White Christmas (arr. Deke Sharon): TTBB Choral Octavo

Sharon brings the precision and energy that made Pitch Perfect so aurally compelling to a holiday standard, treating the arrangement as a vehicle for tight harmonic work and rhythmic interplay rather than mere nostalgia. The TTBB voicing sits naturally for male voices while maintaining the clarity and sophistication his arrangements are known for. A choir tackling this will experience how a master arranger balances accessibility with the kind of detail that keeps singers engaged through multiple performances.

Warm but never schmaltzy, with the kind of sophisticated chord movement that keeps the ear engaged even on a familiar melody. The arrangement has a modern polish to it, drawing from the layered, contemporary a cappella vocabulary Sharon pioneered, yet it never loses sight of the tune's essential warmth. There's an ease to singing it once you find the groove, but the harmonic density beneath the surface rewards careful listening.

Male or mixed choirs wanting a contemporary take on a holiday essential without resorting to overly complex arranging or novelty treatments. Groups comfortable with tight a cappella textures and looking to add variety to their December programming will find Sharon's approach both singable and musically substantial. This works equally well for collegiate groups, community choirs, and high school ensembles with solid blend and intonation.

• Lock the harmonic foundation with your bass and baritone lines first; they anchor the lifted, jazz-influenced chords that define this arrangement
• Shape the melody with gentle dynamics rather than explosive ones. The arrangement thrives on conversational phrasing between voices, not volume
• Rehearse the transition moments where voicing shifts; these create the vocal texture Sharon is after, and rushing them flattens the effect
• Record yourself early and listen back as a section. Hearing the blend from the audience perspective reveals balance issues that feel invisible in the rehearsal room

Build a winter concert around this as an anchor piece, pairing it with contrasting holiday repertoire in other languages or styles to showcase range. It serves equally well as a lighter moment mid-concert or as an opener that sets a sophisticated, contemporary tone before moving into heavier material. The four-page format makes it ideal for a focused rehearsal goal in November, giving choirs time to achieve the blend this arrangement deserves.

• Sustaining intonation in a cappella sonorities without instrumental reference
• Hearing and singing jazz-influenced seventh and suspended harmonies
• Balancing individual line integrity with ensemble blend
• Responding to subtle dynamic and rhythmic cues from the conductor
• Maintaining rhythmic precision across multiple moving parts in tight a cappella textures