Angels We Have Heard on High

Introducing melismatic singing and extended phrases
which strengthen breath control.

Description

Grade: Fifth
Origin: France – Old Carol, 1862
Key: F Major
Time: 4/4
Form: phrases: AaBb – song: AB, verse/refrain
Rhythm: intermediate: | ta ta ta ta | ta/ ti ta/a | syncopation, | ta ti/ ri ta ti ti | syncopation,
| ta/a ti ti ti ti | ta/a ta/a | ta/a/a/a |
Pitches: intermediate: So Do Re Mi Fa So La
Intervals: beginners: Mi/So (m3), Do/Mi (M3), Re\So (P5), So/Do (P4), Re/So (P4)
Musical Elements: notes: whole, half, dotted quarter, quarter, dotted eighth, sixteenth; long and short repeating melodic rhythmic patterns,melismatic (holding one vowel sound for many pitches), verse/refrain, syncopation, extended phrases
Key Words: world geography: France, Bethlehem, West Bank, carol, Christmas carol, Christmas hymn, Bible story: Birth of Jesus, angels, heard, mountains, in reply, echoing, joyous, strains, shepherds, jubilee, prolong, tidings, inspire, birth, adore, bended, knee, Christ, Lord, new-born, King, Gloria in excelsis Deo, contractions: , abbreviations: o’er (over) , heav’nly (heavenly)
Recorder: advanced: introducing B flat, strengthening breath control with extended slurs

**“Angels We Have Heard on High”**

	1.	Angels we have heard on high, Sweetly singing o’er the plains, And the mountains in reply, Echoing their joyous strains.
		Refrain:
		Gloria in excelsis Deo, Gloria in excelsis Deo.
	2.	Shepherds why this jubilee Why you joyous strain prolong, Say what may the tidings be Which inspire your heav’nly song?
		Refrain
	3.	Come to Bethlehem and see Him whose birth the angels sing; Come adore on bended knee, Christ the Lord, our new-born King!
		Refrain

	The words of the song are based on a traditional French carol known as Les Anges dans nos Campagnes (literally, The Angels in our Countryside). Its most common English version was translated in 1862 by James Chadwick.

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The Angel Band

Challenging rhythms and intervals for Christmas or Easter.

Description

Grade: First
Origin: African American Spiritual
Key: G Major
Time: 2/4
Form: Verse: AAAB – Refrain: ABAC
Rhythm: intermediate: | ta ti ti | ti ta (ti) |
| ti ti ti ti | ti ta ti ri | ta/ ti |
Pitches: intermediate: So La Do Re Mi So
Intervals: intermediate: La/Do, Do\So, Do/Mi, Re\So, Mi/So, So\Mi, Mi\Do, So/Do
Musical Elements: notes: half, dotted quarter, quarter, eighth, sixteenth; rests: quarter, eighth; pickup beat, tied notes, reinforces tonic tried (Do-Mi-So)
Key Words: sacred, counting to ten, counting backwards from ten, Christmas, Easter, angels, band, Sunday, morning, Sunday Morning; contraction: wasn’t (was not)

**“The Angel Band”**

	1.	There was one, there were two, There were three little angels There were four, there were five, There were six little angels There were seven, there were eight, There were nine little angels Ten little angels in the band.

		Refrain:

		Wasn’t that a band, Sunday* morning, Sunday morning, Sunday morning? Wasn’t that a band, Sunday morning, Sunday morning soon?

	2.	There were ten, there were nine, There were eight little angels There were seven, there were six, There were five little angels There were four, there were three, There were two little angels One little angel in the band.

		Refrain

		* Christmas or Easter may be substituted for Sunday.

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Angel Band

Introducing dotted quarter followed by eighth, sixteenth notes,
and mastering the ascending intervals La/Do and Do/Mi.

