Written by comedian Charlie Chaplin for his film Modern Times (1936), lyrics were added to “Smile” in 1954. The tune has been covered by many artists, including Nat “King” Cole and Sammy Davis Jr. Perhaps the most iconic of these performances was by Judy Garland on the Ed Sullivan Show (1965).
According to his website, arranger Ben Bram is “a two-time Grammy Award winning vocal arranger, producer, and engineer” who has worked with a capella powerhouse Pentatonix, and productions including “Pitch Perfect, The Sing-Off, and Glee, providing expertise as an arranger, coach, vocal producer, on-set music director, and studio vocalist.”
Here, Bram and his SATB a cappella quartet present his stunning arrangement of Chaplin’s classic tune. Unexpected 3/4 sections take center stage at 1:34 – 1:50 and 3:15 – 3:40 and a beautiful modulation hits at 1:48. But the stars of this performance are the often super-close voicings, the effortless passing of the melody from part to part, and the quartet’s gorgeous blend and balance.
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