With You: SATB Choral Octavo

Schwartz's melodies are singable yet sophisticated, and John Leavitt's arrangement honors both the original Broadway context and the needs of a four-part choir. This is the kind of contemporary repertoire that feels current without chasing trends, allowing your singers to connect with music that actually matters to them while building genuine musicianship.

This arrangement brings warmth and immediacy to the song, maintaining the emotional openness of the original while giving four-part choral voices room to breathe. The melody is memorable without being simplistic, and the harmonies support the text's meaning rather than obscure it.

Choirs with solid fundamentals and the ability to blend multiple voice parts while maintaining individual line clarity. This piece asks singers to be both ensemble players and storytellers, so singers need to understand what they're singing about and care about it.

• Establish the emotional core early. This piece lives in character and intention; work with your singers on what the text means before drilling balance or blend.
• Pay attention to the phrase architecture. Schwartz's melodies have a narrative quality, so shape each phrase with clear direction and purpose rather than treating it as a series of notes.
• Balance the arrangement so the lead voice carries the story while other parts support without overwhelming. This is not about equal volume across all four parts.
• Use the rhythmic precision in the accompaniment to lock the ensemble in place. Broadway arranging is meticulous about timing and coordination.

Program this as a bridge between classical choral traditions and contemporary musical theater. It works well in a concert that mixes genres, offers a moment of connection in a concert season, or serves as an accessible entry point for singers developing taste in modern theatrical writing.

• Blending four independent voice parts while maintaining melodic clarity
• Following Broadway-influenced phrasing and text expression
• Interpreting contemporary secular choral literature with emotional specificity
• Balancing leading and supporting voice roles within an arrangement