Songs are arranged by Bob Barratt except where stated
NOTE:- Prize-winning Songs in the Millennium Song Competition of the National Association of Choirs are marked ++
A
special discount of 5% is available on copies of the winning songs purchased by
NAC members
'CHRISTMAS' MUSIC
|
Title |
Writer(s) |
Choral Price |
Comments |
Description |
| Christmas Tree | Ian Stansfield |
£1.25 |
With piano accompaniment | A lively, happy and rhythmic song that moves with a swing. It tells of the cheery effect of acquiring a Christmas tree, decorating it and the coming visit of Santa. |
| Ding Dong Merrily on High | Arranged by Keith Lloyd |
£1.00 |
With piano accompaniment | The well-known happy tune with a simple counter melody in the lower voice which adds that little 'extra'. |
| Do Something Good For The Earth | David Griffiths & arranged by him | £1.30 | With piano accompaniment | This can be a Christmas song but there is an alternative lyric for the middle section which makes the song attractive to people of all faiths. |
| Genies & Rainbows | Peter Barratt | £1.00 | With piano accompaniment | A mother's lullaby which goes down well at Christmas but which is also appropriate for any time of the year. A Solo version is available |
| I Believe | Ervin Drake, Irvin Graham, Jimmy Shirl & Al Stillman | £1.30 | With solo voice and piano accompaniment | Originally written in the '50's and sung perhaps most notably by The Bachelors. It is a song for anytime of the year but with its message of 'I Believe' it has often been sung with great success at Christmas. |
| It's Christmas | Elsie M Coombs & Frances Boutflour | £1.30 | With piano accompaniment | A happy festive song that ranges from easy to moderate difficulty in the verse but where the audience can join in with gusto in the chorus. |
| Merry Christmas To You | Peter Barratt | £1.25 | With piano accompaniment | The song describes the magic and joy of Christmas and states the good wishes we make at that time. |
| Ring At Christmas Time | Ian Stansfield | £1.25 | With piano accompaniment | A joyous song, lively and full of bounce. Ideal for audience participation in the choruses and for ending a section, or the show, at a Christmas concert. |
| Santo Natale | Hoffman, Manning & Nardone | £1.25 | SSAA with piano accompaniment | Very popular in the '50's when it was sung, in particular, by David Whitfield. As the choir sings "This is my way of saying Merry Christmas to you" it makes a good opener or final item. |
| Silent Night | Gruber | £1.00 | Solo Soprano or Tenor with piano accompaniment | An arrangement that has proved very popular with audiences over many years. |
| The Christmas Song | Melody is from Piae Cantiones | £1.00 | With piano accompaniment | The driving rhythm makes this a good starter to a section or an evening. |
| The Miracle of Christmas | Peter Canwell | £1.25 | With piano accompaniment | The song expresses the feelings of goodwill and describes what the singer would do if he/she could make a miracle. It is a gentle song that is very appropriate for the season. |
| We Wish You a Merry Christmas | Traditional | £1.00 | With piano accompaniment | A lively version of the traditional song. |
| We Wish You a Merry Christmas | Calypso Rock | £1.00 | With piano accompaniment | The traditional carol from a different, 'Calypso Rock', point of view. |
| Winter Wonderland | Smith & Bernard | £1.25 | With piano accompaniment | The horses' hooves, the swish of the runners of the sleigh and the seasonal spirit, all expressed by the singers, make this a joy to sing and listen to. |
'ANY TIME OF THE YEAR' MUSIC
|
Title |
Writer(s) |
Choral Price |
Comments |
Description |
| A Song For All People ++ | Peter & Bob Barratt |
£1.25 |
SSAA with piano accompaniment | The theme is 'harmony & unity, voice with voice, heart with heart, all as one and one with the world'. A 'Euro' version with some German & French text with phonetics and English text throughout, and a German version are also available. |
| Beat of My Heart | Peter Barratt | £1.00 | With piano accompaniment | A modern song in the easy listening category. The singers describe their love for their boy friends. A Solo version is available. |
| Build A Bridge | David Griffiths & arranged by him | £1.30 | SSAA with piano accompaniment | The song has an excellent accompaniment that is as important to the song as is the lyric which asks everyone to join together, join in song, stand strong, stand proud and together build a bridge to a new tomorrow. |
| Chanson D'Amour | Wayne Shanklin | £1.25 | With piano accompaniment and optional vocal quartet. | A song made famous in the '70's by 'Manhattan Transfer'. It should be performed with a smile, a sense of humour and, perhaps, a boater or two, or four! |
| Do Something Good For The Earth | David Griffiths and arranged by him | £1.30 | With piano accompaniment | The alternative lyric for the middle section allows the song to be regarded as a secular or Christmas song and therefore attractive to people of all faiths. |
| First Love | Peter Barratt | £1.25 | With piano accompaniment | The feeling expressed by the singer(s) is that it is unfair to say it's only first love and will not last - it's love!! This is a song for the young and the young at heart. |
| Genies & Rainbows | Peter Barratt | £1.00 | With piano accompaniment | A mother's lullaby which goes down well at Christmas but which is also appropriate for any time of the year. A Solo version is available. |
