interpreting harmonic color and sus chords in choral context
• Ensemble communication across independent vocal lines