Midnight March
$8.00 – $16.00
Midnight March is a delightful story about toy soldiers who wake up at midnight to march around the toy shop. They practice their left-right marching steps and eventually return to the shelf where they go back to sleep until it is time for the next midnight march.
With simple rhythmic and melodic elements, a narrow vocal range, repeated lyrics, and simple actions, Midnight March is a terrific song choice for emerging singers. Although there are no seasonal references in the song, the theme of toy soldiers allows it to fit easily in non-seasonal concerts as well as Christmas-themed concerts or recitals.
Marches are a great style of music to motivate students to move and respond to music. When planning student activities “giving them a reason to listen” informs teaching practices and helps teachers create engaging lessons. The infectious beat of a march seems to elicit a response from even the youngest of students. It is an excellent choice to encourage movement whether it is used for entering the teaching space or as a movement break.
French lyrics also included! Use La marche de minuit as a French language study or as a performance piece.
Midnight March is available as a single song purchase or in combination with other marches and activities in the package, Marching Music & Activities (coming soon – stay tuned)
Listen to melody + accompaniment:
Download Includes:
- Vocal score
- Lead sheet
- Director/piano score
- Lyrics
- French vocal score – language study
- French lyrics – language study
- Accompaniment – with melody guide
- Accompaniment – piano
- Teaching Tips
Midnight March is included in Marching Music & Activities
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Midnight March
Follow along with the lyrics as you listen to the accompaniment with melody guide for Midnight March.
Discussion
Use Midnight March as a discussion starter.
- What do you think the toys would do if they were allowed to wake up and play in the toy store when nobody was around?
- What other toys do you think would want to join in the fun?
- Would you like to sneak in the toy store to watch the toys playing?
Movement Activities
Discuss the musical style of a march.
Listen to a few examples of marches.
Play a variety of marches as students are entering and/or exiting music class. Encourage them to march along with the music.
Add dynamics to the marching by calling out dynamic changes: loud, soft, tiptoe, stomp, etc. Students will need to adjust their steps to generate the dynamic that has been called out.
Keep the Beat
Keep the beat by patsching (patting both hands with flat palms on the thighs).
Keep the beat using other body percussion i.e., tapping the shoulders, hot potato fists, tapping the end of your nose, bending the knees while standing in one spot, windshield wiper hands, tick tocking index fingers, etc.
Marches can be written in 2/4, 4/4 or 6/8 meter. Beat one will be stronger than the other beats. This is easiest to hear in 2/4 meter.
- Find a march written in 2/4 meter.
- As you listen to the song, move around the room keeping the beat by marching.
- Take one shoe off. Start marching on beat one with the “shoe” foot and listen for the accented beat one that is created by stepping shoe, sock, shoe, sock.
Actions
Suggested actions are included in the PDF download.
Use the French translation, La marche de minuit to sing the song as a language study or a simple French song for a recital or concert.
Midnight March
I am always on the lookout for simple songs for my youngest students to sing. Kindergarten students have only a few short weeks of school before concert preparation begins. Often times this means they haven’t even discovered they have a singing voice, when suddenly they are being asked to sing in a group in front of a gym full of people. This can be daunting! The best plan of action is to choose songs with a melody that is easy for emerging singers to learn, simple repetitious words, and a few actions that help youngsters remember the words. Actions also give the audience a visually interesting performance.
At some point in my teaching career, I stumbled upon a song about toy soldiers. It had good “bones” but there were a few elements in the song that didn’t work the way I would have liked. I changed some lyrics, added some theatrical counting to begin and end the song and Midnight March was the result. Thanks to an unknown composer starting this song, I had a song that was a great addition to my concert. It became one of my favourite songs for young singers and I have included it several times over my teaching career, always with happy singers and great audience response.
When you have enjoyed singing this song with your students - please drop by again and leave a Review on this page. Thanks!
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| License | Single User License, Classroom / Studio License, Treble Choir License |
|---|---|
| Context | Action / Movement Songs, Action Songs, Choir – Elementary, Choir Repertoire, Classroom Songs, Language Study, Movement Songs, Novelty, Singing Games, Small Group Class, Vocal Solo, Choir – Unison, French |
| Topic | Christmas, Imagination, Action Songs, Childhood, Movement Songs |
| Level | |
| Vocal Range | D4 – A4 |
| Voicing | |
| Duration | |
| Music | Donna Rhodenizer, Traditional – arranged by Donna Rhodenizer |
| Lyrics | Donna Rhodenizer |
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