Digital Download
23674237
The Joke
23674237
23674237
23674237
Details
Chorus Choir (TTBB) - Level 3 - Digital Download
SKU: A0.1844733
By Brandi Carlile. By Brandi Carlile. Arranged by James Rohn. This edition: pdf. 20th Century, A Cappella, Barbershop, Pop. 4 pages. James Rohn #1404289. Published by James Rohn (A0.1844733).This arrangement of Brandi Carlile’s anthemic masterpiece, "The Joke," has been meticulously crafted for the resonance and power of male voices. Transposed to the key of B Major, this setting captures the soaring emotional arc of the original while grounding it in a rich, four-part harmonic landscape.
Arrangement Highlights
Key & Range: Set in B Major, this version brings the climax to a thrilling $C#5$ for the Tenor/Lead, providing that iconic "mountain-top" moment while allowing the Bass and Baritone to provide a foundational warmth in their prime resonant frequencies.
Harmonic Language: The arrangement blends traditional choral textures with the lush, expanded chords of modern barbershop. You’ll find soulful secondary dominants (like the $D#$ major chord pulling toward G# minor) and evocative minor 7th "modal" shifts that mirror the grit of the original track.
Vocal Orchestration: * Tenor/Lead: Carries the vulnerable, storytelling verses before exploding into a powerful, high-register chorus.
Baritone: Provides the essential "connective tissue," navigating intricate chromatic lines and crunchy internal harmonies.
Bass: A rock-solid anchor that utilizes the depth of the B major tonality, providing the rhythmic pulse and "thump" during the driving second half of the song.
Musical Journey
The arrangement begins with a sparse, intimate texture—almost a prayer—focused on the lyric. As the song progresses, the voices layer in a cinematic swell, moving from homophonic storytelling to a wall of sound. The final chorus features a high-octave "power-chord" finish designed to leave an audience breathless.
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.
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