VOCAL UNION RESOURCES


new compositions and arrangements A-J


Most songs on this page are original compositions or arrangements of non-copyright material by Vocal Force and Vocal Union leaders. There are also pieces by associated composers and workshop leaders, and pieces written collaboratively with schools, workshops and music projects. All songs are free to use in an educational and community context. Feedback about strengths and weaknesses, performance ideas and new arrangements is vital, as we want this resource to be a living body of music. Vocal Union strongly encourages the creation and performance of original music and is looking into ways to support and acknowledge this.

Ain't gonna let nobody - traditional arranged by Sharon Durant
Original arrangement of this North American protest song - tune, 3 backing harmonies and optional bassline- very popular. Easy to teach tune and incorporate backing as appropriate. Acapella or easy chord accompaniment.
mp3 | score | lyrics

Ain't gonna let nobody - new arrangement by Sharon Durant
A hip-hop version with backing track
demo mp3 with backing track | score

All around the world - Jilly Jarman, Kate Stilitz
Lively pop song with piano accompaniment. No harmonies. Two versions of lyrics, one about rivers around the world, the other, suitable for KEY STAGE 1 as well, is about animals and birds around the world. Good with actions.
mp3 | score

An Adventure - Jilly Jarman, written for Stainton School, Penrith, Cumbria
Pop - easy harmonies and easy piano accompaniment. Short song in sections, about life at school.
score

The First Antarctic Party - Belinda Wright
A song about creatures in the Antarctic written for Caedmon. A versatile piece with plenty of scope for discussion, adding new creatures, changing it etc.
mp3 | score

Autumn Leaves are Falling - Karen Lester.
A mellow but gutsy 12-bar blues with optional harmony line. Great fun to learn and easy for young voices to sing.
mp3 | score

A Two Grand Wager - Carol Douglas and Brian Ralston
A fantastic song telling the true story of a wager between a workman and the Director of the Bank of England. Lots of scope for a dramatic performance as part of a play or movement piece.
KEY STAGE 2 & 3
mp3 | lyrics | backing track

Bell Weather Barking - Cath Sewell, Kirsten Taylor
One of three songs commissioned for the Kendal Brewery's MOTTO project. It uses the words to a Cumbrian folk song and works them into a playful pop song.
mp3 | score

Ball in the Beck - backing track by Dave Camlin, Alison Scott, Bassenthwaite School.
Lively song with percussion and sounds
backing track

The Big Ship Sails - Alan Penman and Alan Dunn
This is a great backing track for assembly singing or performance and because it is about the opening of the Manchester Ship Canal and a Victorian Singing Game, it fits well into the curriculum.
mp3backing track

The Blues are Here - Zoe, Megan and Martha, Yr 7 Kirkby Stephen Grammar School
12-bar blues with catchy, easy tune and lyrics. Great warm-up or to create dances to. Harmonies possible.
mp3 | score

Building Song - Dave Camlin, Alison Scott, Bassenthwaite School, Cumbria
mp3 | lyrics

Canta - Jilly Jarman and Pilar Marchori
Spanish piece with optional piano/guitar/accordion accompaniment. English and Spanish words. Good with movements, dance steps and counting games.
mp3 | score

Castles in the Sky - Jennifer Ellin
Lovely lyrical verse for head voice, with a catchy, rhythmic chorus which dips below C and can be sung with energy. Composed for BlueJam's performance at Songlines concert, Keswick.
KEY STAGE 2,3
mp3 | score | score (with easy keyboard accompaniment)

Christmas Lights - Skelton Primary School with Headteacher, Gary Newman
Lovely new carol for 2009 sung here with guitar accompaniment. Catchy melody and great words.
mp3 | lyrics | score

Christmas Joy - Jen Ellin with BYM Sing For Fun group, Kendal
A lively Christmas carol.
mp3 | lyrics

Cloth is Our Bread - Kirsten Taylor
Single line melody with vocal percussion - a modern treatment of a folk subject, written for primary schools in the Kendal area.
mp3 | score

