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.
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 light hearted tongue twisting Inn Keepers song telling Mary and Joseph that they are booked solid - it’s Christmas for goodness sake! Alternative piano parts and vocal score now included in 4/4 and 6/8 time - it swings a lot! Piano part is quite complex - I can compose for piano but scoring is a whole different skill! Get in touch if you need more.
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 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
Here’s a song written for junior schools to sing after a long holiday or any enforced break.
The resources include the lyrics, vocal demo track, vocal score with chords and backing track. If you want anything else such as a different key or parts for instruments just let me know - unusually I have time on my hands!
Written in a jazz gospel style with parts for all year groups and lots of opportunities for clapping waving, smiling high fives (real or distanced!) - even the teachers get a mention.
If you want to celebrate getting back to school, whether it’s after a holiday or a global pandemic - here’s your song!
Totally free - but if you want to support me in writing more material please check out my other stuff!
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.
Featuring ‘The Button Box’ family. From the same author and composer of ‘The Button Box’ this is Complete Nativity Play with songs suitable for year 2 up to year 5. The parts range from VERY easy parts to more challenging parts, catering for the full ability range. 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.
Go to the You Tube link for a vocal demo of all the songs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_8CBVWJf74
If you would like any key changes or extra bits - just get in touch, everything is possible. If you would like a school visit please ask .
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