Grade 3-6 Children's Choir for unison treble voices (with opt. descant) and organ (or piano).

• Text Source: Psalm 96:1 (paraphrased by CM)
• Worship Use: Praise/Choir Dedication
• Vocal Part(s): Unison treble voices with optional descant
• Vocal Range: e to e’
• Key: G major
• Meter: 4/4

Teaching Guide

This anthem is an accessible first anthem for the choir year, appropriate for Choir Dedication Sunday, for a choral introit to worship, or for a general praise anthem slot. Interval practice opportunities (for both recognition and accuracy) are built into the design of this melody line. Some specific examples include m. 6 (“-ces raise” - descending minor 3rd); m. 7 (“Shout to” - descending minor 6th); m. 8 (“hymns of” - descending perfect 4th). The phrase “Let all creation sing aloud your praise to the Lord” in mm. 8-10, provides an opportunity for singing pitches accurately and musically on a descending scale pattern beginning on mi in the key of G. You might want to play the scale fragment without the accompaniment and ask your choristers if this scale sounds major or minor. This will open the door for you to introduce them to relative major and minor keys, if you have not done so. The descant is optional, but can be learned in a short amount of time. In mm. 15-16 a little more attention than you expect may be required in order to help the choristers enter securely on each two note melodic fragment. Other supplementary teaching ideas include having the students work in groups to find all the Psalm references they can including the admonition to sing or shout to God, and having the choristers make a list of examples of creation singing to the Lord.

August 2010 Newsletter