The repertoire I chose for our school choir this Semester.
When do you begin selecting your songs?
I suppose like all music teachers around the world, the moment you finish your summer concert you already start planning for the next one, right?
Same for me. I had my playlist ready on you tube with all songs I plan to teach next year and with some performances I love! Listening to songs I chose during summer and focusing on details works like an inspiration to me.
Last year it was the first time we managed to have a choir and that made me sooo happy. And I say we managed because the Swedish educational system does not include a scheduled time for choir rehearsals at schools, so there is no Choir lesson that students must take. That makes things very complicated and difficult for me as a music teacher and for the kids who want to participate, since most of the times they have to come earlier to school or stay longer in order to rehearse. Especially if you want to try and do some proper music with these students... But this is a post I am planning to write for a while now and I still can't find the time to finish...
Music notation and general school choir.
This year I wanted all my students to feel that they belong in a real choir, to have the music in their hands, even though we are just a general middle school choir with function difficulties, like finding a rehearsing time that works for everyone and most of my choir members have no previous music background. We are still at the beginning, and students are struggling with their sight reading skills but they are trying their best and most important, they enjoy it!
Why we sing.
This year I wanted to find songs that kids will love from the first hear. I still don't know if they did for every song, but I am sure they really loved the first one which is: Why we sing by Greg Gilpin.
I follow exactly the same two part arrangement from the following video:
I purchased the notes from here and use a copy for every student.
Shosholoza
The second song is an African one. Since last year's success with Siyahamba I am sure all students are waiting for their new African song, so I will try to include one in every concert. African songs offer a spirit of community and partly this is the reason why they get so popular among students once they start learning them! So this year's African song is Shosholoza!!
For this I've found this performance from a Swedish High school which I like the most:
And this works as a role model for my Swedish teenagers here in Stockholm, mostly because they see them selves on these students. I am also planning to include the movements, at least some of them!
Another great video is the following with all different parts of the song as sang by the Drakenberg's boys choir.
You can also download the score here.
Country roads.
The next song is one my favourite songs by my beloved John Denver. I have always wanted to teach this song and I could feel that this year is ideal. While I love the song sing many years, I was searching on you tube for choir performances that we could follow and I found this which I loved form the first hear:
I am not that lucky though to have so many boys in my choir, but I am sure we will perform it well enough.
The original is here:
There is also a chance we'll have a school band again this year, so this will make the song and the performance much better!
California Dreamin'.
Last song for the first ceremony of the year is also one song I carefully selected because of the emotions it brings, it's quality but also because it is a timeless song with beautiful melodies and most important because you can sing it in a two part choir arrangement.
I love the following arrangement but I can not decide whether to follow this or make another arrangement that includes band instruments also, more like the original version as sang by the mamas & papas.
You can download the score with parts here, here. and here
You can download the score with parts here, here. and here
What about you?
Which songs are you practising with your choirs?
Feel free to comment below and share your ideas!
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