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Mister Santa, I’ve Been Good
$10.00 – $20.00
The lyrics of Mister Santa, I’ve Been Good focus on a child trying to persuade Santa that they have been on their best behaviour all year. There are four short verses reporting on the stellar behaviour that has been accomplished throughout the year. With their flawless record, the singer confidently declares in the bridge section: “I can’t wait till Christmas!”
An alternate version with winter lyrics, Winter Time is Lots of Fun, explores the fun of making snowballs, snow forts and enjoying the winter season. With two options for lyrics, this song is a versatile repertoire choice for elementary school or vocal studio concerts.
The melody is written within the C4-D5 range. The jaunty accompaniment keeps the song moving with lightness, and the legato treatment during the bridge section creates a nice contrast.
The 4-bar verses alternate with instrumental breaks of the same length, providing time to re-focus and prepare for the next verse or to add a few dance steps or rhythm clapping for added performance pizzazz.
This song is so much fun to sing, a rhythm echo activity has been included in the song package providing the opportunity to use this cheery melody throughout the year. A French adaptation of the Christmas lyrics (not part of this package) is available. For ordering information, email donna@redcastlepublishing.com
Listen to the Donna & Andy performance track:
Listen to melody + accompaniment:
Download Includes:
- Vocal score (Christmas lyrics)
- Vocal score (Winter lyrics)
- Lead sheet (Christmas + Winter)
- Director/piano score (Christmas + Winter)
- Lyrics (Christmas, Winter)
- Accompaniment – with melody guide
- Accompaniment – piano
- Donna & Andy band – instrumental track
- Donna & Andy – performance track (Christmas version)
- Teaching Tips
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Follow along with the lyrics as you listen to the accompaniment with melody guide for Mister Santa, I've Been Good + Winter Time is Lots of Fun.
Mister Santa, I've Been Good 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 or Purchase Mister Santa, I've Been Good (It's Christmas Time CD) from many streaming sites including:
Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, Amazon, Pandora, Deezer.
The It's Christmas Time CD (Donna & Andy performance and instrumental) tracks (20) are available for download or physical CD on this website.
This song has multiple versions all using the same melody:
- Christmas – Mister Santa, I’ve Been Good
- Winter – Winter Time is Lots of Fun
- General rhythm activity – Rhythm Echo Song
The various options provide versatility and the opportunity to use this song in general classroom or vocal studio settings throughout the year. It can be helpful when a Christmas song is needed and the melody is already familiar to students because they have already heard it as part of the rhythm echo activity. Conversely, if students enjoy learning the Christmas version, the variants can be used at other times of the year, extending the use of the melody that has already been learned.
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The short four-bar verses alternate with 4-bar instrumental sections. Add a clapping pattern during the instrumental section when using the song in a performance.
Included in the PDF download is a sample of the clapping sequence I used with my students.
NOTE: My grade 2 students loved the clapping pattern, but many classes of practice were required for everyone to master the sequence. The singing is the most important part of this song - make up your own rhythm sequence that works for you!
Accidentals
Look at the notes in the final bar of the song.
The flat that is added to the B and the natural that is added to the C change the feel and tonality of these final notes. Sing or play the final bar several times to get the pitches well established before singing the entire song.
Contrasting sections
Bars 21-24 act like a “bridge” in this piece of music. The bridge has slower, legato notes, creating a contrast to the jaunty, staccato notes of the melody in the verses. Pay close attention to the presentation of these four bars to be sure the legato notes are smooth and connected.
Also listen carefully to the notes in bar 24. They are moving toward a key change. The final two verses are one whole tone higher than the first two verses.
Expressive singing
The melody and accompaniment of the song are light and staccato (except for the bridge section which has a slower, legato feel). The overall mood of the piece is jaunty, confident and cheery, and it should sound like the singer is having fun!
Rhythm Echo Song
Use the Donna & Andy band instrumental track for Mister Santa, I’ve Been Good.
The teacher will sing the verses for the students (that could be fun!) and then clap rhythm patterns to be echoed during the instrumental verses.
Rhythm pattern options are provided to give examples, but teachers are encouraged to create their own rhythm combinations.
Either have the students echo what they hear, or use flash cards and have students read and clap the rhythms during the instrumental breaks.
Mister Santa, I've Been Good + Winter Time is Lots of Fun
I am writing these composer’s notes for Mister Santa, I’ve Been Good more than 20 years after the song was written so I cannot say for sure what made me think of the lyrics. I do remember that the song was a hit with my students from the first year I introduced it. I have included it in multiple school Christmas concerts over the years.
A few years after it was written and performed by my students, we decided to include this song on a Donna & Andy Christmas recording: “It’s Christmas Time.” When I was writing the arrangements, I knew I wanted a cheery banjo sound included in the accompaniment track. I love the sound of the banjo and it always makes me smile. When we got to the recording studio and ran through some sample tracks, the banjo part was every bit as delightful as I had imagined it would be. The original song was only two verses, but the banjo part was so much fun, we decided the song needed to be longer. We planned for two double verses with a bridge and a key change in the middle. The way the recording process works, the instrumental tracks are recorded first and then vocals are added to that. We had back-to-back recording days booked, so we recorded the instrumental track on one afternoon and then we were scheduled to return the next day to record the vocal tracks. With a time deadline looming, I needed to write my two new verses for the next day!
I worked very hard to keep the song lyrics focused on the singer’s behaviour rather than letting the song get into a “gimme, gimme” song. It really was about having exemplary behaviour for the whole year. As I recall, I was still writing verses on the drive to the studio the next day. Somewhere I have a hefty envelope with many pages of verse ideas that I worked on in the short 24 hours between recording the instrumental bed tracks and recording the vocals. Necessity may be the mother of invention, but necessity may also drive a composer to finish a set of lyrics in time to get them recorded (which I did!).
Fast forward to 20 years later…I was searching through a notebook of song ideas and found lyrics I had created for a rhythm echo song using the melody of Mister Santa. I was excited to think that this fun melody would have a longer shelf life than the short Christmas season. Then I decided I should have more than just Christmas lyrics so I created non-Christmas, winter words. Suddenly there are several options to facilitate use of this jaunty melody throughout the year. You never know, one day there might be a summer version – that’s how a composer works sometimes!
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!
| License | Single User License, Classroom / Studio License, Treble Choir License |
|---|---|
| Context | Choir – Elementary, Choir Repertoire, Classroom Songs, Expressive Storytelling Songs, Small Group Class, Teaching Songs / Pedagogy, Vocal Solo, Choir – Unison, Song Collection – It's Christmas Time / C'est Noël |
| Topic | |
| Level | |
| Voicing | |
| Vocal Range | C4 – D5 |
| Duration | |
| Composer | Donna Rhodenizer |
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