Choir - Elementary School Archives - Donna & Andy

Winter Concert Songs for Children – Vol. 1 – Grades K-1 (ages 5-7)

Andy Duinker — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 19:31:12 +0000

0 shares

Share 0

Share this page using these social links!

Winter Concert Songs - Vol. 1

Grades K-1 (ages 5-7)

by Donna Rhodenizer

Composer - music and lyrics details

Music and lyrics - Donna Rhodenizer

Five Little Snowflakes / Five Shiny Stars
Jiggle Wiggle Freeze!
See My Little Candle / See the Snowflakes Falling

Traditional music - Donna Rhodenizer lyrics

Winter A to Z

Traditional words and music - arrangement Donna Rhodenizer

Jingle Bells Scarf Activity

Option - purchase songs separately

Print copies Available on Amazon

Print copies are available on Amazon.

Go to Donna's Amazon Author Page to purchase your print copy.

Also, click the "Follow" button to get notified when additional new books become available.

Teaching Tips

In this book, Donna explores topics that must be considered by music teachers planning concerts for singers in Kindergarten – grade 1, ages 5-7

Factors to keep in mind when choosing music
Ways to keep a concert program interesting without over burdening young children with excessive amounts of lyrics
Choosing Repertoire
Dealing with small voices in large performance spaces
Non-singers

Composer's Notes

Winter Concert Songs for Children - Vol.1 - Grades K-1 (age 5-7)

Each song in this collection has its own story of how it came to be written and when it was first used. Overall, this collection is a result of many years of presenting concert programs with my elementary school students. I LOVE planning concerts that are fun for the children to sing and enjoyable for family and friends who attend the performance. Over the years I have needed songs for my youngest students to sing. By writing my own songs I have ensured that they meet the very specific set of criteria that I feel is required to make them worth singing and that help ensure their success. It was fun to put some of these songs together in a collection that I know will help music teachers with their concert planning process. There is no need to reinvent the wheel! I am happy to share these songs and imagine all the smiling faces as kids sing them and make musical memories of their own.

You Are Invited

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

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

Winter Concert Songs - Vol. 1 - Grades K-1 (age 5-7)

Five Little Snowflakes

Jiggle Wiggle Freeze

Jingle Bells - scarf activity

See My Little Candle

Winter A to Z

Send us your videos of these Winter Concert Songs and perhaps we can post them here.

The post Winter Concert Songs for Children – Vol. 1 – Grades K-1 (ages 5-7) appeared first on Donna & Andy.

See My Little Candle / See the Snowflakes Falling

Andy Duinker — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 01:49:23 +0000

0 shares

Share this page using these social links!

See My Little Candle

See the Snowflakes Falling

by Donna Rhodenizer

Audio & Lyrics

Follow along with the lyrics as you listen to the accompaniment with melody guide for See my Little Candle / See the Snowflakes Falling

Teaching Tips

Teaching Tips

Introduce the song

Connect with the students to engage them in the topic of the song. This can be done by asking them questions that relate to the song that also resonate with something in their daily lives.

Expressive singing

Discuss ways to sing expressively.

Sing with a gentle sound
Sing smoothly, connecting the notes and creating legato phrases
Have students move their hand to trace the shape of the rising and falling melody line. Use a fluid and smooth motion – mirroring the legato phrases that are being sung.
Use clear diction to present the story being told

Concert Presentation

Add small, battery-operated candles to create an effective visual element for the performance of See My Little Candle.

Add snowflakes for a visual element for the performance of See the Snowflakes Falling.

Music Elements

Discuss ABA form.

This song has the same lyrics sung in the opening and closing sections of the piece (A sections) and the 8-bar instrumental break creates the B section within the ABA form.

Look around the classroom or vocal studio for ABA patterns such as window, door, window or chair, music stand, chair, etc.

Can students think of other physical examples of ABA form?

Composer's Notes

See my Little Candle / See the Snowflakes Falling

I was thinking about school Christmas concerts. This is not an unusual activity for me, considering my career as an elementary music teacher. What was unusual is the fact that I was doing this thinking six years after I had retired! This thought process was tweaked after a conversation I had with a teaching colleague about their upcoming December concert season. We talked specifically about songs for the “Littles” that are such an important part of every school concert.

