I'm John Gleadall - teaching for 40 years and finding that bespoke material that matches and challenges the ability profile of the children is a good way forward. 20 years in 'socially challenged' schools, 10 years in a more leafy area and 10 years in junior school - it's a good mix and has resulted in a wide variety of musical material for children.
I'm John Gleadall - teaching for 40 years and finding that bespoke material that matches and challenges the ability profile of the children is a good way forward. 20 years in 'socially challenged' schools, 10 years in a more leafy area and 10 years in junior school - it's a good mix and has resulted in a wide variety of musical material for children.
Written for Junior School Harvest assembly. OK so Cauliflowers are STILL fluffy but sometimes you have to ring the changes just to keep your sanity. This time I’ve added the ‘Reggae Reggae Harvest’ song to go along with the ‘Harvest Gospel’ and ‘Harvest Hoe Down’ - just to give some alternatives.
This one is dead easy to sing and introduces the idea that all countries harvest their own crops and fruits and vegetables even though the produce may be very different to that which we see in shops where we live.
Written in a reggae style this song references fruit and veg. you may find in Jamaica - so there is some fun to be had identifying the various foods named in the song - such as Callaloo, Johnny Cakes or Duckanoo.
The last line of the chorus adds a ‘reggae’ lyric on every repeat, so we start off with ‘Reggae Reggae’ and end up with ’ Reggae, reggae, reggae, reggae, reggae’.
Go to the You Tube demo to check the song out.
Enjoy!
If you need a vocal score, chords or piano score just let me know : kidzmusicals@icloud.com - I’ll try and add it soon anyway, but please ask - I can also change key or tempo - no charge.
Here's a KS1/2 Harvest song in a country style. It is written to have a line dance in the middle of it - you could do 'The Funky Cowboy' as demonstrated in the video, or get the children to create a 'Harvesting Line Dance' with digging and reaping actions.
If you don't fancy the line dance, simply repeat a verse or write some lyrics of your own.
There is a vocal demo, a backing track, a score and a set of lyrics.
I asked the children to write their Christmas list - the stuff they really wanted this Christmas.
I then asked them to pretend that they were one of the migrants displaced by war in the middle East - or they were a child in Paris (November 2015) and their Mum or big brother, or any close family member was involved in the terrorist attack.
I then asked them to write another Christmas list. Suddenly the iPads and other consumer products were missing from the list.
Here's what we came up with:
Christmas is a window on a world of love and peace
An annual reminder we want war and hate to cease
We’d like to have a future of happiness and love
We’d like to show the world the meaning of
Christmas
Christmas
Christmas
Christmas
Open up the window and we’re sure that you will see
The world is full of children who are just like you and me
We only want a future and we can show the way
We want the Christmas feeling everyday
Christmas - A time of love and peace
Christmas - A time for war to cease
Christmas - Why can’t we live this way
Christmas - Live Christmas everyday
Just look through the window and we’re sure you will agree
The greatest gift at Christmas is a loving family
So families come together, unite in every land
And we will make the people understand
Christmas - A time of love and peace
Christmas - A time for war to cease
Christmas - Why can’t we live this way
Christmas - Live Christmas everyday
A light hearted tongue twisting Inn Keepers song telling Mary and Joseph that they are booked solid - it’s Christmas for goodness sake! Piano parts and score included.
Full demo here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aY9FtXgQR0
Contact me at musicals4kidz@icloud.com
John Gleadall
YOU DIDN’T BOOK IT IN ADVANCE
AND NOW YOU HAVEN’T GOT A CHANCE
AND WE’VE GOT NO ROOM TODAY
YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WISER
IF YOU LOOKED ON TRIP ADVISER
’COS WE’VE GOT NO ROOM TODAY
YOUR CHANCES ARE QUITE SLIM
’COS WE’RE FULL UP TO THE BRIM
SO YOU’D BETTER KEEP ON LOOKING
’COS WE’VE TAKEN EVERY BOOKING
YOU’VE REALLY GOT A MISSION
TAKE A LOOK AT HER CONDITION
AND WE’VE GOT NO ROOM TODAY!
