A Robin’s Tale
$7.50 – $22.00
On a cold and windy day, the robin is having a marvelous time pulling worms out of the lawn for a tasty treat. The song progresses with a contrasting minor section creating musical tension as the robin wages its tug of war with the worms.
The melody is written within the range of C4-D5, giving young singers brief opportunities to reach the top and bottom of their range, without staying for extended time in these outer limits. The ABA form of the song includes a 4-bar foray into minor tonality in the B section. The melody is rhythmically simple with mostly quarter and eighth notes and a few dotted quarter/eighth note combinations creating rhythmic interest.
A Robin’s Tale is a lovely solo for singers age 9 and under or for classroom singers in grades 2-3. The minor tonality of the B section is brief and is a short introduction to this tone colour for young singers.
Listen to vocal demo by Ada May:
Listen to melody + accompaniment:
Download Includes:
- Vocal score
- Lead sheet
- Director/piano score
- Lyrics
- Accompaniment – with melody guide
- Accompaniment – piano
- Teaching Tips
Share this page using these social links!
A Robin's Tale
Follow along with the lyrics as you listen to the accompaniment with melody guide for A Robin's Tale.
Introducing the song
Pre-singing discussion connects students’ interest to the song content. Questions may include:
Have you ever seen a robin pulling worms out of the lawn?
How do you think they know where the worms are? Do they hear the worms? Do they feel the vibration with their feet? (Both would be amazing skills!)
What facts do you know about robins?
Do you have a favourite bird?
Score Study
Dotted quarter note/eighth note combinations.
The melody of A Robin’s Tale is written with dotted quarter note/eighth note combinations.
While the teacher sings the song, have the students listen and follow the score.
Find all the bars where there are dotted quarter note/eighth note combinations.
Have students tap or clap the rhythm of the song as the teacher sings one more time.
Have half the students sing the song and the other half tap the rhythm. Switch.
Phrases
Listen for phrases that are the same or almost the same. Finding these similar phrases helps when learning the melody of the song.
Major/minor tonality
The B section of A Robin’s Tale is written in a minor key for a few short bars. Find the bars that are written in the minor key. Where does the melody return to the major tonality?
Expressive Singing
Use good breath energy to sing the long, legato phrases.
Breath marks show where the singer will take a breath even thought the notes look like there is no spot to breathe. Take as much time as needed to take a comfortable breath.
How will you sing differently to create a contrast in the B section when the melody is written in the minor key?
Use clear diction so the story can be understood.
Add dynamics to create musical interest and highlight the lyrics as part of your expressive performance.
I enjoy watching the birds in my backyard. A bird feeder of seeds encourages certain birds to make regular visits. Robins don’t frequent the feeder. They prefer worms and stay on the lawn to forage for their snacks. The robins hop from spot to spot. It is interesting to watch the tug-of-war that ensues when they locate a worm and try to pull it from its hiding spot. Because they eat worms and grubs, robins leave Canada to go to warmer climates for the winter. We know spring has arrived when they show up again. A Robin’s Tale was written as I watched this vignette playing out in the backyard. Andy and I worked on the words together and we ended up with this short song for young singers.
When you have enjoyed singing this song and doing the activities with your students - please drop by again and leave a Review on this page. Thanks!
Please send us your performing video - we might be able to post it on this page!
Send us your video of A Robin's Tale and perhaps we can post it here.
| License | Single User License, Classroom / Studio License, Treble Choir License |
|---|---|
| Context | Choir – Elementary, Choir Repertoire, Classroom Songs, Expressive Storytelling Songs, Small Group Class, Vocal Solo, Choir – Unison |
| Topic | |
| Level | |
| Voicing | |
| Vocal Range | C4 – D5 |
| Duration | |
| Composer | Donna Rhodenizer |
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.