Listen to this grade 4-5 elementary choir performing We Are as you follow along with the lyrics.

Warm-up

Use the opening 16 bars of We Are as a warm-up exercise.

Have students sing a sustained note on the pitch A, using the syllable “ooh”.

• Students should listen to the singers around them and match both the pitch as well as working on blending voices to create a unified sound.
• Have students cup their hands behind their ears, creating “elephant ears”. This makes it easier for the singer to hear their own voice while still keeping their ears open to the voices around them. 
• Concentrate to stay on the “A” pitch while the piano chords shift tonalities against the sustained pitch. Sometimes the A will fit in the chord and sometimes the A will be dissonant. Lean into the dissonances and embrace the tone colour that is created.
• Sing softly and create a shimmering, beautiful sound. There should not be any voices that stick out.
• Use stagger breathing to create the illusion of a single, sustained note.

Expressive singing

The message of this song is one of hope, encouraging all of us to aspire to the best that we can be for ourselves and the world in which we live.

• Use expressive singing techniques to emphasize the lyrics and present an expressive performance (i.e. dynamics, diction, facial expressions, emphasis on certain words, etc.)
• The key change at bar 63 creates a natural contrast to the previous section. Use expressive singing to further emphasize this contrast.
• The return to the original key in bar 79 is presented with a dynamic change to mezzo piano. Use this quiet dynamic to return to the shimmering quality created in the opening bars.
•  Use the increasing dynamic levels to build the intensity of the song until it reaches full strength in the final bars.  

I have always been very vocal (no pun intended!) about my love of working with my elementary school choir. Choir rehearsal was my favourite day of the week. The joy of creating music with a large group of students, excited about singing, ready to take on challenges and sing “something fun, something difficult and something beautiful” filled my bucket!

I love developing the feeling of camaraderie and teamwork within the choir as well. Some choir members are students who excel and who have extraordinary abilities and skills. Other students struggle in many of their daily school subjects. When they all come together and sing, they become a unified team, leaning on each other for support with everyone sharing in the successes we enjoy as a singing ensemble.

It was with all these emotions swirling in my soul that I put pen to paper to create a “power anthem” for my choir to sing. I wanted them to sing for themselves all those big emotions and internalize the idea that they were strong, able to affect change and be a presence in the world. The result was “We Are” which they sang with heartfelt emotion and joy. I loved those kids and we all loved singing together. What a gift that is!

When you have enjoyed singing this song with your students - please drop by again and leave a Review on this page. Thanks!

Please send us your performance video - we might be able to post it on this page!

Listen to this grade 4-5 elementary choir performing Thankful as you follow along with the vocal score.

Thankful  has been arranged as a three-part round. It is available as a 3-part treble arrangement and also as an SSATB arrangement. The melody is written with a range of B3-E5 in the treble clef and B1-E4 for bass clef singers. When the song is being sung as a round, it is suggested that each part be sung by mixed groups of singers (soprano/alto and tenor/bass) to create support for the outer ranges of the melody line.

The two arrangements (3-part treble and SSATB) are compatible and can be used for a massed choir performance. The only adjustment is the section of the music between bars 49-72 (Rehearsal letter B-C). In this section, the tenor/bass voices are highlighted in the SSATB arrangement. In the 3-part arrangement, a 2-part canon is written. For a massed choir performance, choose one group to highlight for this section (either tenor/bass voices or 2-part treble voices singing the 2-part round) and resume with all members singing at rehearsal letter C.

Thankful is written with the option to include handbells with the piano accompaniment.

When performing with handbells, they present the opening introduction of the melody. The melody is written in the piano score as well to add support. However, if the bells are secure in presenting the melody, the piano accompanist may either leave out the melody notes or play them lightly. If using the piano as the only accompanying instrument, the melody line is written in the piano part and it needs to be highlighted. It is possible to play the handbell part using a second piano if one is available. This provides more texture and depth to the accompaniment.

Andy and I were travelling from Nova Scotia, Canada to do a tour of Donna & Andy concerts in elementary schools in Ontario. As we drove, rural Nova Scotia and scenic ocean views had given way to the forested scenery (and hopes of catching sight of a moose) in New Brunswick. We had navigated the traffic in Montreal, which can be an adventure or a disaster depending on the time of day, and we were finally in Ontario. The 401 is a highway that is known for lots of lane changing as traffic weaves and flows and it is also known for the times when all 16 lanes come to a complete halt during peak travel times. For a country girl, the highway was overwhelming at times and as Andy drove I would sometimes cover my eyes and let him do his thing as he adeptly navigated the traffic. At one point suddenly to our left, I could see a large expanse of water. “It’s the ocean!” was my first thought, but it turned out to be Lake Ontario. Nonetheless, the sight of a large body of water sparkling in the sun beaming from a clear blue sky was a welcome sight to this Maritimer’s eyes. 

The words that turned out to be the song Thankful sprang to my mind and I quickly grabbed a pen to write them down. They are very simple and they don’t rhyme, but they captured the moment completely. The melody also came at the same time and I jotted that down using my solfege training so I could write out the notes later.

When we returned home, I taught the song to my elementary school choir. I realized that we could layer the parts by singing it as a round. There are a few spots where the harmonies that are created are a bit dissonant, but they quickly pass and satisfying, comfortable harmonies appear – much like the welcome sight of sparkling water after dealing with the snarls of the highway.

Thankful is a thought, a feeling, and a reflection set to music. We have much for which to be thankful if we stop and take notice.

When you have enjoyed singing this song with your students - please drop by again and leave a Review on this page. Thanks!

Please send us your performance video - we might be able to post it on this page!