Friendship songs you’ll want to sing in choir: A roundup of choral pieces about friends
There are quite a lot of opportunities for group singing—like in music class, choir competitions, and school events.
You’ll probably choose songs to match each occasion, but sometimes it’s hard to decide, isn’t it?
So in this article, we’ll introduce recommended songs with a special focus on friendship-themed pieces from among popular choral works.
We hope this will be helpful when selecting songs to perform, especially for graduation ceremonies, school festivals, and choir competitions.
- Friendship songs recommended for elementary school students. Bonding songs you’ll want to listen to with your friends.
- Popular Friendship Songs Ranking [2026]
- Friendship Songs: Rediscover Your Bonds! A Carefully Curated Selection of Moving Masterpieces That Will Bring You to Tears
- [Elementary School Chorus Songs] A comprehensive showcase from moving masterpieces to the latest hit tunes!
- [A moving friendship song] For dear friends and best friends. Songs of friendship that make you feel the bond.
- A collection of classic songs about friends: friendship songs for children
- A Must-See for Middle and High Schoolers! Recommended Free-Choice Songs for Choir Competitions Catalog
- [Choral Music] Recommended for Middle Schoolers! A Collection of Moving Choral Works & Choral Arrangements
- A song themed around friendship. A track that conveys the importance of friends.
- [For High School Students] A Collection of Touching Friendship Songs
- A collection of cheerful choral pieces—songs you’ll want to perform at choir competitions and school events.
- A gratitude song for friends. A thank-you song dedicated to someone special.
- A friendship song that fires up the culture festival/school festival
Friendship songs you’ll want to sing in chorus: A roundup of choral pieces about friends (71–80)
YELLikimonogakari
An Ikimono-gakari number that’s perfect as a graduation chorus piece, featuring the kind of beautiful harmonies and call-and-response unique to choral singing.
Written as the set piece for the Junior High School Division of the NHK All-Japan School Music Competition, it has been sung by many students on TV programs and elsewhere.
Despite its bittersweet melody, the lyrics convey hope for what lies ahead and a burning spirit.
While accepting their own weaknesses, anxieties, and hazy emotions, the singers’ resolve to spread their wings toward their future comes through.
With a structure that’s easy to sing as a chorus, it’s a song that can showcase the bonds you’ve built so far as the final culmination of your school years at graduation.
Thank youikimonogakari
Some graduates may prefer to sing a J-pop song rather than a traditional choral piece.
Ikimono-gakari’s “Arigatou” might be the perfect choral song for those graduates.
Released in 2010 as Ikimono-gakari’s 18th single, it was produced as the theme song for the NHK morning drama series Gegege no Nyōbō.
It’s a song widely known across generations and often heard on TV.
Let’s sing it as a choral piece to mark the start of graduation—and to convey our feelings of “thank you.”
Goodbye, thank you.chanyu i
Chanyu-i, who’s drawing attention as a new-generation singer-songwriter, wrote “Sayonara Arigatou” for high school seniors graduating during the COVID-19 pandemic.
It’s a lush piano ballad: the first half looks back on memories at her alma mater, while the latter half sings of setting off with hope in her heart.
Though it carries a positive message, the lingering sense of loneliness and vulnerability is striking.
The key is on the higher side, but the slow tempo makes it easy to sing.
Friend ~Time to Depart~yuzu
A song by Yuzu that sings of gratitude to friends and an unshakable bond no matter what happens.
It was arranged for chorus as the set piece for the Junior High School Division of the 80th NHK National School Music Competition and was also broadcast on NHK’s Minna no Uta.
At graduation ceremonies, students express their thanks to many people, including teachers and family.
Among them, many feel especially deep gratitude toward their friends.
Even while feeling uncertain about what lies ahead after graduation, let’s remember the times we spent together and all do our best! It’s a song that all graduates can share those feelings with.
My friend — from here on out, forever…Ketsumeishi
When it comes to songs you want to listen to during graduation season, you can’t leave out tracks that sing about friendship! They let you look back on memories with friends you’ve spent so much time with, and share your gratitude and your “let’s keep in touch from here on out” feelings.
The perfect friendship song for graduation season is this track by Ketsumeishi.
It speaks to staying friends forever, and the message of “I’ll be there to support you when times are tough” is incredibly reassuring.
If you listen to this song before graduation, it’s sure to bring back all your memories and emotions—and probably move you to tears!
cherry blossomKobukuro
A quintessential graduation song that has been loved ever since its 2005 release.
The original is a beautiful ballad featuring Kobukuro’s two-part harmony, so of course it also shines in large group choral performances.
Its gently enveloping, unhurried melody, the beautiful harmonies of mixed chorus, and lyrics that evoke graduates spreading their wings—all of these elements explain why it’s cherished as a graduation song.
It’s a timeless classic loved across generations, making it a perfect fit for elementary school graduation ceremonies as well.
March 9Remioromen
Released in 2004 and adopted as an insert song for the drama “1 Litre of Tears,” this became one of Remioromen’s signature tracks and a staple graduation song.
That said, it’s well known that the song was originally created to celebrate the wedding of a mutual friend of the band members! Even so, its lyrics—looking back on past memories while gazing toward the future and feeling the presence of friends—fit graduation scenes perfectly.
It’s also often performed as a choral piece, and because the pitch and overall feel differ between the chorus and the other sections, dividing the parts carefully can make for a very impressive performance.