| Good Times And Celebrations | Peter Barratt | £1.10 | With piano accompaniment | This happy, lively, up-tempo song is ideal as one of the lighter items in any concert. |
| He's A Tramp | Lee & Burke | £1.25 | SSAA with piano accompaniment | From the film 'The Lady & the Tramp'. It is intended to be sung sexily!! |
| I Believe | Ervin Drake, Irvin Graham, Jimmy Shirl & Al Stillman | £1.30 | With solo voice and piano accompaniment | Originally written in the '50's and sung perhaps most notably by The Bachelors. It is a song for anytime of the year but with its message of 'I Believe' it has often been sung with great success at Christmas. |
| Magnificat ++ | Max Brockman-More & arranged by him | £1.25* | With piano accompaniment | The setting of the well-known text is both dignified and expressive. It would be an advantage for it to be performed by fairly large vocal resources for maximum effect (comment of the judges). |
| Mairi's Wedding & The Spinning Wheel Song Medley | Gaelic & Manx folk songs | £1.25 | With piano accompaniment | A medley intended to bring to the listener the feeling of the joy and the dancing at Mairi's Wedding, as well as the movement of the machine and the thoughts of the spinner in 'The Spinning Wheel Song'. |
| Make Me A Channel Of Your Peace | Sebastian Temple | £1.10 | With piano accompaniment | The well-known hymn has been specially arranged to widen the choice of religious repertoire available to secular choirs. It is suitable for church choirs too. |
| My Foolish Heart | Washington & Young | £1.25 | With piano accompaniment | A song from the '40's with words we can all relate to at some time. |
| One World | Peter Barratt | £1.00 | With piano accompaniment | A gentle reverie about the world we live in. 'Walking with the wind .... with a breeze on my face .... Running with the sun 'til this whole day is done .... One world and it is free ....' etc. |
| Psalm 81 ++ | Tara Leiper & arranged by her | £1.25* | SSAA
A capella |
A strong and exciting setting of this Psalm. It is rhythmically challenging and eminently suited to the enterprising choir (comment of the judges). |
| River Journey | Peter Barratt | £1.25 | With piano accompaniment | An original melodic song in the lighter style that describes the journey of a river, perhaps where you live, from the highlands to the low, under bridges, past the disused mill and by the town and city lights on its way to the sea. |
| Show Me The Light | Peter Barratt | £1.00 | SSAA with solo for high voice. With piano accompaniment | A bright gospel-type song. 'Show me the light that is your Son. It's the light that shone on Mark, Matthew and John .... The peace and joy you give to me Are what I need to set me free ....' etc. |
| Something Borrowed, Something Blue | Bob & Maisie Barratt | £1.00 | With piano accompaniment | A song of a young girl, perhaps from times past, one week before the big day as she looks forward to her wedding. Solo available. |
| Steal Away | Spiritual | £1.00 | SSAA.
A capella |
A new arrangement of the traditional spiritual. It is quite slow with four small entries for a high voice and one small entry for high and alto voices working as a duo. |
| Thank You For The Music | Benny Andersson & Bjorn Ulvĉus | £1.30 | With piano accompaniment | The arrangement was commissioned by Newcastle Male Voice Choir (Staffs) of Bob Barratt in 2001. The Choir has since performed the arrangement on many occasions and has included it on its CD, Songs For All People. Jeanne Adams (MD of Newcastle MVC) comments, 'The BaBa arrangement of ABBA's Thank You For The Music is guaranteed to please Choir and audience and makes a fitting finale to any concert programme'. |
| The Millennium Bells ++ | Ralph Bateman & arranged by him | £1.25* | With piano accompaniment | Structurally adventurous, using three styles of the past Millennium; the chant, the traditional four part hymn and the modern part song, yet looking forward to the next Millennium in the thought and the unusual treatment of the Tennyson poem 'Ring Out Wild Bells' (comment of the judges). |
| Whispers In My Mind (available soon) | Peter Barratt | £1.30 | With piano accompaniment | The song tells of the love of two people expressed in the eyes, the dreams and those whispers in the mind we all experience. |
| Will Heaven Do? | Peter Barratt | £1.25 | With piano accompaniment | A modern love song where the singer's overwhelming feelings are expressed in the words, 'If things can get as good as this Will Heaven Do?' |
| Will Ye No Come Back Again? | Arranged by Andrew Young | £1.25 | SSAA with piano accompaniment | A new arrangement of the well known Scottish traditional song, easy to sing and popular with choirs and audiences. |
| Without You | Ham & Evans | £1.25 | With piano accompaniment | A dramatic song that topped the charts in 1971. It was then sung by Nilsson, who was a friend of John Lennon and with whom he later co-wrote 'Old Dirt Road'. |
| You Don't Have To Say You Love Me | Donaggio & Others | £1.25 | With piano accompaniment | The song with its melancholic melody was a worldwide hit for Dusty Springfield. After first hearing it performed by the composer, Pino Donaggio, she arranged for English words to be added and it turned out to be a No.1 hit for her in the UK, reaching No.4 in the USA. |