passion play thing with kids, suggestioions please.
  • On Monday-Wednesday of Holy week. we are organising a three day camp (daytime not night time) with a focus on drama, art and music skills for kids aged 10-14. We will work towards presenting on Wednesday a drama going from the Entrance into Jerusalem, through holy week to the resurrection. It will mostly be narrated, with kids in costumes (which they will make) acting out parts (drama). Some of the narration or parts can be musical.
    Any suggestions for music which could be usefully incorporated? This group has no collective musical experience, though some might be in my schola, most will have little or no ability to read music of any sort, and will not know any common body of hymns to draw on, so if you are suggesting please know we are likely to be learning everything from scratch.
    I would like to include:
    At least one piece of Gregorian chant
    At least one chant in English
    Something in parts (Could be taize?) which can be done with unchanged voices
    One piece of polyphony - any really really simple suggestion appreciated
    Some simple rounds, so that we can get singing on something straight away before tackling the harder pieces.
    Maybe something that a more accomplished singer could do solo?
    Any other ideas at all?

    Thanks. Two points - this is not liturgy. Second, we are doing it whether you think it is the worst idea ever or not, so don't waste your time (if you are that way inclined).

    Any help appreciated :-)
  • Bonniebede,

    [Caveat: It's Sunday, so I can view your thread and answer it. Past midnight, I can't, for reasons of Lenten discipline. If you wish to have me respond to anything you write in a timely fashion, please PM me.]

    The St Gregory Hymnal has an easily serviceable setting of Hosanna Filio David which could easily serve as your introduction. The same thing could be said for Pueri Hebraeorum. Neither one should be sung in English with these tunes.

    Nolo mortem peccatoris, of, I think, Thomas Morley, could be learned, perhaps. It has the unusual advantage of text in both Latin and English. Even if it couldn't be learned in parts, if you have an oboe player, play the melody from the Treble part.

    The hymn Stabat Mater, to the well-known tune, or Vexilla Regis to either the chant (hymn for Vespers) or Agincourt should be easily learnable, and highly appropriate. Either of these could be sung in English or Latin, providing your translations are appropriately skilled.







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