12 of the best new choral pop arrangements for 2023

This blog comes courtesy of Hal Leonard's Pop Choral Editor, Luke Talen

It's awards season in popular music (The Grammys, The BRITS, JUNOS, etc…)—have you caught any of the shows? These industry awards have been around for a long time, but there's been a noticeable change in attitudes from the artists themselves. Music creation has always been about expression: self-expression, cultural expression, spiritual expression and the like. But now, composers and artists seem more willing than ever to bare their creative and emotional selves for us all to see, drawing us into their process and taking us along for the ride. The dialog between artist and fan, musician and benefactor, engineer and promoter—it seems to be separated only by the thinnest of lines these days, any we're all better off for it! The more we share our creative processes, the more we draw in our communities and peers to achieve, to create, to perform and to spread that positivity everywhere.

Pop, Broadway, jazz, alternative, concert, folk and more: There's no better place to start picking spring repertoire than through the selections below, arranged by the best (and newest!) choral minds in the business.

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As It Was

Harry Styles (arr. Mark Brymer)

SATB | SSA | 3-Part Mixed | Instrumental Pak | Choir Audio

Critically acclaimed and certifiably catchy, the lead single from British singer/songwriter Harry Styles' third studio album Harry's House was the song of the summer for 2022! Smooth, breezy and affably vintage-sounding (with a killer synth hook), this peppy arrangement will bring out the smiles.

Encanto (Choral Highlights)

Lin-Manuel Miranda (arr. Roger Emerson)

3-Part Mixed | 2-Part | Choir Audio

This delightful medley features three favorite songs from Disney's animated movie, Encanto: "The Family Madrigal," "We Don't Talk About Bruno," and "Surface Pressure." Each song highlights the magic and charm found in this tale about an extraordinary Colombian family.

Hold My Hand (from Top Gun: Maverick)

Lady Gaga (arr. Mac Huff)

SATB | SAB | SSA | Instrumental Pak | Choir Audio

Few could have predicted the box-office and cultural success that Tom Cruise's Top Gun: Maverick would achieve in 2022. Lady Gaga's arena-ready anthem, written specifically for the film, dials everything up to the max, featuring a mega-powerful rock composition with a uplifting and high-flying message!

Don't Stop Believin'

Journey (arr. Kirby Shaw)

SATB | Choir Audio

You know this one, your students know this one, the audience knows this one… but you know what? You've simply got to hear this sensational a cappella adaptation by industry veteran Kirby Shaw!

Across the Universe

The Beatles (arr. Adam Podd)

SATB | Choir Audio

Rising stars Matt and Adam Podd have been making a name for themselves in New York City performing, directing, composing and arranging. Adam's new setting of this 1969 Beatles classic is fresh and original!

Glimpse of Us

Joji (arr. Mac Huff)

TB | TTBB

This contemplative showcase for low voices was another 2022 summer standout hit, coming from Japanese-Australian singer/songwriter Joji. Sparse yet exceptionally affecting, this arrangement is available in two parts or four.

Running Up That Hill

Kate Bush (arr. Roger Emerson)

SATB | SAB | SSA | Instrumental Pak | Choir Audio

Featured heavily in Season Four of Netflix's worldwide smash hit Stranger Things, Kate Bush's timeless 1985 prog-rock masterpiece reached a brand new audience and broke charting records across the world 35+ years after its original release. This brand-new arrangement for choirs is a faithful and haunting adaptation that is long overdue!

Send in the Clowns

Stephen Sondheim (arr. Kirby Shaw)

SATB a cappella

Considered the late Stephen Sondheim's signature song, we present this new rendition of "Send in the Clowns" (from A Little Night Music)—a fitting tribute in the form of a thoughtful, heartfelt a cappella arrangement by Kirby Shaw.

The Anonymous Ones (from Dear Evan Hansen)

Pasek & Paul (arr. Mark Brymer)

SATB | SAB | SSA | Instrumental Pak | Choir Audio

The film version of the Broadway smash hit Dear Evan Hansen included some new songs written specifically for the screen. Undeniably true to Pasek & Paul's compositional style, the text is prescient and deep and deserves a look as you program for your students.

Sing to the Moon

Laura Mvula

SATB divisi a cappella

This beautiful arrangement by Laura Mvula of her own song from her 2013 album of the same name was created for the BBC Singers, who sang it at the Last Night of the Proms 2019. Intimate and captivating, it will be attractive to choirs and audiences alike.

Something Big

Shawn Mendes (arr. Audrey Snyder)

3-Part Mixed | 2-Part | Choir Audio

Get the audience on their feet with this super energetic pop classic by Shawn Mendes. "Something big, I feel it happening" makes this joyful piece a great choice for a concert opener.

Children Will Listen (from Into the Woods)

Stephen Sondheim (arr. Jacob Narverud)

SSAA

This powerful and passionate ballad by the Witch to her daughter from Sondheim's masterpiece Into the Woods is here set for the concert stage. It is a tour de force when performed with piano but when using the optional instrumentation for 2 violins, viola, cello, celesta, and percussion this will be a most memorable addition to a concert.

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