[Choral Piece] High Difficulty! A selection of works that are hard to sing

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

[High Quality Audio] To You: A Message for Your Departure

Masako Tsutsui, an elementary school teacher, created “To You—A Message for Your Departure” for her graduating students.

It is one of the pieces in the mixed-chorus suite Goddess of Time.

The lyrics carry a powerful message: no matter how difficult life may become, the experiences you gained during your school years will surely support you.

From the middle of the piece, the melody moves forward with a syncopated rhythm, so it’s important not to lose track of the beat.

Feel the flow well as you sing.

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SAKI

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rainbowLyrics and composition: Naotaro Moriyama・Kai Okachimachi / Arrangement: Taketomi Nobunaga

Lyrics by Naotaro Moriyama and Kazu Okachimachi, composed by Takafumi Nobunaga / Niji (Rainbow) lyrics N. Moriyama, K. Okachimachi, composition T. Nobunaga / Niji

A choral piece themed around “rainbows,” beloved at graduation ceremonies and choral competitions.

Lyrics and music by Naotaro Moriyama and Omodaka Kaido, with arrangement by Takafumi Nobunaga.

Released in September 2006 as the required piece for the junior high school division of the NHK All-Japan School Music Competition, the work shows how new meaning emerges when we view things from different perspectives.

Musically, the independence and unity of each part are crucial, with the male voices in particular requiring delicate vocal production.

It is a moving piece often sung at life’s milestones and moments of departure.

To the futureSakushi: Tanikawa Shuntarō / Sakushi: Nobunaga Takatoshi

To the Future (poem by Shuntaro Tanikawa / music by Takafumi Nobunaga) - Mixed Chorus Collection “Sadness Is New” - Saitama Prefectural Omiya High School Music Club

This is a wonderful choral piece that fuses Shuntaro Tanikawa’s profound poetic expression with Takafumi Nobunaga’s delicate melodies.

It sings of the hope contained in the small things of everyday life and depicts the flow of life from past to future.

Since its premiere in March 2008 at the Kyoto Echo Choir’s 45th anniversary concert, the work has been loved by many choirs and drew attention as a song that gives people grappling with the sense of loss and sorrow after the earthquake a “strength to look toward the future.” It’s a recommended piece for those who wish to share an appreciation for the present and the courage to move forward into the future.

Believesakushi:tanikawa shuntarō/sakkyoku:matsushita kō

Believe (Lyrics: Shuntaro Tanikawa, Music: Koh Matsushita)

“Shinjiru” (Believe), with lyrics by the poet Shuntaro Tanikawa and music by Ko Matsushita, is a choral piece well worth the challenge for junior high school students.

It was composed as the set piece for the Junior High School Division of the 71st NHK All-Japan School Music Competition.

The lyrics, which celebrate believing in yourself and trusting those around you, are perfect for students who, on their way to adulthood, are beginning to experience various uncertainties.

Although the first half unfolds at a relaxed pace, the character shifts dramatically in the middle section, making that transition a difficult point.

The latter half then returns to a similarly calm section like the beginning, so as you sing, be sure to feel the shifts in melody and lyrics that unfold within a single piece.

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SAKI

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running riverSakushi: Kanazawa Chieko, Sakkyoku: Kurosawa Yoshinori

EMG4-0024 Running River [Mixed Choir, 4 parts]

Wings of Water was composed in 1993 at the request of Minami Junior High School in Ogaki City, Gifu Prefecture, by composer Yoshinori Kurosawa.

The piece is a mixed-chorus suite, and its second movement is the well-known Running River.

The song makes a strong impression with its dynamic progression, shifting suddenly from the bright mood of the intro to an ominous atmosphere.

Overall, it features complex rhythmic patterns that are hard to feel, making it a high-difficulty choral work.

With its drastic tempo changes, it seems like it would take considerable practice to sing accurately in sync with the changing speed of the music!

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Yuuki

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Pegasus Galloping Through the SkySakushi: Tate Hōrai, Sakkyoku: Kurosawa Yoshinori

Lyrics by Hourai Tate, Music by Yoshinori Kurosawa / Sky-Galloping Pegasus

Yoshinori Kurosawa, a leading 20th-century composer who left numerous choral works for elementary through high school students.

His “Sky-Galloping Pegasus” is a three-part mixed chorus piece composed in 1978, with the biggest challenge being the section where the parts divide into five in the middle of the piece.

It’s not structured as five parts overall; rather, it branches from the original three into five partway through, which makes it tricky.

There are also sections where the tempo suddenly drops and others where the pitches rise, and this complex musical design further increases the piece’s difficulty.

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Yuuki

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I can hear (it)Sakushi: Iwama Yoshiki / Sakkyoku: Niimi Tokuhide

Audible [Tokyo Mixed Chorus]

This is a choral piece that portrays the feelings of young people facing various issues heard from around the world.

It was composed as the set piece for the high school division of the 1991 NHK All-Japan School Music Competition and has continued to be sung by many choirs since then.

It is filled with checkpoints throughout, such as whether the high G in the soprano can be sung cleanly and whether musical elements like melody, harmony, and rhythmic sense can be mastered.

As a work that expresses the emotions of young people who, while being concerned about what is happening in society and the world, struggle with the dilemma of feeling powerless, it is a perfect choice for a free-selection piece in a choral competition.