Songs for Young Singers

Book excerpt: Each year as high school solo and ensemble festivals approach, choir directors and voice teachers search for the right songs for their students to sing. There is so much music available for young developing voices, but how can an overworked teacher keep track of it all? Songs for Young Singers, a careful review of more than 2,000 songs printed in over 70 anthologies, has been written to address the needs of choir directors and voice teachers of junior high and high school age students. Section I lists songs by title as well as the anthologies in which they are found . Teachers wishing to explore the works of a particular composer will turn to section II, where songs are listed by composer. In section III, IV, and V, the songs are categorized by Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced levels for Quick reference. Section VI lists the anthologies reviewed with a detailed description of the vocal demand of each song in the anthology. The songs have been evaluated on seven criteria: melodic contour (including range), phrase length, language, rhythm, accompaniment, harmonic language, and dynamics, and are listed by title, composer, and level of difficulty.