My Favorite Things by John Coltrane Jazz Ensemble - Digital Sheet Music

SKU: A0.1944838

A high-energy, contemporary big band feature on “My Favourite Things” for two vocalists (female and male) and full jazz ensemble, this chart is designed as a showpiece for advanced secondary, tertiary and community bands. Scored for standard big band with soprano/alto/tenor/baritone saxes, 4 trumpets, 4 trombones, rhythm section and both female and male lead parts fully notated, it delivers a complete vocal feature and a serious instrumental workout in one chart.

The arrangement opens straight into a bright, driving feel (marked “Burning!” at around ♩ = 244), with the band setting up the familiar vamp and groove before the female vocal enters with the iconic verse. Subsequent verses are shared and passed between the female and male singers, with clear text underlay, supportive mid‑range lines and rhythm section writing that keeps the time locked while leaving room for phrasing. Throughout the vocal sections, the ensemble writing stays punchy but controlled so the lyrics project easily over the band.

Once the melody is established, the chart opens up into extended instrumental sections: sax and brass figures over the groove, shout‑style ensemble passages, and improvised solos over straightforward, modal‑leaning changes based around E minor and related colour chords. Backgrounds are written to sit cleanly under solos, cup‑mute and open brass effects are clearly marked, and there is space for both rhythm section comping and walking bass to drive the chart forward. Later in the piece, the texture thins briefly to set up the “when the dog bites / when the bee stings” bridge, then ramps back up into a full-band shout and tag, with a clearly marked coda to bring the vocals and band together for a tight finish.

This chart is ideal as a marquee number in a concert or festival program, especially where you want to showcase two strong vocalists and a confident rhythm section in a single piece. It gives directors plenty to teach and assess: fast swing time, endurance, section cohesion at tempo, cut‑offs, dynamic control inside a loud band, and the coordination required for two singers trading and combining lines. For bands that enjoy modern big-band adaptations of classic musical theatre material, this version of “My Favourite Things” will quickly become a go‑to closer or headline feature.