Sing Out Your Joy! Fall Concert for Middle School Choir Monday, August 19, 2019
recommended by Jen Sper and Lora Moore, School Choral Music Specialists
Summer is over and school is back in session! Get ready to plan your fall concert, and start with Stanton’s! Here are just a few of our Five Star Features for Middle School Choirs this season:
FOR SIXTH GRADE (Unison/2-part)
Bandyrowe arr. Susan Brumfield, for 2-part with piano
Written for the 2014 Kentucky ACDA Junior High Girls Honor Choir, and now available for 2-Part choir, this Appalachian nonsense song is a whirling, twirling kaleidoscope of sound. An excellent showcase for beginning choirs.
The Moon Has a Face by Glenda E. Franklin, for 2-part with piano
Excerpts from Robert Louis Stevenson’s poem “The Moon” combine with original text to create a mysterious and enchanting selection for young voices. Accessible two-part writing is ideal for choirs new to singing harmony. The haunting minor-mode and hushed dynamics are equally important to teach and captivating to hear.
Topsy-Turvy World by Christopher Fox, for 2-part with piano
This fanciful children’s poem by William Brighty Rands is simply charming. Well-constructed for 2-part voices, this accomplished setting includes crisp rhythms and complementary counterlines that offer opportunities to work important elements of choral artistry. The whimsical words include blunders like “If the pony rode his master, if the buttercup ate the cow…the world would be upside down!”
FOR SEVENTH GRADE (3-part mixed/SSA)
The Cloud by Victor C. Johnson, for 3-part mixed with piano and optional oboe
A gentle piano accompaniment with oboe accompanies this concert work for 2-part and 3-part mixed voices. Sara Teasdale’s text of a cloud “in the heaven’s height, the stars are lit for my delight” is a delightful metaphor for children to sing and explore both textually and musically. Johnson’s setting uses a lovely melody with simple harmonies and slight divisi for young singers.
Baraka Na Wewe by Victor C. Johnson, for 3-part mixed a cappella with djembe
This joyous and rhythmic celebration of hope, joy and peace features a middle section with independent vocal lines, which allows for easily accessible harmonic layering. The only accompanying instrument is the lively Djembe part that lends an authentic African flavor. A pronunciation guide and translation are included.
Song for a Windy Day by Mary Donnelly & George L.O. Strid, for 3-part mixed with piano and optional flute
Incorporating poems by Bronte and Rossetti, Donnelly and Strid have created a wonderful setting that moves along like a bouncing breeze in 3/4 time. The addition of flute adds sparkle to the 2-part and 3-part mixed voicings accompanied by a simple, but spirited piano accompaniment.
FOR EIGHTH GRADE (SAB/SATB)
Sing Out Your Joy by Victor C. Johnson, for SAB with piano
Beginning with a stately expression of “Cantate Domino,” the driving piano accompaniment sets up the joyous English text of celebration. Mixed meter helps create energy dappled with legato moments throughout the piece. A superb opening work for all levels of choirs!
Exsultate Deo by Greg Gilpin, for SAB with piano
This exhilarating concert/festival original works equally well as an opening or closing number. Featuring a celebratory Latin text, it begins with a declamatory vocal introduction which then moves into high gear showcasing driving rhythms and multi-meters in both voices and piano. The more legato middle section provides an interesting contrast before returning to the main theme, transitioning to an uplifting key change, restating the declamatory section and pulling out all the stops for a dynamic conclusion. Teaching moments abound in this exciting work for developing choirs.
The Light That Will Lead You Home by Stuart Chapman Hill, for SAB with piano
Not all composers have a gift for writing both text and music. Stuart Chapman Hill is an exception. This new piece on his own text is scored for SAB voices, soloist, and piano. The gospel style found in the keyboard keeps the piece lively and accentuates the message that “every now and then when the darkness falls I can be the light that will lead you home.”
Find more Five Star Features on our website, or contact us for personalized recommendations. 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.
Lora Moore joined the Stanton’s choral staff in July 2018. A former middle school and high school director of 32 years, she holds a Bachelor of Arts in Choral Music from Capital University and a Master’s of Arts in Choral Music from The Ohio State University. Currently she is a church choir director, operates a private voice/piano studio and is active as a clinician and accompanist. During the off hours, Lora enjoys scouting out new day trips in Ohio to balance what her budget allows for her frequent trips to New York City to visit family and take in a Broadway show or two!