RAG MusicSchool Festival
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[Choral Piece] Difficult but cool! A work that overwhelms its listeners

You may have found your way here because you’re looking for a free-choice piece to sing at a choir competition or because you want to improve your choral technique! In this article, I’ll be introducing choral pieces that are quite challenging to sing.

Fast tempos, sudden tempo changes, wide melodic leaps, and complex staggered entries between parts—these pieces have it all.

If you can make it through the works listed here, you’ll surely feel a great sense of accomplishment.

Be sure to read to the end!

[Choral Music] Difficult but Cool! Works That Overwhelm the Listener (41–50)

premonitionSakushi: Kataoka Akira, Sakkyoku: Okuma Takako

Ayauta Junior High School Chorus Contest, 2017: Class 3-2 “Premonition”
premonitionSakushi: Kataoka Akira, Sakkyoku: Okuma Takako

Yokan, which was selected as the set piece for the junior high school division of the NHK Nationwide School Music Competition held in 2002.

It is said to have been written with inspiration from the image of planting trees in the desert, modeled after Masaei Toyama, an agricultural scholar who continued afforestation in regions facing desertification.

The lyrics contain many words expressing dreams and hope, making it a perfect piece for middle and high school students with bright futures.

The tempo changes and there are key changes, so the difficulty is somewhat high, but it’s a song well worth the challenge!

Hamada Takuya
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[Choral Piece] Difficult but Cool! Works That Overwhelm the Listener (51–60)

blizzardSakushi: Ozaki Saeko, Sakkyoku: Sato Makoto

In recent years, performing anime songs in choral arrangements has become popular.

Singing upbeat, poppy tunes is fun, but here I’d like to introduce a piece with a heavier atmosphere: Fubuki.

It’s a song by Shiena Nishizawa, used as the ending theme for the anime Kantai Collection -KanColle-.

The piece blends an operatic feel with the character of a military march.

It stays in an extremely high register throughout, so it seems to demand advanced technique.

However, if you can master it, you can create a truly powerful performance.

yamamoto
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44 crimson sparrowsyakushi: Hani Kyōko, kyoku: Kinoshita Makiko

44 Sparrows: from the mixed chorus suite “Three Mysterious Tales”
44 crimson sparrowsyakushi: Hani Kyōko, kyoku: Kinoshita Makiko

“44 Crimson Sparrows” by Japanese composer Makiko Kinoshita is a choral piece challenging for its intricate note work.

The breathing points are hard to grasp, and because the main motif for mixed chorus in four parts unfolds at a relentless pace, just keeping up with the flow seems tough.

Another appeal lies in the quirky, addictive lyrics and the floating, airy mood of the music.

With a melody and rhythm so unique they might seep into your body after repeated singing, this work is well worth a try—why not take on the challenge?

Yuuki
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ChessboardOfisharu Higedan Dism

N-Con 90 Required Piece “Chessboard” Women’s Three-Part Version | Kobe City Mixed Chorus
ChessboardOfisharu Higedan Dism

This is a song by Official HIGE DANDism, written specifically as the set piece for the junior high school division of the 90th NHK All-Japan School Music Competition.

Set to a beautiful melody, it delicately conveys the feelings of searching for one’s role in life and the path one should take.

It was released digitally in August 2023, and in September it was issued on CD as a double A-side single together with “Nichijou.” The piece was also broadcast on NHK’s program Minna no Uta, resonating with many listeners, especially younger generations.

It’s a perfect choice for women’s chorus, radiating a gentle warmth throughout.

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What I dreamed ofSakushi: Tachihara Michizō / Sakkyoku: Kinoshita Makiko

A piece marked by gentle, flowing melodies and beautiful lyrics that quietly sing of love and happiness.

Set to a poem by Michizo Tachihara with music by Makiko Kinoshita, this work tenderly portrays the lives of women in a quiet village.

Its message—an invitation to rediscover the happiness close at hand—will resonate deeply with people leading busy modern lives.

Included on the album “The Sun Hangs at the Center of the Sky: Songs by Makiko Kinoshita,” it is often featured in concerts.

When you’re weary from daily life and wish to soothe your heart, lend it your ear.

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Mysteries of the Seasakushi: Kawasaki Hiroshi / sakkyoku: Hirayoshi Takushu

[National Gold Prize] 'Mysteries of the Sea' ♪ The sea is vast and boundless~ (Hachinohe City Nejo Junior High School Choir) #NCon
Mysteries of the Seasakushi: Kawasaki Hiroshi / sakkyoku: Hirayoshi Takushu

This choral piece brilliantly captures the vastness and mystery of the sea.

Its wave-like, undulating melodies and harmonies are striking, and the lyrics—woven with references to the coelacanth, the Mariana Trench, and Ryukyuan legends—invite listeners into the ocean’s wondrous realm.

Selected as the set piece for the 1989 NHK All-Japan School Music Competition (Junior High Division), it continues to be featured in choral competitions nationwide as a “high-difficulty” work.

Let’s practice together and bring to life a grand drama of the sea.

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In conclusion

This time, we introduced a selection of masterpieces with diverse appeal—from lesser-known choral pieces perfect for choir competitions and graduation ceremonies to cool, high-difficulty works that make you want to rise to the challenge. Taking on demanding choral pieces and layering harmonies together as a group will surely become a treasured memory etched deeply in your heart. We hope you find that one special song.