What Time Is It: SATB Choral Octavo

Ed Lojeski's arrangement takes a song already familiar to many of your singers and transforms it into a legitimate choral vehicle. The SATB voicing sits naturally across all four parts, avoiding the thin sound that can happen when pop material gets poorly adapted. Directors program this knowing their students arrive already invested in the material, which creates immediate momentum in rehearsals.

Bright, rhythmically propulsive, and celebratory. The arrangement captures the original's infectious energy while giving your singers room to discover actual vocal harmony. There's lift in the harmonies and space for expression without veering into theater territory.

High school choirs seeking repertoire that bridges the gap between popular music familiarity and genuine choral technique. This octavo works equally well for audition warmups, concert opening numbers, or pep rally performances where you want musicality alongside audience connection.

• Balance the melodic line across sections. The primary tune may shift between soprano and alto, so establish early which part carries the tune in each phrase and adjust blend accordingly.
• Commit to the rhythmic drive. This arrangement works when your choir locks into a steady pulse; any wavering in the rhythm section (especially if you're using the accompaniment) will expose cracks in the ensemble.
• Shape phrases through dynamics and breath placement rather than holding back tone. These singers know the song well enough to perform it with confidence and energy.

This belongs early in a concert when you need the audience engaged and your singers confident. It also works as a bridge piece between a serious classical work and something lighter, or as the closing number if you want to send people out energized. Spring concerts and end-of-year celebrations pair naturally with this material.

• Maintaining rhythmic precision in syncopated passages
• Balancing melody and harmony in pop-influenced vocal writing
• Singing pop material with legitimate vocal technique and blend
• Quick learning of familiar melodic content
• Ensemble cohesion when performing high-energy material