The next morning I was lying in bed, enjoying comfy, warm blankets and a bit of cool air coming in from an open window. I started thinking about snow and the first lines of the song came to my mind. The tune arrived at the same time as the lyrics “See the snowflakes falling, drifting down like a comfy blanket covering the ground.” This thought was enough to inspire me to grab a pen and paper (always kept nearby for just an occasion) and I jotted down my idea using solfege and simple rhythm notation. I have used these tools for a LONG time!

When I got up, I started working on crafting the song. I knew I wanted it to be simple and easy for children to sing who were new to school and perhaps heading into their first school concert. I created four lines of poetry that worked for me, adjusted the melody and, within a short time, I had a new song.

Andy and I had been working on updating a resource list of winter and Christmas songs I have written. Many schools have gone to winter concerts and my song list reflects this shift with many of my songs written on the topic of snow. I thought that my gentle melody was also quite suited to a candle theme and that might be a nice change from snow, so I set about writing alternate candle lyrics. It was a marketing decision to publish this song as “See My Little Candle” with the alternate lyrics being “See the Snowflakes Falling”. The candle title might help the song stick out more rather than it getting lost in a blizzard of snow songs, and either version works for Littles to sing.

This song has a simple melody, but it has a nice feel to it. I think the plaintive, innocent quality of the song makes it a lovely addition to repertoire for young singers – whether they are singing about candles or snow. It makes me (almost) wish I had a school Christmas concert to plan and present with a bunch of kids!

You're Invited

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

Send us your video of See My Little Candle or See the Snowflakes Falling

and perhaps we can post it here.

The post See My Little Candle / See the Snowflakes Falling appeared first on Donna & Andy.

Regardez la neige

Andy Duinker — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 17:35:44 +0000

0 shares

Regardez la neige

by Donna Rhodenizer

Audio & Lyrics

Follow along with the lyrics as you listen to the accompaniment with melody guide for Regardez la neige.

Teaching Tips

The PDF download includes these teaching tips with more details.

Introduce the song

Initiate a discussion about snow.

Ask the students questions about snow to connect the song content with familiar experiences. Be prepared for lots of stories!

French language/vocabulary exploration

Identify and explain any unfamiliar vocabulary.

The teacher should model the pronunciation by singing the song and adding actions to assist students’ understanding of what the story is about.

Sing the song several times and have students listen for specific words. Asking them to raise their hand every time they hear a specific word helps them focus and listen carefully.

Add actions

Add actions to the words “qui tombe, tombe, tombe.”

Actions help students remember the lyrics and keep them “on track.”

Reviewing the song

Help students practice the words by including activities that can seem like a game.

Can any student remember the first words of the song?
Show the students the actions for one of the verses and ask if anyone knows which verse of the song is being presented.
Sing the song for the students and stop in specific spots and ask the students to provide the next word in the song.

Concert performance

Include Regardez la neige in a concert or recital.

Add a few costume items such as a scarf or mittens.

Include the actions learned in the music classroom or vocal studio to help young singers remember the lyrics for each verse. Actions also add visual interest for the audience.

Composer's Notes

Regardez la neige

I taught elementary music in a school that offered a French immersion program in addition to the regular English classes. Half of the classes I taught (from Kindergarten to grade 6) were French immersion students. I conducted my classes in English, but for concerts I would always try to include songs that were either a mix of French and English or totally in French. It was always a challenge to find French songs that were musically at the right level for my students and without overly difficult lyrics for both them and for me. We had a few songs that worked for the older students but finding songs for young singers who are also in the first year of French immersion was a tough task.

I started writing simple French songs for my Kindergarten to grade 2 students. It was a pretty good fit with their French skills and vocabulary being similar to mine. We both needed lots of repetitious words and easy vocabulary. Simple actions helped to keep us on track. When I started publishing my songs, I would get requests from anglophone music teachers with teaching assignments requiring French songs for immersion students for concert performances. I was glad to share my simple French songs with my teaching colleagues.

