What Is This Feeling? (from Wicked) (Full version) (arr. Roger Emerson): SSAA Choral Octavo

Roger Emerson's arrangement captures the comedic tension and underlying vulnerability of this iconic duet while making it singable for SSAA ensembles without sacrificing the song's theatrical personality. The orchestration gives choirs room to shape their own interpretation, and the emotional arc from playful animosity to genuine connection gives singers something real to perform.

The song captures that electric moment when two people realize they might actually like each other despite their differences. The music swings between sharp, witty exchanges and moments of surprising tenderness, with harmonies that shift from competitive to collaborative.

Directors programming concerts that need contemporary Broadway material with genuine theatrical substance and immediate audience recognition. This works equally well for schools building confidence in newer singers and for experienced choirs seeking accessible material that still demands artistic maturity.

• Establish clear character work early in rehearsal. Elphaba and Glinda's contrasting personalities should inform how each section phrases and articulates their lines, even when the voices overlap.
• Balance the comedy with sincerity. The humor lands hardest when singers commit fully to the emotional content underneath the witty lyrics.
• Attend to the dynamic shifts carefully. The arrangement likely tracks the show's dramatic trajectory, so precise control of volume and intensity will reveal the song's structure.
• Experiment with slight rhythmic flexibility in the lyrical passages. Broadway style permits gentle rubato without losing ensemble cohesion.

Pair this with other Schwartz selections or contemporary musical theater to create a cohesive Broadway segment, or program it as a palate cleanser between heavier classical repertoire. Its cultural relevance makes it excellent for concerts aimed at engaging families and younger listeners alongside traditional concert fare.

• Managing character and text simultaneously in ensemble singing
• Dynamic contrast and phrasing in contemporary musical theater style
• Blend and balance in SSAA textures with divisi sections
• Rhythmic precision with lyrical flexibility
• Sustaining energy through longer extended passages