If You Go Away (Ne me quitte pas)

Belgium singer, actor, and composer Jacques Brel (1929-1978) wrote the music and lyrics for Ne me quitte pas (If You Go Away) in 1959. The song was later adapted with English lyrics by Rod McKuen, and the work is considered a pop standard with recordings by many artists. This orchestration was completed by Richard Hayman (1920-2014), who had a very successful career as chief music arranger for the Boston Pops Orchestra, an association that lasted over 50 years, and who also served as a pops conductor for various orchestras including the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the St. Louis Symphony, and the Grand Rapids Symphony. Instrumentation: 2.2.2.2: Sax(4-SATB, opt.): 4.3.3.1: Timp.Perc(5): Hp.Gtr(opt.): Str (9-8-7-6-5 in set).