When I retired, I thought I had pretty much finished writing French songs. With all the song ideas I had rolling around in my head and written down in notebooks, I didn’t need to look for any new challenges by writing in French. However, as often happens, someone asked me for a simple French song and she had already sung ALL of the French songs I had to offer. So with that request and a reason to write, I pulled out a piece of paper and started jotting down some simple ideas. The result was Regardez la neige. It was a bit strange for me to write this without trying it out in my own classroom, but the teacher for whom I wrote it and other teaching colleagues have helped with the “workshopping” to hone this song so it could take its place in school concerts and vocal studios using French repertoire for their young singers.

You Are Invited

You are invited to send us your performance of Regardez la neige.

Maybe your video will be featured here on this page.

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

Send us your video of Regardez la neige and perhaps we can post it here.

The post Regardez la neige appeared first on Donna & Andy.

Deo / Sing Together / Winter, Winter

Andy Duinker — Fri, 31 Oct 2025 17:10:53 +0000

0 shares

Deo / Sing Together / Winter, Winter

by Donna Rhodenizer

Audio & Lyrics

Follow along with the lyrics as you listen to the accompaniment with melody guide or the Donna & Andy band track for Deo / Sing Together / Winter, Winter.

Piano + melody guide

Donna & Andy band - instrumental track

Part of a Song Collection

Deo is one of 12 songs from the song collection "It's Christmas Time". Donna Rhodenizer has written these songs in a variety of styles and skill levels for singers from ages 5-12+.

Learn more about this fun collection for elementary-aged kids, choirs and solo vocal students.

Purchase print copy from Amazon

Stream and Purchase Audio Tracks

Stream or Purchase Deo (It's Christmas Time CD) from many streaming sites including:

Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, Amazon, Pandora, Deezer.

The Donna & Andy CD: It's Christmas Time includes performance and instrumental tracks (20). Available for download or physical CD on this website.

Teacher Tips

To assist with successful presentation of the quickly moving lyrics in the B sections of this song, divide the ensemble into two parts. Sing bars 50-65 as call and response with one group singing the whole note “calls” and the remainder of the group singing the eighth-note responses.

Add body percussion

Include a clapping pattern/motion in the choruses to add visual interest to the performance.

NOTE: Donna has created a clapping pattern that works well with the song. Complete instructions for each lyric variation are included in the download.

Create your own clapping pattern/motion to enhance your performance.

Add scarves

Create visual excitement in your performance by adding scarves to your presentation.

Many vibrant colours add to the celebratory feel of the lyrics.
White scarves can be used to represent snow.

Create your own movement patterns.

When adding any type of “choreography”, create shape within the form of the piece

Begin the song without any movement
Add scarves or movement as the lyrics repeat to create momentum within the song.
Add scarves or other movement in the choruses or verses, but not both, to complement the contrasts between sections of the song.

Composer's Notes

Deo

A recurring theme in my composer’s notes is the fact that I would write a song because I needed repertoire for a school concert or other school event. This was the case for Deo, but there is also a back story that goes with this song.

As a young teacher putting together concert programs for my students, I enjoyed including an all-school finale for the ending of the concert. Particularly in schools with smaller populations, it was fun to have a large group of students singing together. At one point, I took a job at a larger school where I found out that Christmas concerts were historically long, drawn-out affairs. Because of this, parents were in the habit of leaving with their kids as soon as the class song had been sung. Here was the opportunity to use my all-school finale songs to their fullest advantage. In addition to having the great sound of all those combined voices, an all-school finale meant that all students were involved in the final song of the concert, so parents needed to stay!

Deo was written as the all-school finale for my first concert at this new school. I knew I needed something dramatic and worth waiting for. I also had to have something that was simple enough for the youngest students to sing while being musically interesting for the older students. The driving rhythm of Deo kept things exciting, the simple repetitive words in the opening chorus were easy to remember and more difficult words in the contrasting B section were handled by the older singers. In addition to these musical choices, I included simple hand clapping “choreography” which created visual interest and pizzazz.

The concert finale was a hit! Students loved singing Deo and the audience perceptibly gasped at the flashy ending of the song. That first Christmas concert finale became a tradition that I continued through my entire career – with new songs needing to be written in subsequent years, of course!