Description

Grade: Second
Origin: USA – African American Spiritual
Key: G Major
Time: 2/4
Form: verse: AAAB – refrain: ABAC
Rhythm: intermediate: | ta ti ti | ti ti ti ti |
| ti ta (ti) | ti ta ti ri | ta/ ti | ti ti ta |
Pitches: intermediate: So La Do Re Mi So – pentatonic scale
Intervals: intermediate: La/Do, Do\So, Do/Mi, Re\So, Mi\Do
Musical Elements: notes: half, dotted quarter, quarter, eighth, sixteenth;rest: quarter, eighth; pickup beat, tied notes, verse/refrain, double bar-line
Key Words: sacred, spiritual, angels, counting forward one to ten and backwards ten to one, Sunday, morning, band; abbreviation: sev’n (seven)

**“Angel Band”**
There was one, there were two, there were three little angels There were four, there were five, there were six little angles. There were sev’n, there were eight, there were nine little angels, Ten little angels in the band. Wasn’t that a band, Sunday morning, Sunday morning, Sunday morning? Wasn’t that a band, Sunday morning, Sunday morning soon? There were ten, there were nine, there were eight little angels There were sev’n, there were six, there were five little angles. There were four, there were three, there were two little angels, one little angel in the band. Wasn’t that a band, Sunday morning, Sunday morning, Sunday morning? Wasn’t that a band, Sunday morning, Sunday morning soon?

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Andale Juana

Melody begins centered around the mediant (Mi), utilizes three repeated perfect fourths (P4) and two minor thirds (m3), before finding the tonic (Do) after a major third (M3).

Description

Grade: Fourth
Origin: Mexico Folk Song
Key: Phrygian mode – C Major
Time: 3/4
Form: AaBb
Rhythm: beginners: | ta ta ta | ta ta/a | ta ta ti ti | syncopation
Pitches: beginners: Mi Fa So La Ti Do
Intervals: intermediate: So\Mi (m3), Mi/La (P4), Re/So (P4), Do\La/Do (m3), Do\So/Do (P4), So/Ti (M3)
Musical Elements: notes: dotted half, half, quarter, eighth; rest: quarter; tied notes, three perfect fourths (P4) and two minor thirds (m3) give the feeling of a minor tonality until the last interval a major 3rd (M3), mediant (third pitch of the scale), maintaining the the down beat
Key Words: world geography: Mexico, Mexico customs, piñata, birthday song, celebration song, Cinco de Mayo, fiesta song, Mexican party song, delay, basket, chestnuts, peanuts, silver, gold, break the piñata, papier-mâché, filled with candy

**“Andale Juana”**
Spanish
“Andale Juana no te dilates Con la canasta de los cacahuates, No quiero oro ni quiero plata Yo lo que quiero es romper la piñata”La la la la la la la la la la la la, La la la la la la la la la La la la la la la la la la la la la, La la la la la la la la la.
English
Hurry up Juana, do not delay now; Bring out the basket of chestnuts and peanuts! I don’t want silver, I don’t want gold; All that I want is to break the piñata. La la la la la la la la la la la la, La la la la la la la la la La la la la la la la la la la la la, La la la la la la la la la.

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Anchors Aweigh

Beats and rhythm are in cut time (2/2),
sharped fourth (Fi, F#), tonic (I) and supertonic (II) arpeggios,
and two intervals of a minor sixth (m6).

Description

Grade: Fifth
Origin: USA – words: Hart Miles and R. Lovell
music: Charles Zimmerman
Key: C Major
Time: 2/2, cut time
Form: phrases: ABCDAbCE – song: AB
Rhythm: advanced: in cut time: | ta/a | ta ta |
| ta/ ti | syncopation, | ti/ ri ti ti | syncopation
Pitches: advanced: Do Re Mi Fa Fi So La Ti Do Re Mi – sharped fourth (Fi, F#), extended range
Intervals: advanced: Do/Mi/So ascending tonic (I) arpeggio (C), La\Mi/La (P4), La/Do (m3), Re8\So(P5), So/Do8 (P4), Do\Fi (m6), Fi/La/Re8 ascending arpeggio (II, D, V of V), Ti\So (M3), Fa\Re (m3),
Mi8\So (m6), So\Fi/So (m2), So/Re\So (P5)
Musical Elements: notes: whole, dotted half, half, dotted quarter, quarter, eighth; rests: half, quarter; syncopation in cut time, tied notes, raised/sharped fourth (Fi, F#), tonic and supertonic arpeggios
Key Words: USA history, military, USA military, college fight songs, college game songs, sea, fight, battle cry, vicious foe, steer shy, roll, T.N.T., victory, sink, bones, Davy Jones ( an idiom for the bottom of the sea), farewell, sail, through, shore, foam, wishing, voyage, Army Grey
Recorder: advanced: introducing F#

