You Raise Me Up (as recorded by Josh Groban): 3-Part Mixed Choral Octavo

Teena Chinn's arrangement captures the soaring warmth of Groban's original while making it genuinely singable for three-part mixed choirs. The voicing sits naturally across a standard SAB range, allowing singers to experience the song's emotional lift without straining, and the optional instrumental parts give you flexibility for concert settings from intimate performances to full accompaniment.

Warm and uplifting, with a gentle melodic arc that invites singers into sincere expression rather than technical display. The piece carries an intimate quality despite its popularity, allowing each singer to feel the emotional core of the text about hope and human connection.

Any choir director working with grades 3-6 ensembles who want to program a contemporary piece with genuine emotional depth and cultural relevance. The moderate difficulty and three-part mixed voicing make it accessible for singers at varied levels while still offering musical maturity.

• Balance the melody across all three parts, especially in sections where the tune migrates. The lower voices carry essential harmonic support that prevents the piece from feeling thin.
• Shape the dynamics with the text rather than forcing dramatic shifts. The song's power comes from sincere delivery at moderate dynamic levels, not volume.
• If using the recorded accompaniment, rehearse without it first so singers internalize the melody and harmony independently before locking in with the track.
• Treat the optional violin solo as a special moment. If available, have that solo part take the lead in strategic sections to highlight the song's lyrical quality.

This works beautifully as a closing number for graduation or peace-themed concerts, where its message about lifting one another resonates with the occasion. It also pairs well alongside other contemporary sacred or inspirational pieces, offering a recognizable anchor that audiences connect with immediately.

• Balancing three-part harmony while maintaining independent melodic line security
• Phrasing legato vocal lines across longer musical phrases
• Singing contemporary popular music with musical integrity
• Responding to dynamic shape driven by text and emotion rather than notation alone
• Blending voice parts when the melody migrates between sections