We recorded Deo on the Donna & Andy CD: It’s Christmas Time. We were delighted to be joined by a full choir and absolutely wonderful instrumentalists to create a smoking track for the recording. The instrumental track turned out to be a super accompaniment for use with young singers in schools.

The original Deo, with its more sacred lyrics, was included in the Christmas cantata I composed for my local church. This song has had quite a musical journey.

In subsequent years, as school concerts moved away from any reference to anything considered to be sacred, music teachers began asking me for lyric adaptations that were more generic. Those requests resulted in two variations for this song: Sing Together and Winter, Winter. In addition, the winter version of the song has a B section that is less busy lyrically and easier for younger singers, while still fitting with the original accompaniment. Deo has been around for a long time now and in a variety of forms!

You are invited

When you have enjoyed singing these songs with your students and choirs - 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!

Send us your videos of Deo, Sing Together or Winter, Winter and perhaps we can post them here.

The post Deo / Sing Together / Winter, Winter appeared first on Donna & Andy.

Fluffy Flakes of Snow

Andy Duinker — Wed, 22 Oct 2025 12:16:43 +0000

0 shares

Share this page using these social links!

Fluffy Flakes of Snow

by Donna Rhodenizer

Audio & Lyrics

Follow along with the lyrics as you listen to the accompaniment with melody guide for Fluffy Flakes of Snow.

Teaching Tips

Teaching Tips

Introduce the song

Have a discussion about activities the students enjoy doing when it snows.

Has anyone ever tried to catch a snowflake on their tongue?

Do they get together with friends to enjoy outdoor activities?

Expressive singing

This song tells a story about enjoying a snowy day with friends. Use dynamics, facial expression and clear diction to sing expressively as you present this story to your audience.

Syncopation

The melody has a syncopated feel to it because many phrases begin with a rest on beat one. Beat one is usually a stronger sounding beat and the rest shifts the accent to land on beat two. This shifting of the accent creates a syncopated feeling.

To practice this syncopation, clap or stamp on beat one to create the space of the rest. Once you are comfortable with how it feels to start the phrases on beat two, leave out the clap or stamp.

Score study

Study the score to find the following elements and discuss how they work in the song:

Swing the eighths
Rests on beat one
First and second endings
Accidentals
Additional Score Markings

The PDF download includes information about these musical elements.

Composer's Notes

Fluffy Flakes of Snow

I was driving to my mom’s house, an hour away from where I live. I was thinking it would be nice to have a new winter song for the lower elementary grades to sing so I was trying to think of a simple song as I was driving. Being in a vehicle with the monotony of the tire noise is a good time to block out the world and think about song ideas. However, this particular day everything I tried out for ideas seemed too contrived or too uninteresting and I arrived at my destination without any new songs to show for my efforts.

The next morning when I got up, I was humming to myself and this perky little tune was what “came out”. I grabbed paper and a pen and jotted down the tune and the words for the first line, “Lots of flakes of snow are falling.” I discussed my new song with Andy (as I often do) and we bounced a few lyric ideas around to find alternate words to describe the flakes of snow. We settled on “fluffy flakes” because the alliterations are such fun to sing! Although my original intention was a song for the youngest elementary students, this song is really a grade 2-3 level or higher, but when a song is being delivered by the muse, one does not quibble about such details!

I added the second “verse” lyrics as we were editing the score to be uploaded and published. I was wondering how to explain to the singers the reasoning behind singing exactly the same words twice, so by adding one small change, I had a reason for that repeat. It won’t be hard for the singers to learn one additional line and they will have a two-verse song.

You're Invited

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

Send us your video of Fluffy Flakes of Snow and perhaps we can post it here.

The post Fluffy Flakes of Snow appeared first on Donna & Andy.

Sing a Song of Peace

Andy Duinker — Mon, 20 Oct 2025 18:32:05 +0000

0 shares

Share this page using these social links!

Sing a Song of Peace

by Donna Rhodenizer

Audio & Lyrics

Follow along with the lyrics as you listen to the accompaniment with melody guide for Sing a Song of Peace.

Teaching Tips

Expressive singing

Sing expressively to present the theme of peace and the reflective mood of the song.

Discuss dynamics, facial expression, legato phrases and treatment of interval jumps that must be sung accurately without sticking out.

