Wave Your Branches

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Composer
Thomas Pavlechko
Difficulty
Moderately Easy radio_button_checked radio_button_checked radio_button_unchecked radio_button_unchecked radio_button_unchecked
Season
Palm/Passion Sunday
Voicing(s)
Children's Choir
Instruments
Flute(s) Handbells Keyboard [organ/piano] Percussion
Category
Anthems Children's Music Introits, Benedictions and Responses
Instrumental Only?
No
Description

Grade K-2 Children's Choir (or Easy Access anthem for Grade 3-6 choir) for unison treble voices, flute, drum, handbells and piano.

  • Text Source: Text by Gwendolyn Emery-Owings
  • Feature: Drum, flute, handbells, processional possibilities
  • Vocal Range: e-b
  • Key: E minor
  • Meter: 2/2 (with one 3/2 measure in each stanza)
  • Accompanying Instruments: Drum (optional), fl ute, handbells (optional), piano

Teaching Overview: Wave Your Branches is an ideal anthem for Palm Sunday. Thomas Pavlechko’s melody is simple and immediately memorable, and can be sung easily with waving palm branches in hand. The long instrumental introduction provides the opportunity for the children to process, but then sing in a stationary position. Use a minor ascending and descending minor pentachord (do-re-mi-fa-sol-fa-mi-re-do) as a preparatory warm-up for this anthem.

Audio
Lyrics

Wave your branches, wave them high,
Jesus now is riding by.

Wave your branches, shout and sing:
Loud hosannas to your King.

Wave your branches, wave them now,
With Jerusalem's cheering crowd.

Wave your branches, shout and sing:
Loud hosannas to your King.

Wave your branches, wave them high,
Jesus now is riding by.

Wave your branches, shout and sing:
Loud hosannas to your King.