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.
It's that time of year and here's an easy arrangement for a bizarre collection of instruments.(The ones available in my junior school!) It's in C - dead easy in the verse and something more challenging for the more advanced children in the middle eight. If you need any other instruments JUST GET IN TOUCH. There's a demo track and a backing track of just bass and drums.
It would be lovely to get some feedback if you download this arrangement.
kidzmusicals@icloud.com
Choral arrangement of I'll Think Of You - the children just LOVE this! Check out the video link - there are also tutorial videos on how to do the Epic Patty Cake Clapping,
It would be nice to get some feedback if you download this arrangement.
I couldn't find a vocal score for this so I transcribed it from the movie. The kids just LOVE this - pretty tricky but a great concert piece. Get in touch if you want individual parts or MIDI file.
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
A musical version of the classic Oscar Wilde story .
A junior school class go on a residential visit to a castle - a haunted castle…… Luckily they are able to sort the ghost’s problems whist learning about his various descendants through a series of 12 really good songs/dances written by the composer of ‘The Button Box’. just get in touch at: kidzmusicals@icloud.com.
More resources on my website: https://musicals4all.com/m4k/
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.
A song written for year two pupils looking at seeds, sun, water, light etc. The year two children came up with the vocabulary they have learned whilst learning about seeds and how they grow. Feel free to add your own verses or get the children to write their own lyrics. The melody is quite 'bendy' and will adapt to different length phrases. Please feedback any good ideas!
A new really good fun song for the Harvest festival written in a Gospel style. This song has proved very popular so I’ve added parts for different year groups. There are now parts for each year group. Check out the audio demo and backing track. If you like this song please comment.
Also please check out ‘Harvest Hoe Down’ which is in a country style complete with line dance! kidzmusicals@icloud.com
plus! REGGAE REGGAE HARVEST! See the You Tube link to this new song.
Here’s a school band arrangement created for the bizarre collection of instruments available at my junior school. The audio link provides a guide. If you want a midi file or other parts get in touch.
I notice that this arrangement has clocked up over 5000 downloads and not many ‘thank yous’ it would be great to get some feedback!
kidzmusicals@icloud.com Who you gonna call………
A simple band arrangement which makes “Twinkle Twinkle” swing. Each section of the band is featured. Check out the demo track - there is also an accompaniment track for those with no bass and drums. If you need more parts or a midi file to drop into Sib. just get in touch kidzmusicals@icloud.com
A ‘Gospelled Up’ version of this song with a new four part bridge section which is totally mesmerising when you get the four year 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 practical project to make a note finder (great Home learning task!). Just follow the instructions on part one (note that you really need to use a craft knife to make this successfully) and then cut out part two and insert into part 1 - slide the notes onto the line or space you want to identify, then just read off the pitches (on treble or bass clef) through the small windows. Part 2 is best on thin card. Once made, use the note finder to solve the musicals code story worksheet. musicals4all.com/contact/
Please leave feedback if you download.
John Gleadall
This is simple to sing - yet extremely effective. This works from year 2 up to adult. It's a simple three part song with three melodies that all work together and finishes on a great three part chord - harmony by stealth!
It makes a great start to any Christmas Concert - it just works.
The Lyrics are:
1 Time is back again welcome back again
Though it's been a year
Since the music played seasons come and fade
Now we're singing here - Christmas
2 Time is near
The music's here - Christmas
3 Time is near, it's a year, we've been here
Sing our song, it's so long. now we're here - Christmas
And that's it! Your singers/class/choir/whole school will learn it in ten minutes. Get them to go to the youtube link and learn it at home.
Get in touch if you have any questions or requests.
musicals4kidz.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 song written as a songwriting project with year 5 children. Every child in year five wrote a couple of lines using a vocabulary and ideas bank we created through discussion. Then every child sang their own (or somebody else’s ) short phrase. I edited and glued it all together with accompaniment. This is now an assembly song - I think it’s lovely! The demo is sung by the children who wrote it. Get in touch with me, John Gleadall, if you would like the backing track or have any queries: kidzmusicals@icloud.com
A collection of songs from the writings of Lewis Carroll - I’ve set all of the ‘Alice’ poems to music in a suitably bizarre way - so let me know if you need one that’s not featured here.