Score Study

Sing a Song of Peace is written in ABA form. Explore the score to determine where each section begins and ends.
Sing the melody line and/or the descant harmony line using solfege syllables and/or hand signs.
Discuss where the phrases begin and end. While singing, move one hand in an arc to represent the shape of the phrase that is being sung.

Adding harmony

There are two opportunities to add harmony, using instruments (handbells, hand chimes or Orff instruments such as metallophones) or by singing.

After the students are comfortable with the melody of the B Section, introduce the descant line by playing the line on the piano while all singers are singing the melody in unison.

Choose a few students to play or to sing the descant line. Keep it light and complimentary to the melody without being overpowering.

Composer's Notes

Sing a Song of Peace

I got an email from Joanna, my former job-share partner. In her current school she was starting a Grade 4-5 choir. The first rehearsal was approaching, and she wanted something fun and exciting to pique the interest of the students and get them enthused to join the choir. She also needed something for them to sing for Remembrance Day with a short window to prepare something. I was inspired to sit at the piano and write her a simple song with a focus on peace. I knew she had handchimes at her school and I also know that kids love to play them. What better way to inspire kids to join the choir than to give them a chance to get their hands on the handchimes. I also Included a short section with a simple descending harmony line for a nice taste of harmony that the students would easily be able to sing and it would come together and sound good quickly.

By the time I met with Joanna the next day, I had a song written with separate vocal parts and handbell scores ready for copying and distribution to her choir singers. It was fun to be writing for young elementary choir singers. Having a specific theme also helps narrow the creative process from endless possibilities to something far more manageable. After the initial writing for the elementary singers, I couldn’t resist creating an arrangement for choirs who are able to manage more two-part singing (and eliminating the niche of having handbells or handchimes). Once again, a simple song will end up with several arrangement variations so that music teachers and choir directors have options. It makes their musical lives less complicated and my composing life more complicated, but creating music is still a terrific way to pass the time!

You're Invited

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

Send us your video of Sing a Song of Peace and perhaps we can post it here.

The post Sing a Song of Peace appeared first on Donna & Andy.

Hello Ghostie!

Andy Duinker — Thu, 16 Oct 2025 17:37:32 +0000

0 shares

Share this page using these social links!

Hello Ghostie!

by Donna Rhodenizer

Audio & Lyrics

Follow along with the lyrics as you listen to the accompaniment with melody guide for Hello Ghostie!.

Art Song style

Teaching Tips

Teaching Tips

Style study

Hello Ghostie! is written with two different accompaniment styles.

Sea Shanty style

The song has a jaunty, rollicking feel with heavy chordal accompaniment.

How will the story be presented in this style?

Art Song Style

Hello Ghostie! is also provided with an accompaniment written in an art song style.

How will the song be sung differently within this style?

Singers should sing expressively in both accompaniment styles.

Expressive singing

Dramatic interpretation and expressive singing can be incorporated in the responses to the ghost at the door.

Sing “Hello Ghostie” different ways:

bravely
anxiously
curiously

When singing repeated lyrics “Hello Ghostie. How are you today?” each chorus can be sung with the same emotional response, or singers may choose to sing each response with a different emotion each time.

See the “Singer’s Notes” included with the PDF download. The composer, Donna Rhodenizer, has written instructions to the singers who will be interpreting the song.

Add percussion

The purpose of a sea shanty was to have a song that could be sung while doing tasks such as pulling rigging ropes when sailors would need to work together. Singing songs with a strong and steady beat provided the reference for all the sailors to pull at the same time, therefore being most efficient and productive.

Add percussion to Hello Ghostie! The PDF download includes specific percussion suggestions to try. Singers also are invited to create a percussion part to include in the performance.

Composer's Notes

Hello Ghostie!

Halloween songs can be a great teaching tool. They often include minor tonalities, lots of “oohs” and other sound effects, and topics that are mysterious and fun to sing. These songs tie in with the anticipation children experience leading up to Halloween festivities at the end of October. However, in my music classroom some students didn’t partake in any Halloween observances. Ghosts in particular are a sticky subject. Are they real? Are they just stories? Some kids believe strongly, other do not and others are not sure. Where does my responsibility lie when students look to me for opinions?

