NEW for Elementary Choir Monday, March 20, 2017
recommended by Jen Sper and Alissa Ruth, School Choral Music Specialists
This spring, feature your elementary choir with some of these fun octavos, perfect for young singers in grades 3-6!
Ask Me to Sing by Sally K. Albrecht & Jay Althouse
“Ask me to sing, and I’ll give you a part of my soul. Ask me to sing, and I feel happy and hopeful and whole.” Powerful as an opener, closer, or for a combined choir concert, this inspirational contemporary musical-theater-style choral opens simply and builds to an exquisite finish.
Better When I’m Dancin’ arr. Roger Emerson
“Show the world what you can do / Prove to them you’ve got the moves / I don’t know about you / I feel better when I’m dancing!” From “The Peanuts Movie,” this peppy tune by Meghan Trainor positively defies you to keep still!
The Bumblebee by Sally K. Albrecht
A true charmer! The original text cleverly hovers along the pitches of the major scale, and a slower middle section (in the parallel minor) provides a perfect opportunity to discover and discuss tempo and tonality.
Chicken on a Fencepost arr. Greg Gilpin
Chicken scratchin’ fun abounds in Gilpin’s arrangement of the 19th century dance reels Hello Susan Brown and Four in the Middle. Even though this is a novelty piece, it is full of teaching opportunity, rehearsal fun and is sure to be a performance gem.
Ciranda da Lua by Daisy Fragoso
Opening with a melancholy rubato introduction, this traditional Brazilian song then moves into a lively dance style that will invigorate your concert with rhythm and fun! In Portuguese, with pronunciation guide and translation, instructions for adding the dance and percussion.
Crawdad Song arr. John Leavitt
Accessible voice parts coupled with hand claps and toe taps help create this lively, energized arrangement of the American folk song favorite. Leavitt employs call and response phrases with contrary motion along with terraced dynamics to provide interesting variety in vocal textures. Enhance the fun piano accompaniment by including the xylophone and string bass parts. This piece is a terrific choice for festivals, fall or spring concerts and end-of-year performances.
Loch Lomond arr. Cristi Cary Miller
Enjoy this accessible setting of the well-known Scottish folk song that features contrasts between a more lyrical, lilting section and a sturdy drone accompaniment. With flute.
Rainsong by Mary Lynn Lightfoot
Lightfoot’s whimsical and energetic original is a creative programming delight! Throughout the piece, both piano and voices emulate the gentle and playful rhythms of falling rain, and the ending unfolds with a fun, syncopated tap, tap, tapping of the rain upon the window pane. Limited ranges and lots of dynamic interest make this a great choice for developing choirs. A Learning Resource Page is included.
Rattle My Rattle arr. Susan Brumfield
Commissioned for the 2016 Oklahoma All-State Children’s Chorus, this Woody Guthrie children’s song unfolds into a sonic celebration of rhythm and melody! Repeated phrases, nonsense syllables, rattles, temple blocks, tambourine, rhythm bones and foot stomping will produce a fantastic concert closer!
Stars by Mary Donnelly & George L.O. Strid
The reflective poetry by Sara Teasdale forms the lyric framework for this lovely 2-Part setting. Ideal for encouraging a light head voice tone, phrasing and dynamic contrast in young choirs.
Find more options for young singers on our website, or contact us for more information. Shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music needs!
About the Authors:
Jen Sper has been with Stanton’s since 2006. A former middle school and high school choral director, she holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Baldwin Wallace College Conservatory of Music. An active choral singer and accompanist throughout the Central Ohio area, she also enjoys good food, running (to counteract the good food…) and the Muppets.
Alissa Ruth began working at Stanton’s in the summer of 2016. She is a former middle and high school choir director and holds a Bachelor of Music in Education degree from Capital University. She is an active choral singer in the Columbus area, and spends her free time running, doing yoga, cooking, and watching Netflix.