**“Anchors Aweigh”**

		1.	Stand Navy out to sea, Fight our battle cry. We’ll never change our course So vicious foe steer shy. Roll out the T.N.T. Anchors aweigh. Sail on to victory, And sink their bones To Davy Jones, hooray!
			College Version
		1.	Anchors aweigh, my boys, Anchors aweigh. Farewell to college joys, We sail at break of day. Through our last night on shore, Drink to the foam; Until we meet once more, Here’s wishing you A happy voyage home.
		2.	Stand, Navy, down the field, Sail to the sky. We’ll never change our course, So, Army, you steer shy. Roll up the score, Navy, Anchors aweigh. Sail, Navy down the field, And sink the Army, Sink the Army Grey.

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America the Beautiful

Tune begins centered around the second pitch of the scale Re; note the accidental leading tone B natural (Di), with beginners syncopation and advanced intervals.

Description

Grade: Fourth
Origin: words: Katherine Lee Bates – music: Samuel A Ward
Key: B flat Major
Time: 4/4
Form: through composed
Rhythm: beginners: | ta/ ti ta ta | syncopation,
| ta ta ta ta | ta/a/a ta |
Pitches: intermediate: Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do Di Re Mi – natural tonic (Di)
Intervals: advanced: So\Mi/So, So\Re, Ti\So, Re/Re ascending octave skip, Re\Di, Mi\La, La/Re8, Re\So, So/Mi8, Re\Ti, So/Do, Do\La/Do, Do\So
Musical Elements: notes: dotted half, dotted quarter, quarter, eighth; pickup beat, natural sign, raised Do (natural Di), syncopation, octave skip
Key Words: USA patriotic song, July 4th, Independence Day, sacred, beautiful, spacious, amber, majesties, fruited plain, shed, grace, thee, crown, brotherhood, pilgrim, whose, stern, impassioned, stress, thoroughfare, freedom, wilderness, mend, flaw, confirm, soul, self-control, liberty, law, heroes, prove, liberating, strife, mercy, success, nobleness, divine, patriot, dream, beyond, thine, alabaster, gleam, undimmed, human, crown; abbreviation: ev’ry (every)

**“America the Beautiful”**

	1.	Oh, beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majesties Above the fruited plain! America, America, God shed His grace on thee, And crown thy good with brotherhood, From sea to shining sea!
	2.	Oh, beautiful for pilgrim feet Whose stern, impassioned stress, A thoroughfare for freedom beat, Across the wilderness! America, America, God mend thine ev’ry flaw, Confirm thy soul in self-control, Thy liberty in law.
	3.	Oh, beautiful for heroes prove, Of liberating strife, Who more then self their country loved, And mercy more than life! America, America, May God thy gold refine, Till all success be nobleness, And ev’ry gain divine.
	4.	Oh, beautiful for patriot dream, That sees beyond the years, Thine alabaster cities gleam, Undimmed by human tears. America, America, God shed His grace on thee, And crown thy good with brotherhood, From sea to shining sea!

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America, America

Uncommon intervals in E minor.

Description

Grade: First
Origin: Traditional
Key: E minor – pitched in G Major
Time: 4/4
Form: ABCD
Rhythm: intermediate: | ta/ ti ta ta | ta ta ta ta |
| ta ti ti ta ta | ta/a ta ta | ta ti ti ta/a |
Pitches: intermediate: Mi La Ti Do Re Mi
Intervals: advanced: Mi/La, So/Ti, La\Mi, Ti\Mi
Musical Elements: notes: dotted half, half, dotted quarter, quarter, eighth; pickup beat, vocal slur, minor tonality, uncommon intervals
Key Words: patriotism, America, United States, beauty, sing, country

**“America, America”**
America, America! Shall I tell you how we feel? Your have given us your beauty, We sing to you.

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America

Practicing syncopation and breath control with an old melody which builds slowly before stepping between the dominate (So) to the tonic (Do) using a variety of rhythms.