Hello Ghostie! was written as a way of giving young singers some tools for dealing with ghosts in general. Not to present ghosts as scary, horror-movie kind of creatures, but acting like regular people by walking up to a house and knocking on the door to have a visit. How would you react if you heard a knock at the door and when you opened it, a ghost was standing there? There are certainly a variety of possible reactions and I explored both afraid and brave responses for different verses. This makes for an interesting expressive singing exercise for singers. How will they sing a chorus with the same words but conveying different emotions? Will they sing each repetition of “Hello Ghostie” with changing emotions or keep it all the same within each chorus? I also composed the ending with room for interpretation. The singer must decide if they finish with brave confidence or maybe after all their bravado, a few doubts are still lingering and they aren’t quite sure of the outcome.

Composing the accompaniment for Hello Ghostie! was an interesting journey. Sea shanty songs are popular with young singers (and older ones too!) and this song fit that style very well. That is the style I wanted for my song. However, when I first framed out the accompaniment, I wrote out simple chords, basically to get the chord structure. This was a more sedate musical style and it also works well with the song. That meant I had to decide – but then again, maybe not! I decided to provide both accompaniment versions so singers can decide which accompaniment suits their needs. It also creates a neat learning experience to compare two styles of accompaniment that make a song sound different, even though the melody and words are exactly the same for both versions. I am always interested in encouraging musical exploration and creativity.

I like writing songs where the singer has the opportunity to make musical decisions about their performance – which should happen every time someone sings, but often does not. It is one of the most difficult things I do as a composer to commit myself to one specific interpretation of a song. There are so many options and there are reasons to include or omit different dynamics in a song. In the teaching tips for this song, I included specific notes written to the singer instructing them to make the song their own by adding the dynamics they think work best, even if that means ignoring what I wrote in the score. It will be interesting to experience a variety of performances of this song as it develops its own personality in the singing world.

You're Invited

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

Send us your video of Hello Ghostie! and perhaps we can post it here.

The post Hello Ghostie! appeared first on Donna & Andy.

It’s Christmas Time + It’s Winter Time

Andy Duinker — Mon, 08 Sep 2025 16:29:30 +0000

0 shares

Share this page using these social links!

It's Christmas Time

It's Winter Time

by Donna Rhodenizer

Audio & Lyrics

Follow along with the lyrics as you listen to the accompaniment with melody guide for It's Christmas Time & It's Winter Time.

Part of a song collection

It's Christmas Time is one of 11 songs from the award-winning song collection It's Christmas Time. Donna Rhodenizer has written these songs in a variety of styles and skill levels in both French and English for singers age 5-12+.

Learn more about this fun collection for elementary-aged kids, choirs and solo vocal students. The 146-page book provides the vocal score, full score and separate lyrics pages for 11 songs. Enjoy!

Please note: audio tracks for the e-book version are sold separately. Print copies of the book include CD (24 tracks)

It's Christmas Time song collection is also available on Amazon.

Stream and purchase audio tracks

Stream or Purchase the It's Christmas Time tracks from many streaming sites including: Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, Amazon, Pandora, Deezer.

Donna & Andy have yet to record It's Winter Time.

The It's Christmas Time CD and tracks (Donna & Andy performance and instrumental tracks - 22) are available for download or physical CD on this website.

Teaching Tips

Use this song to work on expressive singing.
Discuss the necessity of clear diction to present the text in the rapidly moving eighth note sections.
In a choral setting, use staggered breathing to accommodate the long, uninterrupted phrases indicated in the music.
Solo singers need to plan breathing spots that will satisfy the need to breathe while accommodating the flow of the phrases. Add breath marks to the score to assist with consistent practice.
When working on the long phrases, have singers move their hand in an arc to show the shape of the phrases.
Decide what to do during the instrumental verse. In addition to the option of including a solo instrument, this section can include gentle movement using scarves or humming the melody line.
If using an accompanist (rather than the recorded instrumental track) it is also acceptable to skip the instrumental section from rehearsal letter D – rehearsal letter E.

Colouring page - download

Download (pdf), print and have fun colouring this page while you listen to the song It's Christmas Time.

