I am working on revising the school's "Christmas pageant" to make it more formal and traditional like a festival of lessons and carols with hymns, readings, prayers, etc. However, instead of 9 lessons it will have 4 themes: hope, peace, joy, love- like the four advent candles. I am trying to find children's choir pieces that fit these four themes. Is there a resources for looking up children's choir music thematically?
Since you wanted to make it more formal and traditional, why use those four themes?
(I'm reminded of an assignment I gave students eons ago, to which one student came unprepared. The students were to prepare a 'picture description' in French. She asked permission to go the computer lab to get a picture, typed in "French girls" and was about to press "enter" when I intervened, worried about what such a search string would bring up.)
I recommend the following, which will make your search easier:
Prophecy (John the Baptist or OT prophets) Mary Nativity Adoration
For what it's worth, I would also steer light-years away from anything that calls itself "children's choir piece" Most of the publishers and composers think "children" means "infantile".
If you're looking for suggestions for pieces, try the Huron Carol, I Saw Three Ships, Of One that is So Fair and Bright, Of the Father's Love Begotten. If you can get away with Latin, use the Magnificat Antiphons from the 17th to 23rd, and follow up with O Come, O Come Emmanuel.
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