Page 28 - CT 15-2

K-12 Resources: 12 Podcasts for Choral Music Educators

When Sweet Winter Comes Again and playing instruments for him in the manger. Also avail-
by Cynthia Gray able in three-part mixed voicing, but I prefer it as a two-
Choristers Guild part piece. The song form will make this an easy piece to
Duration 1:58 teach in a variety of learning environments.
Can also be done with three-part or four-part
choirs
Bidi Bom
Rejoice! Here’s a round for middle schoolers that is not by David Eddleman
ancient or boring! Gray’s piece combines a canon texture Carl Fischer Music
with unison singing perfectly to create a singable, fun, and Duration 1:50
accessible piece for this age group. My students always Available in SATB/three-part mixed
enjoy singing this because they learn it so quickly and it
instantly sounds great. I love it because I can quickly focus Bidi Bom is great an original piece by David Eddleman
on musical elements, teach form, and refine diction. It’s that can be sung either as a generic holiday piece or a
a secular piece, which makes it even more enticing. The Hanukkah-specific piece. The melodic lines are either
piano accompaniment is a little quicker, but if you’re able in unison or contrapuntal, which allow teachers to teach
to record it ahead of time, there are no tempo changes, them separately and bring them together as you get closer
which makes it easier to follow. to the concert. The accompaniment is relatively simple
and could be played by a talented student accompanist. I
have used this piece with my choirs several times, and it
In the Dark of December always sounds impressive and tougher than it actually is.
by Lon Beery
BriLee Music
Duration 2:07
Three-Part Mixed
I’ve included several pieces published by BriLee Mu-
sic, as they provide affordable part learning tracks for all
of their pieces. This is a tremendous help for stressed-out African Noel
choral teachers trying to manage limited program fund- arr. by Victor Johnson
ing. This piece by Lon Beery is in Dorian mode, features Heritage Music Press
text from the poem “I Hear a Bird Sing” by Oliver Her- Duration 1:40
ford, and includes a beautiful flute obbligato. The melodic Available in SATB/two-part/SSA
line is singable, and ranges are perfect for young singers.
This would be a beautiful secular piece for winter to add A well-written arrangement of the traditional West
to any young choir’s repertoire. African Liberian folk song Banuwa, this piece works for
rebuilding ensembles due to its repetition. Also, the me-
lodic lines are written in a middle school-friendly way with
Pat-a-Pan limited ranges, and they work very well as sight-singing
arr. by Andy Beck exercises. Try having students writing in their solfége be-
Alfred Music fore you even begin rehearsals!
Duration 2:05
Available in three-part mixed

Andy Beck’s arrangement is written as a partner song
style with limited ranges. The traditional French carol is
based on the legend of shepherds visiting the Christ child

ChorTeach Volume 15 • Issue 2 28 Winter 2023