See more free colouring pages below

Composer's Notes

It's Christmas Time

I have been inspired to write many of my compositions to fill repertoire needs for my students throughout the school year. I wrote this song for one of the many, many school Christmas concerts I planned and presented with my elementary school students. It is a lot of work to put on a school concert with over 500 students, but it was one of my favourite things to do during my 35-year career as a music education specialist. The grade 4-5 elementary choir was the group that took on this challenging piece of music with its plethora of lyrics and quickly moving eighth note passages that required extra attention to diction. I am pleased to recall that they did a super job at the concert. As the years progressed, Christmas concerts often included more winter-themed songs to accommodate students who didn’t celebrate Christmas. New lyrics were created and “It’s Winter Time” found its way into concert rotation. I am always pleased to offer my teaching colleagues options so that my music is as versatile and useful as possible. Giving teachers the option to choose either Christmas or winter lyrics is one way to offer this versatility.

In 2006, when recording our Donna & Andy CD: It’s Christmas Time, my son Benjamin and Andy’s niece, Oriana played French horns for this song. These two young players did such a super job adding that magical horn sound to our recording. It has a special place in my heart as one of my favourite Christmas songs.

You're Invited

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

Send us your video of It's Christmas Time or It's Winter Time and perhaps we can post it here.

Free - download coloring pages for lots of Christmas Fun!

Free Download - 3 Christmas Coloring Pages

The post It’s Christmas Time + It’s Winter Time appeared first on Donna & Andy.

Get Up Christmas Mornin’

Andy Duinker — Sun, 07 Sep 2025 10:59:33 +0000

0 shares

Share this page using these social links!

Get Up Christmas Mornin'

by Donna Rhodenizer

Audio & Lyrics

Follow along with the lyrics as you listen to the accompaniment with melody guide for Get Up Christmas Mornin' & Get Up in the Mornin'.

Part of a song collection

The companion song to Get Up Christmas Mornin' is

Get Up in the Mornin' - and it is one of 12 songs from the award-winning song collection "Blue Skies and Pirates". Donna Rhodenizer has written these songs in a variety of styles and skill levels for singers from ages 5-12+.

Learn more about this fun collection for elementary-aged kids, choirs and solo vocal students. The 110-page book provides the vocal score, full score and separate lyrics pages for 12 songs. Enjoy!

Please note: audio tracks for the e-book version are sold separately. Print copies of the book include CD (24 tracks)

Blue Skies and Pirates is also available on Amazon

Stream and purchase audio tracks

Stream or Purchase the Get Up in the Mornin' tracks from many streaming sites including: Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, Amazon, Pandora, Deezer.

Donna & Andy have yet to record Get Up Christmas Mornin'.

The Blue Skies and Pirates CD and tracks (Donna & Andy performance and instrumental tracks - 24) are available for download or physical CD on this website.

Teacher Tips

Introduce the song

Initiate a discussion about Christmas memories.

Have the students ever written a letter to Santa?
What are things that students might do to get on the “nice list?”
What are things that students might do to get on the “naughty list?”
What time do students get up on Christmas morning?
Do students have to wait to get up until a specific time?
If they could only receive one gift, what would they want that gift to be?

Listen to the song or read the lyrics.

What is the message of this song? Don’t be grumpy and stay off the naughty list!
Is this good advice?

Expressive singing

Sing expressively to create a different presentation style for each of the verses.

Emphasize the lyrics by using:

dynamics
clear diction
facial movement
simple gestures

Improvisation

There are instrumental breaks between each verse (bars 29-40).

Have students use these instrumental bars to improvise using their own musical ideas.

Students may sing specific Christmasy words or sing scat syllables.

There is also the option to skip these bars (tracks are provided to accommodate both options).

Be a composer

Create your own verses for this song.

As a composer you will make musical decisions about the content of your song lyrics.

You may decide to sing about a gift you hope you receive, or perhaps you will sing about leaving Santa a snack.

Use the instrumental accompaniment tracks and sing your new lyrics.

Have fun composing!

Colouring page - download

Download (pdf), print and have fun colouring this page while you listen to the song Get Up in the Mornin'.

