COMPOSING for CHILDREN’S CHOIRS – A Few Important Things to Remember
by Jeff Reeves
PRESCHOOL MUSIC (age 4-5)
TEXTS:
- Concrete imagery
- Short and repetitious
- Rhymes
- Includes hand or body motions (movement)
- Themes that relate to preschool
VOCAL RANGE:
- Middle C to A above
VOCAL MELODY:
- Unison
- Short (4-12 measures)
- Repetition
- Mostly step-wise with limited easy skips
- Easy rhythms
- Doubled in piano accompaniment
YOUNGER ELEMENTARY (grades 1-3)
TEXTS:
- Concrete imagery and Easy abstract ideas (loving/serving/caring for others, etc.), Bible stories, Child-appropriate Scriptures
- Repetitious, Verse/Refrain form
- Rhymes
- Includes hand or body motions (movement)
- Themes that relate to younger elementary
VOCAL RANGE:
- Middle C to C above (occasional excursions to D)
VOCAL MELODY:
- Unison, Rounds (for part singing)
- Steps-wise, easy skips, easy leaps (sol-mi, sol-do, etc.)
- Repetition, and easy forms (ABA)
- Easy rhythms, short/easy syncopation
- Can include optional instruments (rhythm inst., handchimes)
- Doubled in piano accompaniment
See this website for YOUNGER ELEMENTARY CHOIR song samples: Click Here
OLDER ELEMENTARY (grades 4-6)
TEXTS:
Mix of concrete and abstract imagery (Original texts, Bible stories, Child-appropriate Scriptures, Spirituals, etc.)
- Verse/Refrain form, Repetition, Easy through-composed
- Includes hand or body motions (movement)
- Themes that relate to older elementary.
VOCAL RANGE:
- Middle C to Eb above (occasional excursions to E and F)
VOCAL MELODY:
- Unison, Rounds, Easy 2-part
- Steps, skips, easy leaps
- Repetition, and longer forms with repetition, (ABA, ABACA, etc.)
- Rhythmic variety, easy syncopation
- Can include optional instruments (C inst., rhythm inst., handchimes)
- Strongly supported (or doubled) in piano accompaniment
- Strong melodic harmonies include: 4ths, 5ths, 6ths, octaves (avoid melodic harmonies in 2nds, 3rds, 7ths)
See this website for OLDER ELEMENTARY CHOIR song samples: Click Here