Come play my game - Sharon Durant
Upbeat with a great groove. Witty song about playing computer games, going on Bebo etc. Main melody and counter melodies. Worth spending time to learn all the parts - great finale song for a concert.
mp3 | piano backing | score

Dalston Lamp - lovely new folk song by Cumbrian composer Carol Douglas
vocals and fiddle by Carolyn Francis
mp3 | lyrics

Dial up the Sun - Beccy Owen
score

Driving Song - Elizabeth Corney
An up-beat song with funky piano accompaniment
score

Do anything but throw it away - Sharon Durant & Eleanor Mooney
Medium-swing jazz piece with piano accompaniment
score

Fire! - Ems Featherstone, Alison Scott, Penrith Singing Squad
A great song to sing with energy with three interlocking parts
KEY STAGE 2 & 3
mp3 | score

Gathered Together - by Alison Scott and Emily Hallewell
A haunting melody to sing round the campfire, with drums and percussion and descriptive movements
KEY STAGE 2 & 3
score

Give it right - Em Whitfield
Soulful upbeat song with 3 parts and piano/guitar chords
KEY STAGE 2, 3 & 4
score

Give Us Some Time Out - Carol Douglas
Northern songwriter Carol teamed up with Australian Brian Ralston to record this song. Great opportunities for performance here.
KEY STAGE 2 to adult
lyrics | mp3 | backing track

Good Morning Everybody - J Jarman - for Beaconside Schools
Written for Singing Communities 2005. Greeting song which allows high and low sounds and play acting. Jazzy
KEY STAGE 1 & 2
score

Halloween Scream - Jen Ellin & Kendal BYM 'Sing For Fun' group
Written for their performance at Kendal Brewery, October 09. Great fun - and works either acapella or with guitar or piano accompaniment.
KEY STAGE 2 & 3
score (in Dminor) | lyrics | mp3 (in Eb minor)

Hello/Bonjour - Bridget Cousins
A lovely French/English greeting song written for children at Bramfield Primary School who are learning to speak French - with circle game.
score | mp3 | actions

Here I Am! - James Ramage
Fun song-game for taking the register or going home time. Easy call and response with simple guitar accompaniment. Written for the Reception and Year One class at Warcop School.
score | mp3

Hummingbird - Jilly Jarman
Lyrical song which includes a round at the beginning and end. Piano accompaniment
KEY STAGE 2 & 3
score

The Hygiene Gang - Alan Penman & Alan Dunn
Good performance song.
KEY STAGE 2.
mp3 | mp3backing

Hymn to St Bega - Alison Scott, Bassenthwaite School, Cumbria
A lovely, haunting, medieval inspired song. The drone makes it sound quite eerie.
KEY STAGE 1 & 2
score

I Heard a Bird Sing in the Dark of December - Dave Camlin
A Waltz: a round sung acapella
KEY STAGE 2 & upwards
mp3

I Like To Drive My C3 - Bridget Cousins
A four-part humorous warm-up song written for a teachers' group
KEY STAGE 3 & upwards
score

I SING: Mouthful (Bex Mather, Katherine Zeserson, Sharon Durant, Dave Camlin)
A versatile and beautiful acapella piece with many parts - useful for adult choirs
mp3 | scores: I Sing 3/4 round | I Sing Full Score | I Sing (short)

It's Chilly In The Arctic - Belinda Wright
A fun song for young voices to the tune of Hokey Cokey
mp3 | score

Joyeux Noel - Jilly Jarman
Carol with words in French, Spanish and Ibo - about crossing borders. Solo line verses, and chorus and bridge with harmonies. Introduction 3-part wind arrangement. Jazz/indie. School orchestra score available from jillyjarman@mac.com
KEY STAGE 2 & UPWARDS
mp3 (sung By North Lakes School Choir, Penrith) | score

Vocal Union is funded through Sing Up and is part of its national singing programme.