2001: A Space Odyssey theme |
SATB |
4 |
Well-known movie theme arranged for voices |
** |
Richard Strauss |
Addio a Lugano |
SAB M/F |
3 |
Popular song with words by anarchist Pietro Gori |
** |
Italy |
Ah ya Zein |
SAB M/F |
3 |
A well-known Arabic folk song said to have been written and chanted over 1,000 years ago |
*** |
Egypt |
Ain’t gonna let nobody turn me around |
SATB |
4 |
Trad. spiritual, became an important song for Civil Rights Movement |
* |
USA |
All around my hat |
SATB |
4 |
19th C folk song made famous by Steeleye Span. |
** |
England |
Alleluya |
SAB |
3 |
Slow chant-like song |
* |
Chris Rowbury |
Ar lan y môr |
SAB M/F |
3 |
Famous love song: On the seashore (in Welsh) |
* |
Wales |
Auld lang syne |
SATB |
4 |
Original tune, NOT the well-know version! |
** |
Scotland |
Away upon the mountain top |
SAB M/F |
3 |
Austrian yodelling carol: Da Droben am Berge (in English) |
** |
Austria |
Banana boat song |
SAB M/F |
3 |
Trad. song based on the singing of Edric Connor |
* |
Jamaica |
Bele mama |
M/F |
2 |
Trad. song based on the singing of the Mouangé Ensemble, Cameroon |
* |
West Africa |
Bright Morning Star |
SAB M/F |
3 |
Gentle hymn, probably from Appalachia |
** |
USA |
Bushes and briars |
SAB |
3 |
Trad. folk song collected by Vaughan Williams |
** |
England |
Cancion Mixteca |
M/F |
3 |
Classic Mexican song about nostalgia; featured in the
movie Paris, Texas |
** |
Mexico |
Cherokee morning song |
M/F |
3 |
Sung by women as part of morning prayer. Also works as 3-part round. |
* |
Native American |
Coalblack Smith |
SAB M/F |
3 |
Bawdy call & response folk song |
** |
England |
Cockles and Mussels |
SATB |
4 |
Well-known folk song |
** |
Ireland |
Da Droben Am Berge |
SAB M/F |
3 |
Austrian yodelling carol: Away upon the mountain top (in German) |
** |
Austria |
De los cuatro muleros |
SAB |
3 |
Andalucian folk song revived by Lorca |
* |
Spain |
E papa Waiari |
SAB M/F |
3 |
Love song and Maori stick game |
* |
New Zealand |
Eh Kalina, eh Malina |
SAB M/F |
3 |
Gypsy song of passion |
* |
Russia |
El condor pasa |
SAB M/F |
3 |
Written in 1913, English words by Simon & Garfunkel |
* |
Peru |
Era la vo |
M/F |
3 |
Lullaby |
** |
Sicily |
Everyone can sing |
SATB |
4 |
Simple warm up song |
* |
Chris Rowbury |
Farewell my friend |
SATB M/F |
4 |
Typical call and response African parting song (in English) |
* |
Sierra Leone |
Feuilles-o |
SAB M/F |
3 |
Exotic healing song |
** |
Haiti |
Hanging Johnny |
SATB1 SATB2 M/F |
4 |
Gruesome call and response sea shanty. Available in SATB as men's or women's call. |
** |
England |
He puru taitama e |
Young man's lusty courtship song. The men take the lead on this! |
SAB M/F |
4 |
* |
New Zealand Maori |
Hen wlad fy nhadau |
SATB |
4 |
National anthem (in Welsh) |
** |
Wales |
Hill and gully rider |
SATB |
4 |
Call and response. Works well with Banana boat song |
* |
Jamaica |
How can I keep from singing? |
SATB |
4 |
A fine sentiment to propound! |
*** |
USA |
I’ll fly away |
M/F |
3 |
1920s bluegrass style, best-known from O
Brother Where Art Thou? movie |
* |
USA |
It’s autumn time |
SAB |
3 |
Wistful song in 2/2 |
*** |
Chris Rowbury |
It’s gonna rain |
SATB |
4 |
Gospel song about the great flood, starts off as a round |
* |
USA |
Ja helo |
SAB M/F |
3 |
Czech mountain holler about a sheep |
* |
Czech |
Johanna the row-di |
SAB |
3 |
From Bessie Jones, a founding member of the Georgia Sea Island Singers |
* |
USA |
Kalinka |
SAB |
3 |
Well-known Russian song written in 1860. |
*** |
Russia |
Keep on the sunny side |
SATB |
4 |
Popular American song written in 1899 made famous by the Carter Family. |
** |
USA |
Kimbara |
M/F |
3 |
Cuban salsa song made famous by Celia Cruz. Timing is a challenge! |
** |
Cuba |
Kojo no tsuki |
SATB M/F |
4 |
Moonlit castle ruins composed for koto by Rentaro Taki in 1901 |
** |
Japan |
Kolo kolola |
SAB |
3 |
From a song by a Kenyan rhumba band. Great rhythm! |
*** |
Kenya |
Land of my fathers |
SATB |
4 |
Welsh national anthem Hen wlad fy nhadau (in English) |
** |
Wales |
Let’s all welcome in the spring time |
SATB |
4 |
Upbeat song in 6/8 and 3/4 |
** |
Chris Rowbury |
Lisa Lân |
SAB M/F |
3 |
Love song, featured in the movie Crash (in Welsh) |
* |
Wales |
Little bird, little bird |
M/F |
2 |
Children’s circle game song made famous by Elizabeth Mitchell. |
* |
USA |
Lowlands away |
SAB M/F |
3 |
Sea shanty about a drowned lover |
** |
England |
Ma belle sinkwanee |
M/F |
3 |
