One of my pupils is singing Over the Rainbow for her Grade 4. We have changed it slightly and made it a bit more jazzy which more suits her voice. Most notably missing is the Octave leap on the Somewhere. Do you think the examiner will have a hairy fit or enjoy listening to a different arrangement for a change???

I wouldn't allow this as the octave jump is an important technical aspect of this piece; it's also a piece which the examiner will know well. Sometimes arrangements in a particular style are listed, but this isn't the case here. I don't think it would go down well I'm afraid.

David

Thankyou. I'm glad I asked the question. Her exam is next week so I will put a few of the intervals back in!!! I'm assuming it wont matter if she doesn't do it every time??

Assuming you mean the octave jump, then yes, I think it will matter as the implication would be that she couldn't manage it; something which a candidate at Grade 4 ought to be getting to grips with.

David is right - these songs are chosen by the Board to test specific things - in this case the octave leap.

Unless the Eva Cassidy version is specified as it is for one of the TG exams, you must include the Octave leap. It is a technical and musical requirement of the song. The Late Ms Cassidy's arrangement has other technical and musical features not contained in the original, but they are so disparate not to be considered to be the same piece of music for examination purposes.