katherineburr

Bored of the typical songs you hear every single year that have now lost all meaning?

Here’s a selection of tunes that’ll you love singing together, and where to find them. Perfect for your junior or elementary school leaving concert, they will make it one to remember. School choirs are great at developing well rounded musicians who can use musical terminology, work as a team and practice thoroughly, all under the guidance of a more experienced musician.

Bring It All Back – S Club 7

Not the usual S Club number, but a banger nonetheless! This song is about resilience, inner strength and personal growth, perfect for your leavers as they look towards a new beginning. You can find a two part arrangement here, for school choirs or classes that are strong singers. This version starts slowly, and then comes back in with a bang!

Brave – Sara Bareilles

Brave is an anthem, calling us to stand up for ourselves, try something new and grow. It has a belty chorus that kids love to sing! The chorus also lends itself to two part choirs – here‘s a version for your school choir.

Don’t Stop – Fleetwood Mac

A golden oldie – one for the parents and grandparents, Don’t Stop is a classic tune about moving forward and dreaming about the future. My choirs have always enjoyed singing the guitar solo back to me, fully rocking out. This version has some nice straight forward call and response harmonies, a great introduction to part singing.

Best Day of My Life – American Authors

More call and response here, with simple harmonies. This is a really fun song that your choirs already know. It stays with the theme of living your best life, not knowing what the future holds and being the best you can be. My two part arrangement can be found here.

Make Your Own Kind of Music – The Mamas and the Papas

Another classic hit, recently made famous by SNL, this is a gorgeous song, full of promise. It’s uplifting lyrics are great for signing along to – I have always used this video for performances. Some easy harmonies in the chorus, and a little call and response in the bridge, this version will suit your school choir down to a tee.

Your leavers assembly might feature all or none of these songs, but it should leave the children feeling uplifted and with a love of singing. The more singing you can do in primary or elementary school, the better the musical and academic outcomes of your students in their years to come.