Composer's Notes

Get Up Christmas Mornin'

I was taking my son to a Scout Jamboree in Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, Canada. 14,000 Scouts from all over Canada were converging at a massive camp site for a week-long event. As we were heading to the camp on a bright and sunny day, the melody and the first verse of the song popped into my head. I started to sing as we walked from the parking lot to the central gathering location (it was quite a hike so I had some time!) My son has camped in some pretty uncomfortable weather conditions. He always had lots of stories to tell, but he really didn’t complain about the weather. He seemed to enjoy the challenge of surviving even rainy and snowy camping trips. He didn’t get that from his mother. I prefer to be protected from heat, cold, bugs and hard ground when I sleep. Despite my personal preference to avoid being involved in bad weather, I thought it made sense to include the advice not to be saucy to Mother Nature. At the end of the day, being grumpy doesn’t change the weather conditions but a good attitude can go a long way to improving the outlook of the situation.

A few years later, our Donna & Andy duo was invited to sing at a Christmas event. We were practicing some standard seasonal tunes when we started to change the lyrics of Get Up in the Mornin’ to fit in with getting up on Christmas morning. We sketched out alternate lyrics that worked for that concert and I include them with the original words so teachers can have an option for school and vocal studio Christmas concert presentations. The admonishment not to be grumpy or sassy also works in the context of staying off the naughty list!

You're Invited

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

Send us your video of Get Up Christmas Mornin' and perhaps we can post it here.

The post Get Up Christmas Mornin’ appeared first on Donna & Andy.

Get Up in the Mornin’

Andy Duinker — Mon, 01 Sep 2025 17:46:01 +0000

0 shares

Share this page using these social links!

Get Up in the Mornin'

by Donna Rhodenizer

Audio & Lyrics

Follow along with the lyrics as you listen to the accompaniment with melody guide for Get Up in the Mornin' & Get Up Christmas Mornin'.

Part of a song collection

Get Up in the Mornin' is one of 12 songs from the award-winning song collection "Blue Skies and Pirates". Donna Rhodenizer has written these songs in a variety of styles and skill levels for singers from ages 5-12+.

Learn more about this fun collection for elementary-aged kids, choirs and solo vocal students. The 110-page book provides the vocal score, full score and separate lyrics pages for 12 songs. Enjoy!

Please note: audio tracks for the e-book version are sold separately. Print copies of the book include CD (24 tracks)

Blue Skies and Pirates is also available on Amazon

Stream and purchase audio tracks

Stream or Purchase from many streaming sites including: Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, Amazon, Pandora, Deezer.

The Blue Skies and Pirates CD (Donna & Andy performance and instrumental) tracks (24) are available for download or physical CD on this website.

Teacher Tips

Introduce the song

Have a weather-related discussion.

Do the students have a favourite kind of weather?
What is their least favourite kind of weather?
Do they ever grumble about the weather?
Does grumbling and complaining improve the weather conditions?

Listen to the song or read the lyrics.

What is the message of this song? Don’t be grumpy or blue about the weather, and don’t “sass” Mother Nature!
Is this good advice?

Expressive singing

Sing expressively to create a different presentation style for each of the types of weather about which you are singing.

Emphasize the lyrics by using:

dynamics
clear diction
facial movement
simple gestures

Improvisation

There are instrumental breaks between each verse (bars 29-40).

Have students use these instrumental bars to improvise using their own musical ideas.

Students may sing specific words e.g., rain, sun, wind, etc. or sing scat syllables.

There is also the option to skip these bars (tracks are provided to accommodate both options).

Be a composer

Create your own verses for this song.

As a composer you will make musical decisions about the content of your song lyrics.

You may decide to sing about your favourite kind of weather, or you may want to take the opportunity to complain a bit about your least favourite kind of weather.

Will you still decide to present the message that it won’t help to be grumpy, or will you create a different message for your weather song?

Use the instrumental accompaniment tracks and sing your new lyrics.

Have fun composing!

Colouring page - download

Download (pdf), print and have fun colouring this page while you listen to the song Get Up in the Mornin'.

Composer's Notes

Get Up in the Mornin'

You are Invited

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

Send us your video of Get Up in the Mornin' and perhaps we can post it here.

The post Get Up in the Mornin’ appeared first on Donna & Andy.