I'm really excited about this - I have been running the choir at my kids local primary for a couple of years now with tolerance but fairly minimal support from the head - she likes having a choir, but doesn't think that arranging a sports practice in the hall where the piano is might be a problem, or that to rehearse for a concert I need her to tell me if children aren't going to be there for school trips etc etc you know the sort of thing.

The great news is that after a year of planting the seed and letting it grow, the head has agreed that the staff will form a choir and do a secret surpise Christmas number at the end of term concert. I can see she is terrified of singing - she goes pale and rigid when she thinks about it - but good on her, she can also see it would be a great team builder and the children will love it.

So... what to sing?

Something really simple and quick to learn (as they will probably not turn up to all the practices), but which sounds effective and will make them feel a million dollars. A few sing outside of school so they could take a second or third part. Something the kids will clap and shriek along to and think is cool...

Any ideas? The kids sing lots from Voiceworks and Junior Voiceworks. What doyou recommend?

I know it's a bit tacky, but what about something out of the Best Christmas songbook http://www.musicroom.com/se/ID_No/010613/details.html it has most of the same pieces in that are on that overplayed CD that you hear in shops from October onwards, like the Step into Christmas, Oh I wish it could be Christmas every day etc.

I use the book most Christmas's for something it's well worth the money.

Cyrilla would be great for advice on this - she's wonderful at inspiring people to sing (often complex harmonies when they don't think they can, for example).

I'd guess she'd tell you to start with simple pentatonic songs that they can sing in unison, then in canon, then perhaps with one or two pedal notes being sung by some choir members whilst the others sing the melody - this will soon get them enjoying making music together and before you know it you can have a nice easy piece working with some nice harmonies and they'll be really proud of themselves.

As for suggestions of pieces - I really don't know. A lot of Scottish folk songs are pentatonic - perhaps this could provide an area of research? (Pentatonic is a great thing for beginners because it's much easier to sing in tune!)

I've seen some very amusing staff versions of the Twelve Days of Christmas (with the words changed, and suitable actions!)

What voice parts have you available, Kath?

Rounds sound the most obvious idea for easy fun items.

Well, there is only one male member of staff in the school so SATB is out.

So far I have one person who knows they are an alto, two people who confess to being sopranos, about 12 terrified and rigid ladies who claim never to have sung at all, but who can vaguely hold a tune and a chap who would rather conduct his own root canal work than sing in a choir (or at least that's what he currently thinks - we're about to change all that...!)

A school-specific 12 days of Christmas might be fun. Rounds are definitely our best hope of achieving anything other than unison, but I was a bit stumped for festive rounds?

Am looking for cheerful revelation to the terrified that music is fun this term... that way we can send them back to the classroom humming times tables, and next year they will be begging to sing something else! That's the theory anyway...

Its not the times table, and they're not really choir pieces but there's Lehrer's New Math, Silent-E etc.