Product Description
How do you Fly? from Jamie Cullums 2020 album The Pianoman at Christmas, is a gorgeous reflection on the wonder and potential within us all, especially the importance of holding onto the childlike magic of Christmas.
Arranged originally by Harry Baker for SATB and piano, Greg Beardsell then created this SATB/SATB a cappella arrangement especially for the National Youth Choir (15-18).
Greg says -
"Rather than starting from scratch, I adapted Harrys existing arrangement, redistributing his lines across two antiphonal choirs. I transformed the piano part into fluid scat lines woven through the remaining voices, ensuring that the songs rhythmic drive and structure supported the melody and lyrics. I also wanted to include some of the orchestral textures from the original track, such as the ethereal aleatoric harp motifs in the opening. To achieve this, I reimagined these moments as distant soprano solo interjections, recording them separately from the main choir to allow post-production flexibility in their placement.
With this being a seven-minute piece, maintaining variety and interest was crucial. For the lyric:
How do you fly round the planet?
Can you speak in evry language?
How will I create my own path through the work?
I wrote eight independent, interweaving lines that gradually merged into unanimity on the final phrase, illustrating the journey toward clarity and resolve.
One of my favorite moments comes later in the text:
Let me hold on to the magic,
Now close your eyes, my sweet romantic,
When they open, theres another Christmas Day.
Here, I created a bell-like texture, with voices peeling in polyrhythms to evoke the joyful chime of church bells.
The songs closing section, originally sung as a vocalise by Jamie over building orchestral energy, required more artistic freedom. I drew on the lyric I think Im gonna give it a try, layering syncopated gospel-inspired riffs to build momentum before the arrangement unwinds into a serene conclusion.
This arrangement was recorded by the National Youth Choir (1518), a group Ive worked with for two decades and know intimately. I had a clear sense of what would work for them, and their dedication to creating a technically and emotionally flawless recording was palpable."
This product was created by a member of ArrangeMe, Hal Leonard's global self-publishing community of independent composers, arrangers, and songwriters. ArrangeMe allows for the publication of unique arrangements of both popular titles and original compositions from a wide variety of voices and backgrounds.