Hi,

Just thought I'd post my pieces for my Grade 4 - I've chosen all but the traditional song. I'm a little concerned the pieces might not be varied enough. My teacher says although they're not so varied in style, they are in meaning, and I still have the option of choosing a livelier traditional song. What do you think?

My pieces are

Ford - Since first I saw your face
Brahms - Sandmannchen (in German)
Arlen & Harburg - Over the rainbow

Also, the Ford is recommended for male voices (i'm a girl), but it seems to fit nicely. Would it be ok to sing?

Thanks!

It only says suggested...it's a lovely song... just see if you need to change any words. My son is doing Sleep Little Babe...Field... suggested for female... but it suits him.
And if you choose a lively unaccompanied then you have a varied selection...I take the Ford quite fast...I think it is a good balance..

I don't think there are any gender specific words in it. Thanks!

Also I know there are numerous topics on this already, but I know no traditional songs. Any ideas for one which might fit with my other songs?

Have a look at the Appleby and Fowler 100 songs if you can. You will find lots of good songs there. You might like The Cobbler and the Crow. It calls for a good vocal range and olenty of opportunity for facial and vocal expression too, and a chance to make crow noises if you want to! Good luck.

Haha crow noises! Thanks, I'll take a look!

http://forums.abrsm.org/index.php?showtopi...097&hl=babe

I have gone off topic sort of because I was trying to let you know that I had asked a similar question about whether other poeople had sung or entered pupils for exams singing songs suggested for male or female....and then I wondered how to do links for other threads... so I have tried ,with advice from Skylark and others... I wonder if it will work. There are quite a few threads on traditional and unaccompanied songs too... so if I'm successful Iwill try those too.

Remember that the rubric asks for a song from each section and a traditional song. There's no requirement for a varied programme and the examiners are to mark each piece as an entity.

That said, I tend to think a varied programme is never a bad idea as it gives you a chance to show what you can do. But don't worry about it.

My Grade 4s this term are doing

Gartan Mother
The Sandman
I feel Pretty

and

The Jones Boys
Sleep Little Babe
Consider Yourself

Both have chosen to do The Cuckoo..... from Sing Together...they heard a G5 pupil do it last session and really liked it.

My grade 4 candidate is doing TG not AB this term.

I swear by appleby and fowler, but I also look at spirituals as an alternative, the often suit pupils better.

Thanks guys! I'll try and get the Appleby and Fowler when I've got enough money (Grade 6 flute exams are expensive to enter - see my signature!)

Country girl, is your candidate singing the sandman in English or German?

English...still quite young..I've managed to get some singing in French(Noel Nouvelet) and a Grade 6 in German and some g6 Italian.... but most of my pupils are children...so I've only been able to push the confident ones to sing in a language. It's really good to do it though because then it's not a shock when you have to do it at Grade 6.

I learnt it in English, because my teacher didn't realise it's a German song and that it was list B (don't get me started!) but now she recommends I do it in German. It shouldn't be a problem because in choir last season we did the whole of Mendelssohn's Elijah in German, but I'm not looking forward to memorising it!

Do you use the Art of Song for the Sandman? If so, is it titled the little dustman?

Getting kids to sing in a foreign language is quite fun. Fortunately they tend to be taught hou to read in English using Synthetic Phonics. This is a gift for the singing teacher. I simply transliterate the song into the sound symbols they're used to, and kids as young as six can suddenly face the idea of singing in French, German and Italian. What is more is tend to be chuffed to bits as they've achieved somthing they didn't think they could do.

Of course its then vital for me to tell the story of the song so it makes sense too, but it does work. This session I will have a 9 year old singing Noel Nouvelet in French for their grade one.

Wow! Good luck to them!

Yes I've done it with Noel Nouvelet... (7/8 and 9 year old boys)am considering it with Santa Lucia... again a boy. Maybe I need to be forceful(in a nice way)with the girls. Yes I usually write it out phonetically for my pupils. It is just confidence. What do you think an examiner's take on it is?

As long as they sound like they understand what they're singing about (which as a teacher you can also encourage) the examiner comments I've had have been favourable.


"Sauveur Jesu Christ" for example is easy to translate. I'm considering doing Santa Lucia with my 8 year old son - it would suit the way he sings, and give him a real ego boost singing successfully in another language.