YOU MUST BE OFF YOUR ROCKER
’COS WE’RE ABSOLUTELY CHOCKER
AND WE’VE GOT NO ROOM TODAY
YOU MIGHT THINK THAT IT’S SENSELESS
IT’S BECAUSE OF CAESAR’S CENSUS
BUT WE’VE GOT NO ROOM TODAY
YOU REALLY SHOULD BE GOING
CAUSE WE’RE FULL TO OVERFLOWING
NOW WE’RE ABSOLUTELY CRAMMED
EVERY ROOM IS SIMPLY JAMMED
AND YOU REALLY OUGHT TO KNOW
THAT WE’VE BEEN SLEEPING HEAD TO TOE
AND WE’VE GOT NO ROOM TODAY!
ARE YOU REALLY OFF YOUR HEAD,
WE’RE PUTTING SEVEN IN A BED
AND WE’VE GOT NO ROOM TODAY
NOW YOU’LL HAVE TO STAY OUTSIDE
BECAUSE WE’RE FULLY OCCUPIED
AND WE’VE GOT NO ROOM TODAY
YOU REALLY SHOULD REMEMBER
THIS IS BETHL’HEM IN DECEMBER
JUST CROSS US OF THE LIST COS
IT’S THIS BUSY EVERY CHRISTMAS
IF YOU REALLY WANT THE TRUTH
WE’RE EVEN SLEEPING ON THE ROOF
AND WE’VE GOT NO ROOM TODAY –
I REALLY MEAN IT
GOT NO ROOM TODAY!
A ‘Gospelled Up’ version of this song with a new four part bridge section which is totally mesmerising when you get four groups singing a part each.
Totally doable and totally good fun - plus you get the whole school doing contrapuntal part singing!!!! The sound on the chorus is amazing when you get the handclaps going……:
John Gleadall
kidzmusicals@icloud.com
A wonderful new Christmas song by John Gleadall. A reworking of ‘Away in a Manger’ in a Gospel style with a great contrapuntal chorus with three melodies coming together to finish the song. This is a challenge - but totally worthwhile, the end result is superb! There is a short musical interlude in the middle, ready for an appropriate reading as a voice over. I’ve done this from year 3 to full church choirs. This is from ‘The Nativity Play’ - also available on TES resources.
Incredibly catchy song about the 3 wise men travelling to Bethlehem complete with harmonies and contrapuntal singing with two melodies that are easily sung. There’s an ethnic element to the ‘street beat’ rhythm. THIS REALLY WORKS AND THE CHILDREN LOVE IT!!!
I’ve rescored this with easy guitar chords.
The children can practice at home with the You Tube link and the learning aids on my website.
Get in touch if you need help or more information, or wish to comment about the song.
A Complete Nativity Play with songs suitable for year 2 up to year 5. There are VERY easy parts for the youngest/least able children plus more challenging parts for the more able children. The show comes complete with script, backing tracks and demo tracks. If you want to hack it about to suit your children, please do - the children are more important than the script.
If you would like any key changes or extra bits - just get in touch, everything is possible.
Lots of speaking parts (literally dozens) so you can do this with a whole phase or a whole year group.
The 'Stable Song' can also be accompanied by ukulele.
Exciting eastern style dancing plus a variety of choral singing - written by a teacher to suit the demands of busy teachers.
Six brand new songs with an optional Megamix at the end. Please feedback your views - I'm thinking of putting a completely new finale song in instead of the megamix - would this be too much to learn? I don't think so.....
The price includes performance royalties - and you can make a DVD or CD if you want to - just let me know please.
John Gleadall kidzmusicals@icloud.com
A different kind of Christmas song from John Gleadall. It takes some effort to get this right, but I promise you it totally works; the children want to sing it and play it. It’s a one finger ukulele song and a quirky arrangement with exchanges between boys and girls. I’ve been told it’s not ‘normal’ enough for juniors but I do it every year with year 3 and they just love it. Listen to the demo - you’ll smile. kidzmusicals@icloud.com
A really catchy new Christmas song from John Gleadall, with an infectious tune and beat - you’ll be sick of it by the end of term! Easy to learn and sticks in the brain. Just listen through to the demo and imagine the actions. This song is from ‘Nanny’s Nativity’ - also available on TES resources. If you would like the score or backing track just get in touch - I can provide scores for any instruments you have available: kidzmusicals@icloud.com
It’s that time of year again - cauliflowers are still fluffy but sometimes it’s nice to ring the changes. Here’s a different song written in four parts. Each year group sings their own verse and then they all sing the verses together - it’s a challenge but it works! Kidzmusicals@me.com