Hey everybody, I'm looking to teach my (all-white...bear in mind...amazing voices, limited "soul" but we have one amazing tenor who does fantastic R&B) choir some great Broadway music. My group is called the Broadway Company but we sing remarkably little Broadway material. What are your suggestions for great choral songs of any type.
Here are some of my ideas:
"Sunday" -Sunday in the Park With George
"Rhythm of Life" -Sweet Charity
"Our Time" -Merrily We Roll Along
I'm drawing a blank! Please not a lot of Wicked!
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/16/05
Candide has so many. Like the last song about building their house and chopping their wood lmao. My friend did it over at a summer program and it can be done amazingly
Featured Actor Joined: 10/10/05
The Opening of Ragtime...The vocal selections has it cut down so its more manegeable :)
Stand-by Joined: 10/6/04
My high school choir did "Make THem Hear You" from Ragtime and it worked really well.
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/6/05
You Might want to peruse the Hal Loenard, Heritage Musics of the choral world. There are plenty of publishers that carry arrangements. You can look at a catalogue to get an idea at least. keep in mind that you might have to futz around with the arrangement (maybe by taking from the actual scores) when it comes to lyrics and harmonies and accompaniment. Some of them are great, many are soooooo chincy.
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/25/05
"The Gods Love Nubia" from "Aida"
"Tonight" from "West Side Story"
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/12/04
"Till We Reach That Day" from RAGTIME
"Vaults Of Heaven" from WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND
"No Matter What" from WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND
"Bui-Doi" from MISS SAIGON
"Razzle Dazzle" from CHICAGO
"Run, Freedom, Run" from "Urinetown"
"Oklahoma!" from (duh...LOL) "Oklahoma!"
"Blow, Gabriel, Blow" from "Anything Goes"
"Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat" from "Guys and Dolls
"I Sing the Body Electric" from "Fame"
and I agree, check out various choral arrangements. Some are wonderful, some are awful, but I can usually find what I need to do with my choir. (If they were elementary school, I'd tell you to look at the "Broadway Kids" series, but I have a feeling they're older....LOL)
Leading Actor Joined: 2/22/05
The big chorales in "Ragtime" and "Titanic" always get me. Thrilling stuff.
Broadway Star Joined: 10/23/05
Right-o for having "Sunday" on your list!
Fiddler on the Roof - Sabbath Prayer
Fiddler on the Roof - Anatevka.
Both of those give me chills when done by a capable chorus.
And "Melodie de Paris" from Maury Yeston's Phantom is pretty and upbeat ...
"Who Will Buy?"- Oliver
"This Was a Real Nice Clambake"- Carousel
"June is Busting Out All Over"- Carousel
The big songs from Ragtime
"One Day More"- Les Miz
"Masquerade"- Phantom
Lion King Stuff?
Gilbert and Sullivan Stuff (The Act 1 Finale of Iolanthe is one of the most fun pieces I've ever sung in!)
"Tradition"- Fiddler
Thoroughly Modern Millie from TMM
Seasons of Love from Rent
Mame from Mame
Aquarius from Hair
Will I? from Rent
Welcome to the Sixties from Hairspray
Good Morning Baltilmore from Hairspray
Songs from:
Smokey Joe's
All Shook Up
Hair
Lion King
Songs choruses should never ever under any circumstances do:
Anything from:
Les Miz
Into the Woods
POTO
WICKED
Morning glow from pippin
what a remarkable age this is from titanic
you'll never walk alone from carousel
masquerade from POTO
The finale of cats
Broadway Star Joined: 11/12/04
"Anything Goes" (AG)
"Blow Gabriel Blow" (AG)
"Oklahoma" (Ok)
"Climb Every Mountain" (SoM)
"You'll Never Walk Alone" (Car)
"Trouble" (Music Man)
"I'm Getting Married in the Morning" (My Fair Lady)
"McGonnigal Square" (Brigadoon)
"Sit Down You're Rocking the Boat" (Guys & dolls)
"Coffee Break" (H2$)
"Company" (Company)
"Turkey Lurkey Time" (Promises Promises)
"A Weekend in the Country" (ALNM) not too choral but the BEST Act one finale ever!
"The Ballad of Sweeney Todd" (ST)
"God That's Good" (ST)
"Our Time" (Merrily)
"Hills of Tomorrow" (Merrily)
Overture (Nine)
"Tonight quintet" (WSS)
"Sunday" (SitPwG)
"And the Money Kept Rolling In" (Evita)
"Coat of many colors" (Joseph) - & any number of things from Joseph
"Jellicle Cats" (Cats)
"Masquerade" (Phantom)
"Hand Me the Wine and the Dice" (Aspects of Love)
"Circle of Life" (Lion King)(or any of the chants)
"Titanic Opening" (Titanic)
"Ragtime" (Ragtime) & numerous other #'s
"Be Our Guest" & "Human Again" (Beauty & the Beast)
"Good Morning Baltimore" (Hairspray)
"The Best of Times" (La Cage)
"Mame" & "It's Today"(Mame)
"Before the Parade passes by" (Hello Dolly)
"Old Red Hills of Home" (Parade)
"Magic to Do" or "Morning Glow" (Pippin)
Almost Everything from GODSPELL is choral
"Downtown" (LSOH)
Finale (Secret Garden)
Enjoy!
Go to www.jwpepper.com this is the leading choral sheet music distributor. Do a search under Broadway Choral and you will find a lot to choose from. They also have sound clips for some of the selections. I taught chorus for 5 years and I bought countless music from them. The choral version of "Make Them Hear You" is very nice, as is the arrangement of "Seasons of Love" (the kids enjoyed this one). They also really liked the "Jekyll and Hyde" or Andrew Lloyd Webber medleys. Speaking of J&H...there is a beautiful choral arrangement of "Once Upon a Dream" that is really simple to learn--but very well arranged. I have seen it done at several choral festivals. E-mail me if you need any other suggestions! I am always willing to help another choral director!
JW Pepper
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/4/04
The best choral number in Candide is the glorious "Make Our Garden Grow".
All of the nun music from THE SOUND OF MUSIC is amazing.
The Glory - The Civil War
The God's Love Nubia - Aida
Circle of Life - The Lion King
Here's Where I Stand - Camp
New Music - Ragtime
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/20/03
The Human Heart from Once On This Island
I'm for Make Our Garden Grow from Candide, when the chorus comes in and the music swells, it is one of those moments that sends chills up your spine - simply one of the most beautiful arrangements of all time.
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