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

I asked the children to write their Christmas list - the stuff they really wanted this Christmas. I then asked them to pretend that they were one of the migrants displaced by war in the middle East - or they were a child in Paris (November 2015) and their Mum or big brother, or any close family member was involved in the terrorist attack. I then asked them to write another Christmas list. Suddenly the iPads and other consumer products were missing from the list. Here's what we came up with: Christmas is a window on a world of love and peace An annual reminder we want war and hate to cease We’d like to have a future of happiness and love We’d like to show the world the meaning of Christmas Christmas Christmas Christmas Open up the window and we’re sure that you will see The world is full of children who are just like you and me We only want a future and we can show the way We want the Christmas feeling everyday Christmas - A time of love and peace Christmas - A time for war to cease Christmas - Why can’t we live this way Christmas - Live Christmas everyday Just look through the window and we’re sure you will agree The greatest gift at Christmas is a loving family So families come together, unite in every land And we will make the people understand Christmas - A time of love and peace Christmas - A time for war to cease Christmas - Why can’t we live this way Christmas - Live Christmas everyday

From 'The Nativity Play' - 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. You've got a demo track a backing track and a lyric sheet - if you need any help with the uke part, please get in touch - I will put a lesson on You Tube if anyone requests it. kidzmusicals@icloud.com

Year three asked for a song about poetry for their class assembly. We discovered that there is a worldwide dearth of poetry numbers so we made one up using the poetic "vocab - u - lary " (listen to the demo) they are learning about. You could do what we did and make up your own lyrics? If anybody really needs a score then let me know and I'll make one. kidsmusicals@icloud.com musicals4kidz

A dialogue in song between the Innkeeper and Mary and Joseph. There is a very simple one finger ukulele part (chord windows shown on the score). If anyone requests it I'll post a video on You Tube showing how to play it. The main feature is the grumpy Innkeeper who counterpoints the gentle melody with sharp ripostes - until the end of the song - but you know how it ends...... Ask for more information if required. This song is from 'Nanny's Nativity' John Gleadall kidzmusicals@icloud.com

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 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 new song from ‘The Nativity Play’ (available on TES resources) which highlights the relationship between Joseph and Mary. This can be done as a boy girl duet or as a boy girl duet with all singing the chorus , or simply have all boys singing Joseph and all girls singing Mary. Vocal demo at :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QH7X02zhmUI&t=5s A gentle piano accompaniment to heartfelt lyrics - see below: Joseph (boys) When you were lonely I stood by your side When you were frightened I helped you decide I watched you suffer I hurt when you cried I knew the truth So I made you my bride ( And) All the baby’s a miracle A sweet mystery And we will help him show the way Yes the baby’s a miracle A new History Begins from this moment today Mary (girls) Why I was chosen I can’t say I know Why you stayed with me When I thought you’d go We’re on this journey My Heart is aglow To know you are with me Just to know we can show (that)… kidzmusicals@icloud.com

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

The Mock Turtle’s Song from Alice In Wonderland, set to an unexpected tune - not a quadrille at all - but then the turtle was a mock turtle, so nothing is as expected! It’s a very infectious melody and this piece would fit in with any study or presentation of Lewis Carroll’s work. I’ve set all of his ‘Alice’ poems to music, so if you need anything just ask!

Lewis Carroll’s Jabberwocky, set to music. Can be used to augment any drama or performing work, or as an introduction to any work on Alice. I’ve set all of Lewis Carroll’s poems to music, in as bizarre a way as possible - if you need music to any of his other work , let me know. It would be a great Performing Arts project for the pupils to devise their own presentation of the stories using the songs as a framework.

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.

This is Humpty Dumpty’s recitation set to a rather modern backing style. This would fit in with any module of working involving ‘Alice’ by Lewis Carroll. I’ve set all of the ‘Alice’ poems to music so let me know if there’s anything you are looking for.

This is a new song to start off the year, the term, the week or the day. It tells us that every day is a new beginning and offers a chance to help children reflect on the fact that they have an important choice to make every single day - how will they behave today? Will they make to most of the chances offered to them. It's a 'seize the day' song! The chorus of this song should be sung in three parts. I would have year 6 on the first part, year 5 on the send part and years 3 and four on the third part. It's very simple and ends on a three part chord. There is a vocal demo, an accompaniment track, lyrics and a score. It's in a really good fun western style complete with 'yee haa' at the end!

The Shepherds meet the angels meet the wise men in a three part contrapuntal song with a Bollywood dance routine in the middle - just listen to it! Heavily influenced by Middle eastern music tradition with a splash of Bhangra. Check out the You Tube demo vocal. From ‘The Nativity Play’ also on the TES resources site. Any questions or request, please get in touch at kidzmusicals@icloud.com

Here is the whole of ‘The Walrus and The Carpenter’ set to a bluesy jazzy piano style. This would make a great dance/drama/vocal centrepiece to any performing arts evening. It’s 8 minutes long so you could involve whole teams of performers. I’ve set 17 Lewis Carroll poems to music - watch out for others as I post them. If you need anything in particular, let me know - I think I’ve done all the poems in Alice and Through The Looking Glass.

A wonderful new Christmas song by John Gleadall. A reworking of ‘Away in a Manger’ in a Gospel style with a great contrapuntal chorus with three melodies coming together to finish the song. This is a challenge - but totally worthwhile, the end result is superb! There is a short musical interlude in the middle, ready for an appropriate reading as a voice over. I’ve done this from year 3 to full church choirs. This is from ‘The Nativity Play’ - also available on TES resources.: kidzmusicals@icloud.com

This is a concert version of ‘The Highwayman’ poem by Alfred Noyes. Music by John Gleadall Please go here for more information: https://musicals4all.com/the-highwayman/ In the UK copyright permission should be obtained from the society of authors. A full score is currently in production. The backing track is available on request. https://musicals4all.com/contact/ I played this music to Alfred Noyes daughter - she enjoyed it very much. I was delighted!