Elementary Music/Music Technology Blog

Each year, my K-3 general music classes perform a Holiday Concert along the grades 4-7 general music classes. I thought that I would share our repertoire.

1. Opener: “I Hear those Jingle Bells”- This is a great partner song by Teresa Jennings that can be downloaded off her Music K8 website. Grades K and 1 sing the traditional Jingle Bells while grades 2 and 3 sing an original Jenning’s song about a kid diving into a snowman. It is upbeat, a nice concert opener, and a successful one that younger elementary students can perform well. In order for grades K-1 and grades 2-3 to get used to each other, I will record each other’s part using my iPod voice recorder or my M-Audio MicroTrack II recorder and play it back so that the students can rehearse with it. Though Music K8 comes with some wonderful accompaniment CDs, I like to record my own students singing the songs so that they are used to hearing each other when I finally have them all congregate in the “gymatorium” to rehearse.
2. “Angel Band/Angels We Have Heard on High” - These two songs will be sung by Kindergartners and accompanied by third graders on Orff instruments and recorders. The third graders love having the extra responsibility.
3. “Shalom Chaverim” - Traditional Hebrew song arranged by Teresa Jennings and found in Music K8. It is a beautiful tune and Teresa orchestrates it nicely on her CD. I like to add my grades 4-8 band members, so I will have them play the melody line along with the pianist and opt to not use the CD. This way I can showcase some of my student instrumentalists, who in turn, feel success and very special for having a unique role in the concert.
4. “Haida” - Traditional, upbeat, song. This arrangement includes a clarinet part, which I again have one of my instrumental students perform. There are also parents at my school who play their instruments very well and I will include them too. This song is sung by grades K-3.
5. “Estes es la Navidad”- This song is sung by grades 2 and 3. It is yet another Jennings song. I adore her resource titled Music K8. My students love her songs, they are wonderful for a general music concert, and they are very successful in showcasing young students’ vocal abilities, vocal range, and memorization skills. She really knows how to successfully write for elementary. In addition, you do not need to use the accompaniment CD. The piano parts are written well and sound just as wonderful.
6. “An African Celebration”- This song is sung by grade 1. It is written by another favorite composer: Sally Albrecht. This song couples a simple “Sing we all Noel” with “Siyahamba.” My students love to sing this song!
7. “A Holiday Hand Jive” – This song is sung by grades K-3. It is written by Greg Gilpin, and it includes Deck the Halls, Jingle Bells, We Wish You a Happy Holiday. For this song, I recorded myself performing the keyboard track and added percussion sounds for the rhythm of the hand jive movements. I used MOTU’s Digital Performer and my Korg X50. Once finished, I exported the audio track, dragged and dropped it into iTunes, and then placed it on my iPod. The students then sing along to the recording, listening intently to the percussion sounds so that they perform the hand jive with the correct rhythm and tempo. I do this for the purpose of practicing successfully. My students love this piece and adore performing the hand jive movements.
8. The concert will continue with grades 4-7 performing their pieces. We end each year with Natalie Sleeth’s sweet tune “Christmas is a Feeling.”

What are your students performing at their Holiday Concert?