A Must-See for Middle and High Schoolers! Recommended Free-Choice Songs for Choir Competitions Catalog

BelieveLyrics and Composition: Sugimoto Ryūichi

[Choral Song] Believe — Tokyo Tama Boys and Girls Choir

This is a choral piece filled with a warm, embracing melody and deep affection.

Ryuichi Sugimoto infused the song with themes of friendship, mutual support, and hope for the future.

Overflowing with a gentle desire to stand by someone who needs encouragement, this work was released in 1998 as the ending theme for NHK’s “Ikimono Chikyū Kikō” (A Journey of Life on Earth).

Its warm lyrics and harmonies are perfect for choir competitions that aim to deepen classroom bonds or for memorable graduation ceremonies.

Sung together with friends, it becomes a piece that resonates even more deeply.

ultramarineSakushi: Minamisōma Shiritsu Ogataka Chūgakkō Heisei Nijūyon Nendo Sotsugyōsei / Oda Miki / Sakkyoku: Nobunaga Takutomi

Gunjou [Mixed Chorus, Four-Part Version]

A moving choral piece that unites the hearts of students separated by the Great East Japan Earthquake.

This gem was created by the 2012–2013 graduating class of Odaka Junior High School in Minamisoma City, Fukushima Prefecture, together with composer Takafumi Nobunaga.

The work powerfully yet poignantly gives voice to the feelings of students who were forced to live in evacuation.

In August 2013, a CD and score were released by Panamusica, and in August 2014 it was featured on Nippon TV’s “24-Hour Television,” where an inspiring joint performance by Kanjani Eight and the students was showcased.

Centered on themes of recovery from the disaster and the bonds that connect us, this song expresses hope for the future and is perfect for choral performances at school and cultural festivals.

It’s an ideal piece for bringing hearts together across classes and grades, sharing precious feelings through song.

Promise of SunflowersHata Motohiro

Hata Motohiro - Promise of a Sunflower (choral/chorus version)

Hata Motohiro’s song, written specifically as the theme for a 3DCG animated film, is a moving piece that sings of an unending bond of love.

The gentle tones of the acoustic guitar and his clear, transparent vocals softly embrace the heart.

Released as a single in August 2014, it reached No.

4 on the Oricon Daily Ranking and earned a million-download certification for the single track, capturing the hearts of many.

Perfectly in harmony with the movie’s theme, this work resonates across time as a classic, making it ideal for choral performance.

It’s highly recommended for school events and gatherings where you want to deepen the bonds among friends.

ChessboardOfisharu Higedan Dism

N-Con 90 Required Piece “Chessboard” (Junior High School Division) | Kobe City Mixed Chorus

A grand song by Official HIGE DANDism that likens the broad canvas of life to a chessboard.

Created as the set piece for the NHK National School Music Competition’s junior high division, the work pairs gentle piano tones with lyrics that warmly portray how we keep searching for our roles amid the interwoven happiness and sorrow—like a checkerboard pattern.

Released as a digital single in August 2023, it was also featured on NHK’s “Minna no Uta.” For choral performances at school festivals, we recommend singing in a way that layers each person’s feelings while making the most of the harmony between the piano accompaniment and strings.

A Little Love SongMONGOL800

A Little Love Song (Junior & Youth Chorus “Raw-Ore”)

A youthful punk song by MONGOL800 that sings of honest feelings for someone you love and the small joys of everyday life.

Its gentle melody, filled with thoughts for someone special, and heartwarming lyrics that vow eternal love resonate deeply with listeners through choral performance.

Included on the album “MESSAGE,” it achieved an extraordinary 2.8 million copies sold for an indie release.

It was also used as the ending theme for the TV anime “Teasing Master Takagi-san,” and in 2019 it was released as a film motif work.

Perfect for strengthening bonds with loved ones—whether in choral performances at school festivals and graduation ceremonies, or at weddings and farewell parties.

To You — A Message for Your DepartureSakushi Sakkyoku: Tsutsui Masako

[With Lyrics] To You | A Message for Your Departure — From the Goddess of Time

A heartwarming graduation song born from the setting of an elementary school classroom.

While standing at the lectern, Masako Tsutsui poured her feelings for her graduating students into a gentle melody.

The first half begins with a tender, conversational tone, then shifts in the latter half to a powerful syncopated rhythm, expressing both anticipation and resolve for the journey ahead.

Released in May 2006 as the epilogue to the suite Goddess of Time (Venus), this piece concludes a set of seven songs that depict life’s journey alongside the changing seasons.

Singing of youth taking flight like the wings of white magnolias, struggles within life’s labyrinth, and the joy of mutual trust, it is an ideal piece for performances at culture festivals and school festivals.

swallowYOASOBI

Swallow / YOASOBI

A song of hope woven together with the pure voices of children.

Its powerful message—that small actions can change the world—perfectly matches the beautifully clear, translucent vocals.

Chosen as the theme song for NHK’s SDGs program series for children, “Hirogare! Irotoridori,” it was also broadcast on “Minna no Uta” in October and November 2021.

With its gentle melody, grand soundscape, and the children’s soaring voices creating a rich harmony, this work delivers a moving experience that resonates deeply.

It’s also recommended as a piece for choir practice or for singing at school events.