Who Could Ask for Anything More?: SSA Choral Octavo

Jay Althouse's arrangement captures the wit and rhythmic vitality of these Gershwin classics without overwhelming your singers. The medley format lets you program an entire musical era in eight minutes, and the SSA voicing keeps parts accessible while maintaining the sophistication audiences expect from this material.

The piece sparkles with the glamour and optimism of 1920s and '30s New York, moving between romantic ballads and up-tempo swing numbers with style and charm. Each song feels complete yet connected, creating a journey through some of the most beloved melodies in American song.

This arrangement works well for treble choirs at the high school level and beyond, including community and collegiate choirs seeking accessible yet sophisticated popular material. Directors programming a Gershwin-themed concert, a jazz or American music unit, or a pops show will find this medley both crowd-pleasing and musically substantial.

• Shape the melodic line with attention to the syncopated rhythms characteristic of Gershwin's style; let the natural swing of the phrases emerge without forcing.
• Balance ensemble sound by checking that inner voice lines are audible, particularly in the faster sections where harmonic movement creates texture.
• Use the recorded accompaniment to establish both tempo and the jazz-influenced feel, then rehearse without it to build vocal independence.
• Pay attention to lyrical clarity in the transitions between songs; these moments define the medley's pacing and give the listener time to recognize each new tune.

Open a spring or fall concert with this medley to set an upbeat, sophisticated tone, or pair it with other American popular classics for a themed evening. The eight-minute length makes it ideal for filling a concert segment while the familiar melodies ensure strong audience recognition.

• Singing syncopated rhythms and swing feel characteristic of jazz-influenced popular music
• Balancing inner voice independence with ensemble blend in four-part SSA/SSAA writing
• Executing smooth transitions between contrasting tempos and moods within a medley format
• Achieving lyrical clarity and diction in rapid-fire text setting