These resources would be an excellent part of any work or presentation featuring the "Alice in Wonderland’ or ‘Through The Looking Glass’ stories.
Dickens novella ‘A Christmas Carol’ has never looked like this before. This is a full length musical featuring ‘Squeezer’ Scrooge, a talent show host/entrepreneur who is ripping off the NHS choir for the Christmas number one slot.
There are dozens of speaking parts, only one large part and 22 really catchy and singable songs - please check them out. All songs can be adapted by consulting the composer.
I have band parts for most songs - provided on request.
I have scores for many of the songs - provided on request.
Backing tracks provided - keys can be adjusted.
Here’s a synopsis:
Act One – One hour – 13 songs
Song 1 - ‘A Christmas welcome’ sung by the whole company in
‘Squeezer’ Scrooge, TV talent guru and showbiz entrepreneur is hassled by the NHS choir who are seeking a Christmas No. 1. He kicks them out whilst resolving to steal their catchy tune. He instructs his intern, the talented but diffident ‘Crotchet’, to rework the song.
Squeezer is then accosted by Rob and Squidge hilariously seeking accommodation for the homeless – they get the brush off.
Enter Squeezer’s Nephew, I.T. techie Archie and his girlfriend Erin, a social worker. They invite him to Christmas lunch. Scrooge reckons that they are trying to get into his will.
Meanwhile Cratchit is spending time reworking the NHS song.
Squeezer Scrooge listens to the ‘official’ lyrics to the NHS rip off – loves it and authorises it for release. He calls for the first auditionee to be sent in for his new talent show. Enter his old partner Marley (dead seven years ago) who he supplanted to run the company. Marley warns him that he will meet three ghosts….
Ghosts of Christmas Past arrive. Imagine The Supremes meet Bananarama. They take Squeezer on a tour of his past misdemeanours, his school, his first place of work, his first girlfriend (Ruby), his first love (cash) and his cruel exploitation of no hopers with ‘a dream’. Act One ends with all cast members reviewing his past. Will Squeezer repent?
Act 2 – 50 minutes – 10 songs
Squeezer reflects on his past– and decides he’s OK.
Enter Christmas Present – a lot like Ariana Grande… They visit The Cratchit family, highlighting the plight of Tiny Tina who is being treated by the NHS Doctor – expensive private treatment is out of the question.
They then visit Archie and Erin’s Christmas Karaoke Party where they are lampooning Scrooge.
Christmas future takes Scrooge to a car boot sale where many of his possessions are on sale. He also sees his old girlfriend who cherishes the memory of what he was
Back in the audition room Squeezer resolves to change his ways. He gets a Santa Suit. He meets the NHS choir and bestows the royalties that are rightfully theirs, he gives Cratchit the performing rights to his songs, he creates a Red Nose endowment, pays for Tiny Tina’s treatment and makes his peace with Archie, Erin and Ruby
Epilogue – as snow falls he sings an uplifting version of Cratchit’s Christmas Carol with Tiny Tina.
Here’s the old spiritual ‘Dem Bones Dem Dry Bones’. Lyrics and backing track provided - provide your own apostrophes though! Handy song if you’re ‘doing’ the skeleton.
kidzmusicals@icloud.com
This song has a beautiful, simple melody with lyrics which vary only in the gift - so basically the same (easy to learn) verse sung three times, each verse highlighting the gift brought by that King. There is a short musical interlude to allow the Kings to present the gift before the next verse is sung.
This is from 'Nanny's Nativity'
John Gleadall
kidzmusicals@icloud.com
A song written as a songwriting project with year 5 children. Every child in year five wrote a couple of lines using a vocabulary and ideas bank we created through discussion. Then every child sang their own (or somebody else’s ) short phrase. I edited and glued it all together with accompaniment. You could add your own lyrics - if you would like to change the structure by adding another verse or middle 8 let me know and I will change the music for you. This is now an assembly song at my school - I think it’s lovely! The demo is sung by the children who wrote it. Get in touch with me, John Gleadall, if you have any queries: kidzmusicals@icloud.com