Description

Grade: Third
Origin: melody: England, same tune as “God Save the Queen” lyrics: USA, Samuel F Smith 1832
Key: G Major
Time: 3/4
Form: staves: ACBD – song: AB
Rhythm: intermediate: | ta ta ta | ta/ ti ta | syncopation, | ta/a/a | ta ti ti ti ti | ti ti ta ta |
Pitches: intermediate: Ti Do Re Mi Fa So La
Intervals: intermediate: Re\Ti, Do/So, Do/Mi, La\Fa
Musical Elements: notes: dotted half, dotted quarter, quarter, eighth; syncopation, vocal slur
Key Words: early national anthem of the USA, USA history, country, liberty, fathers, Pilgrims, pride, mountainside, freedom, native, noble, rills, rapture, thrills, swell, breeze, tongues, awake, breathe, partake, prolong, God, Thee, author, bright, holy, protect, might, King, American independence; contraction: ’tis (it is); abbreviation: ev’ry (every); possessives: pilgrim’s, freedom’s, fathers’

Also known as “My Country ‘Tis of Thee,” “America” along with”Hail, Columbia” served as one of the early national anthems of the United States of America, before the adoption of “The Star Spangled Banner” in 1931. (also in 3/4 time)

“America”
(“My Country ‘Tis of Thee”)

		1.	My country, ’tis of thee, Sweet land of liberty, Of thee I sing; Land where my fathers died, Land of the Pilgrims’ pride, From ev’ry mountainside Let freedom ring!
		2.	My native country, thee, Land of the noble free, Thy name I love; I love thy rocks and rills, Thy woods and templed hills; My heart with rapture thrills, Like that above.
		3.	Let music swell the breeze, And ring from all the trees Sweet freedom’s song; Let mortal tongues awake; Let all that breathe partake; Let rocks their silence break, The sound prolong.
		4.	Our fathers’ God to Thee, Author of liberty, To Thee we sing. Long may our land be bright, With freedom’s holy light, Protect us by Thy might, Great God our King.

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Amen – NEW

Intermediate syncopation and intervals, multiple endings and repeats in an African American Christmas Spiritual.

Description

Grade: Fifth (5)
Origin: African American Spiritual
Key: F Major
Time: 4/4
Form: ABCA
Rhythm: intermediate: | ta/a/ ti ta | syncopation, ta/a/a ta | ta (ta) ta/a | ti ta ti ta ta | syncopation,
| ti ti ti ti ta ta | (ta/a ta) ta | ta ta ti ti ti (ti) |
| ti ta ti ti ti ti ti | syncopation
Pitches: intermediate: La So Do Re Mi Fa So La
(one octave)
Intervals: intermediate: Do\La (m3), So/Do (P4), Do/Mi (M3), Mi/So (m3), La\Mi (P4), Do/La (M6)
Musical Elements: notes: dotted half, half, quarter, eighth; rests: whole, half, quarter; repeated rhythm patterns, multiple repeat signs, first and second endings, syncopation, solo part, vocal slur, tied notes
Key Words: African American History, sacred, amen, shepherds, manger, baby Jesus, Christmas, sing stronger, Mother Mary

**“AMEN”**
Amen, amen Amen, amen, amen Amen, amen Amen, amen, amen See the baby, Lying in the Manger, On Christmas morning, Amen, amen, amen. See the Mother, Singing’ to the baby, On Christmas morning, Amen, amen, amen. See the Shepherds, Come to see the baby,, On Christmas morning, Amen, amen, amen. Sing it softer now, Amen, amen, amen, amen. Sing it stronger now, Amen, amen, amen, amen.

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Amen

Three syncopated rhythms, a solo, and improvising
new lyrics make this a hit during Christmas.

Description

Grade: Fourth
Origin: United States, African American Spiritual
Key: F Major
Time: 4/4
Form: AB
Rhythm: intermediate: | ta/a ti ta | syncopation,
| ta/a (ta/a) | ta/a/a ta | ta (ta) (ti) ta ti | syncopation, | ta ta (ta/a) | ta/ ti ta/ ti | syncopation, | ta ta (ta) ta | ta ta ti ti ti (ti) |
Pitches: intermediate: So La Do Re Mi So La – pentatonic scale
Intervals: intermediate: Do\La, So/Do, Do/Mi, Mi/So8, La8\Mi
Musical Elements: notes: dotted half, half, dotted quarter, quarter, eighth; rests: quarter, eighth; D.C. al Fine, Fine, solo, syncopation, pentatonic scale, tied notes, vocal slur
Key Words: sacred, Christmas, Jesus, story of Jesus birth, Mary, Joseph, manger, stable

**“Amen”**
Amen, Amen Amen, Amen, Amen. See the baby, Lying in a manger, On Christmas morning, Amen, Amen, Amen.

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