Love Will Tear Us Apart (SAB) – Learning Tracks

Named as the ‘best single of all time’ by NME in 2002, Love Will Tear Us Apart – by Joy Division – has stood the test of time. It talks of lead singer Ian Curtis’s struggles in his relationship and with his mental health. The emotional intensity of the lyrics lends itself to an a cappella treatment.

This arrangement uses a simple texture throughout, with the baritones on the melody and the sopranos & altos providing sensitive accompaniment.

Unlike Joy Division’s faster and more metronomic version, this arrangement works well when the phrases are allowed to have some flexibility and movement, especially to keep the forward motion, whilst allowing spaces for breaths in-between. The audio learning tracks offer phrasing suggestions and how to build in light & shade to create a dynamic performance.

  Click for Sheet Music