Origins and meaning unknown (includes clapping) |
** |
West Africa ? |
Mactavish is dead |
SAB |
3 |
Nonsense 'mouth music' song with English lyrics |
* |
Ireland |
Mairi's wedding |
SAB |
3 |
Well-known Scottish song with English lyrics |
* |
Scotland |
Mbube |
SSATB |
5/ 6 |
Version of Solomon Linda’s original, made famous
as Wimowey (The Lion Sleeps Tonight) |
*** |
South Africa |
Morning has broken |
SAB |
3 |
Christian hymn set to a traditional Scottish Gaelic tune, words by Eleanor Farjeon (1931). Made famous by Cat Stevens. |
** |
Scotland/England |
Mun ja mun |
SATB M/F |
4 |
A gentle yoik in honour of the South Sami people |
* |
Finland |
New York girls |
SATB |
4 |
Trad. Also known as Can’t you dance the polka? |
** |
USA |
O come Emmanuel |
SAB M/F |
3 |
Tune: 15th Century processional of French nuns. Words: medieval Latin or English |
** |
France |
O postaris |
SAB M/F |
3 |
Passionate gypsy song of love from a young woman’s point of view |
*** |
Czech |
Old Miner |
SAAB M/F |
4 |
Mining song collected from Nuneaton, based on the Silly Sisters’
version |
** |
England |
Parting friends |
SAB |
3 |
A shape note song from the Sacred Harp |
*** |
USA |
Parting Glass |
SATB SAB M/F |
4 3 3 |
Famous Irish leaving song |
*** ** ** |
Ireland |
Plaisir d’Amour |
SATB |
4 |
Famous 18th C song, the source for Elvis Presley’s I can't
help falling in love |
*** |
France |
Pleasant and delightful |
SATB |
4 |
Well-known folk song. Also known as The larks they sang melodious |
** |
England |
Raghuphati ragava raja ram |
M/F |
2 |
Popular Hindu devotional song, favourite of Mahatma Gandhi |
*** |
India |
Rain and Snow |
M/F |
3 |
Song about the downsides of marriage from a woman’s point of view |
* |
USA |
Rattlin' bog |
SAB |
3 |
Irish version of a classic cumulative song |
* |
Ireland |
Sakura, sakura |
SATB M/F |
4 |
Haunting cherry blossom song |
** |
Japan |
Sans Day carol |
SAT M/F |
3 |
19th Century Christmas carol from Cornwall |
* |
Cornwall |
Searching for lambs |
SATB |
4 |
Unusual folk song in 5/4 |
*** |
England |
Senzenina |
SATB |
4 |
Anti-apartheid folk song |
* |
South Africa |
Sevivon sov sov |
SAB |
3 |
A popular Hebrew Hanukkah song that gets faster and faster! |
** |
Jewish |
Shenandoah |
SATB SAB M/F |
4 3 3 |
Gorgeous setting of well-known song |
** |
England |
Shortnin' bread |
SATB M/F |
4 3 |
Famous American folk song dating back to the 1890s. This arrangement consists of four separate tunes sung at the same time. |
* |
USA |
Shosholoza |
SATB |
4 |
Trad. miner’s song sung by men who travelled
by steam train to work in S. Africa’s mines |
** |
Southern Africa |
Silent night |
SATB M/F |
4 3 |
Famous Christmas carol Stille nacht in English. |
** |
Germany |
Skye boat song |
SAB |
3 |
Famous folk song recalling the escape of Bonnie Prince Charlie |
* |
Scotland |
Sloop John B. |
M/F |
5/ 6 |
Based on the Beach Boys version of this trad. song |
*** |
Bahamas |
Steal away |
SATB M/F |
4 3 |
Famous old spiritual |
** |
USA |
Stille nacht |
SATB M/F |
4 3 |
Silent night in the original German |
** |
Germany |
Stolat |
SAB M/F |
3 |
Well-known drinking song often sung at birthdays |
** |
Poland |
Summer is here |
SATB |
4 |
Celebratory song in slightly tricky 7/8 time |
** |
Chris Rowbury |
Suspira, coração triste |
SAB M/F |
3 |
Heart-breaking song of love (optional guitar part) |
*** |
Brazil |
Take this hammer |
SAB M/F |
3 |
Chain gang song via Leadbelly |
* |
USA |
Thousands or more |
M/F |
3 |
Also known as Sorrows away. Trad., passed down by the Copper Family |
** |
England |
Tom Hark |
SATB |
4 |
Vocal arrangement of a famous pennywhistle tune |
* |
South Africa |
Up above the clouds |
M/F |
3 |
A jolly round in three parts with a large vocal range |
* |
Chris Rowbury |
Veni, veni Emmanuel |
SAB M/F |
3 |
O come Emmanuel Tune: 15th Century processional of French nuns. In medieval Latin |
** |
France |
Vuma |
SATB |
5 |
Gospel song from the singing of the Soweto gospel choir. SATB + call |
* |
South Africa |
While two hearts |
SAB |
3 |
English version of the Welsh folk song Tra bo dau |
** |
Wales |
Wild mountain thyme |
SAB M/F |
3 |
Trad. tune with words by Frances Peake adapted from Robert Tannahill’s poem |
* |
Scotland |
Winter time is here |
SATB |
4 |
A rousing seasonal song in 5/4 time |
** |
Chris Rowbury |
You are my sunshine |
SATB |
4 |
A popular song first recorded in 1939 |
* |
USA |
Z anynya ö sziep lányát |
SAB M/F |
3 |
Hungarian song about a daughter |
** |
Hungary |