today at jw pepper we want to give you a hand-picked list
of 10 choral selections that are great for any choir whether you're just starting in
your first year of teaching or you're about to go into your 20th school year
these titles are great choices for any choral ensemble let's get started
to come up with this list i consulted with our choral editorial team here at jw pepper
the new school year is approaching and depending on when you may watch this maybe it's already here
but the list of songs that we're about to go over is designed to help any teacher or director
but for new teachers and new directors this is priceless and maybe even an introduction to one of
the core offerings from jb pepper the pepper basic library of music these selections are at least
five years old and have stood the test of time based on sales meaning our customers
are really the ones showing the world how great and dependable these titles are our editorial
team is constantly curating this basic library based on the sales from the previous five years
and this particular list of 10 are the ones that were selected because of their variety of styles
composers and publishers all of these songs have multiple voicings that can be performed
by choirs of all ages and they're accessible for many choirs one thing i will note this list is not
in any particular order all of these titles are great and there are a lot more in the pepper basic
library we plan on making a lot of these kinds of videos so please let us know in the comments what
type of repertoire recommendations you would like to see so let's get right to the list
[Music]
this is greg gilpin's original composition why we sing okay so i said that this list was in
no particular order but i did choose this one particularly to start i really love this song
personally but i also think it's a great one for any choir at any level this is set for all
voicings including an acapella version and you can use it for combined choirs as well the title says
it all with the message and the words will mean a lot to your students a lot of people use this as a
closer it can be a great way to get the community remembering after the concert this is why we sing
also if you want to learn more about greg pepper has a great interview with him on our inside voice
series so we'll leave a description for that below if you want to check out that as well
[Music]
cc nimoja by jacob navrood is a great celebratory and rhythmic composition the title means we are
one in swahili and the words go back and forth from swahili to english the piece comes in many
voicings some of which are brand new making it great for any choir it also includes great hand
percussion parts that can be expanded for a larger setting again maybe for a combined choir really
driving home the we are one message pepper had a chance to talk with jacob about this song and some
of the other compositions at santa barbara as well and a link to that podcast is in the description
below definitely check it out if you want to learn more about jacob or about santa barbara publishing
[Music]
zebra is a very popular composer and publisher and fly away home is a beautiful song about exploring
the world and life experiences while staying connected with where you came from and knowing
that you can always return home this is a message that i know as a parent i want my child to learn
and what better way of teaching that message than through a great choral song this piece comes in
two-part ssa sab ttb and satb there is also full string orchestra accompaniment as well as part
dominant mp3 multi-user tracks so you can scale it up to combine with the orchestra or bring it down
to a small intimate group of singers this is a great piece that i think parents will really love
[Music]
ranged by kenneth padden and adapted by rallo dilworth i sing because i'm happy is an awesome
gospel style interpretation of the old hymn his eyes on the sparrow recorded by the georgia mass
choir this is an inspirational choice for concert or gospel choirs or church settings rallo dilworth
has adapted this for satb two-part or three-part treble and rallo's arrangements are always built
on solid pedagogical foundations and are great choices for any program he's a master teacher
and a ranger i've seen him in action at many clinics and worked with him for some videos
we have a great interview with ravo again from our inside voice series if you want to learn more
about him definitely go check that out the link is in the description [Music] the moon has gone to
bed when the sparrow stopped their singing and the skies [Music]
this piece is heartfelt and simple which is really all you need sometimes to make a great impact and
this piece has made a great impact becoming an anthem for soldiers returning home from serving
it has a great message and the opening solo is very moving it gives a chance to feature a soloist
but also this can be expanded to perform with a choir and concert
which could make for a very stirring tribute at a concert or any type of performance [Music]
[Music]
this arrangement by victor c johnson is a zambian folk song
that loosely translates as those who sing have the right to be called the children of god
this piece has a repetitive call and response vocal part that makes it easy
and fun to learn even for young students and the only accompanying instruments are hand drum
listed as treble drum jembe listed as bass drum and a shaker and this stripped down arrangement
really lends to the authenticity of this piece and can give a good change of pace in any concert
this is also available in many voicings again making it great for any choir [Music]
the seal lullaby is eric whitaker's magnificent coral setting inspired by rudyard kipling's
charming poem this piece is a beautiful work that is accessible to all choirs with its many
voicings this is a basic library staple that's been a top seller since it came out in 2008
and fun fact when eric wrote this he actually thought that it had potential for a film score
so he sent it to a film studio for consideration but they passed on it to make
kung fu panda which their loss in my opinion eric went on to dedicate this work to his
buddy another person who knows a little bit about songwriting steven schwartz [Music]
ruth elaine schramm is a composer you will see a lot in the jw pepper basic library
her music checks a lot of the boxes that educators and performers are looking for
this piece shu laroon is an authentic celtic experience for your choir
this is an arrangement of an 18th century folk song that has a gaelic chorus written
phonetically throughout and an optional violin to add to the celtic flavor and authenticity
another piece that can really add variety and feature different cultures in your concert
[Music]
what will you see
river what adventures [Music]
oceans and stars by amy burnham makes the comparison of the voyages
we take through life with those of a river flowing to the sea
which is just a great message and really could work for any concert but would fit
really well with a graduation ceremony or any coming of age event this piece also can
be performed with a small string ensemble that was arranged by lauren bernofsky this
string arrangement includes a full score along with all the parts that you need to get going
[Music]
no time is arranged by susan brumfield with kolovoche music and is a setting of
a traditional camp meeting song a long time favorite with treble choirs it's becoming
popular in all three of its voicings available for satb ssaa and ttb voicings it will really be
a great choice for better choirs as we said in the beginning of this video this is just a preview of
all the great titles that we have in the jw pepper basic library go to jwpepper.com basic library to
browse the entire collection we know that choral titles can be a little trickier to program
since the texts are delivering powerful messages that can really change the tone of a concert
and affect those singing as well as listening but don't get overwhelmed with the number of choices
the great thing about the pepper basic library is that all of these titles
can be a huge success for your program so shop with confidence knowing that our editorial team
has vetted all of these selections and that other teachers like you have been buying them for years
we hope you found this video helpful hopefully you found something here that you can choose for
your upcoming year if you did find this video helpful please give us a thumbs up
and leave us a comment below if there's a particular style or genre or recommendation list
that you would like to see us cover you can engage us on social media wherever you are and don't
forget to subscribe so you don't miss any of the new content that we have coming out at jw pepper
[Music]
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