As a Music Learning Theory Practitioner, I am always looking for ways to include songs in different tonalities and meters in my instruction.  This includes my choir too!  Over the years, I’ve collected a list of songs that use a variety of tonalities and meters.  Here are some of my favorites!

Dorian Songs

• Allie, Call the Birds in by Cyndee Giebler is a beautiful song that has Orff parts as well.  This is a gorgeous piece and is accessible for young choirs.  It’s arranged for SA voices.
• February Twilight by S. Gryc is based on a poem about winter.  The song is arranged for unison or two-part voices.
• In the Dark of December by Lon Beery is about the keeping hope during the dreary days of winter.  It’s arranged for two voices.
• Old Carrion Crow by Mary Goetze is an arrangement of a folk song from Nova Scotia.  My choirs have loved performing this simple tune in Dorian.  It is arranged two-part or unison voices.
• The Barn Owl by Adam Mitchell is great for young choirs.  All about the day of a barn owl, it uses call & response, and tempo changes.  It’s arranged for two-voices.

Mixolydian Songs

• Hold the Wind by Mary Goetze is a simple melody sung from the perspective of a blacksmith.  This song is arranged for SSA voices.
• Seasons by Betty Bertaux is a unison piece written for elementary voices.  The text is all about the four seasons.
• Wishing Star by Beth Bolton, arranged by Laura Farnell is a beautiful tune!  I’ve taught this tune for 20+ years in my early childhood classes and now my choir students sing it too!

Multitonal or Collections

• Little Tree by Denise Ondishko uses text by e.e. cummings.  The song about is about the feelings of a child towards their Christmas tree.  Written in Mixolydian and Aeolian, this is arranged for SATB choir.
• London Bridge by N. Page is written in Major, Minor, and Lydian tonalities.  It is arranged for SA voices.
• Songs of Youth by David Montoya is a collection of 6 songs exploring Dorian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, Phyrgian, Lydian, and Major tonalities.  This is an arrangement for SA voices.

Unusual Meters

• Banbury Cross by James DesJardins is based on the traditional nursery rhymes but uses unusual paired (5/8) meter.  This is arranged for two-part choirs.
• The Sailor by James Desjardins is written in Mixolydian and unusual meter!  This song is written for two voices.  I’ve not taught this song before, but I do know James DesJardins work!  I just put it in my “cart” for my own choir!

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