Jane, Do Be Careful
The round is the first tool of any music teacher wishing to develop in children an ability to listen to others while holding an independent line. Rounds also build cohesion among singers, providing opportunities to improve ensemble, sight-reading, articulation and breathing. Here are thirteen original rounds of varying difficulty for Youth Choir: while intended for maturing treble voices, they may of course be sung by mixed groups of all ages. The vocal ostinati add richness to the texture.
Three or more rounds may be programmed as a set for performance. The collection explains the concept of “partnered voices” and offers notes on the teaching of rounds to children.
Over 100 of Brian Kogler’s rounds are now accessible on YouTube. Scores are available for free on request. Please contact: bkogler [at] bigpond [dot] com
| Voicing: | Equal Voices, SSAA |
| Instrumentation: | A Cappella |
| Language: | English |
| Sacred or Secular: | Secular |
| Difficulty: | Beginners, Intermediate |
| Descriptive Tags: | Children, Fun, Humorous, Light, Silly |
Explore More Music…
Title | View | Voicing | Duration | Language | Composer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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TTBB | 3'15" | English | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
When I first discovered Charles Bernstein’s beautiful poem, I knew immediately that I wanted to set it for men’s chorus. The poem expresses so much within a brief, 4-verse form. I set out to use harmony to color the text’s rich imagery while honoring the poem’s lyrical and repetitive nature in the melody. The surprising […] More info & view score » | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
SATB | 4'20" | Latin | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
BENEDICTION was written in February-March of 2013 for my friend Keith Haan upon his retirement as Director of Choral Activities St. Ambrose University. The “threefold blessing” seemed perfect for the occasion as we gathered to wish our colleague well on his way. I used the latin text because I wanted that elevated sound those open […] More info & view score » | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
SATB ⋅ Unison | 2'50" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Christmas Time in the Eyes of a Child is a light-hearted secular Christmas song for mixed choir (SATB) This version is for mixed choir (SATB), and also incorporates an optional part for children’s choir (in unison) if available. The piece would suit a community choir, or maybe a school choir. There is also an S(A) version for children’s choir, and […] More info & view score » | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Equal Voices ⋅ SSAA | Each round 1′30″ to 2′ (in performance) | English | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in Britain form a golden age of round-singing; even the nineteenth provided some fine examples. These twelve rounds, set to texts by Shakespeare, Skelton, Swift, Dryden, Johnson, Carroll and Synge, are of varying difficulty and may require rehearsal. Keeping as they do to the style of the period, they […] More info & view score » | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
SSA | 5'30" | English | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
This marvelous love poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning is dynamically dressed with a rich palette of word painting. More info & view score » | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
SATB | 3'35" | English | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The text of “In Those Years, No One Slept” is a scene from a time of conflict/war, by Romanian-American immigrant Claudia Serea. The score is at once rhythmic and exciting, haunting and unsettling. It was a winner of the 2018 Uncommon Music Festival Composition Competition. It is accessible for all fine high school, collegiate and […] More info & view score » | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
SAB ⋅ SATB | 5' | English ⋅ Hebrew | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In the poem “Psalm of the Sky,” Rabbi Rachel Barenblat reimagines “The Lord is My Shepherd” (Psalm 23) in a contemporary context. Performers may highlight the many instances of text painting and create contrast between moments of gentleness, boldness, and carefree movement. The last verse of Psalm 23 is included in Hebrew as a coda […] More info & view score » | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
SSAA | 2'40" | Yiddish | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Daniel Paulson and VoxMusica commissioned this beautiful a cappella arrangement of Avrom Goldfaden’s beloved Yiddish lullaby. A beautiful solo verse is followed by a lush contrapuntal setting your singers and audience will find very meaningful. More info & view score » | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
SATB | 4'30" | Latin | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
SATB a cappella settings of three ancient Latin texts in a style reminiscent of Renaissance polyphony, but mixing dissonant and tonal harmonies in a challenging but singable texture. Melodies are often disjunct, even passing from section to section, but always lyrical and poignantly expressive. De castitatis thalamo, virgo virginum, and Ave Maria. Ave Maria also […] More info & view score » | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||