[Choral Songs] Recommended for High School Students! A Comprehensive Showcase from Classics to the Newest J‑Pop

ReplayNEW!Lyrics: Takumi Kitamura / Composition: Yoshihiko Nishio・DISH//

“Replay” NHK School Choral Competition 2022, Junior High Division Assigned Piece / Kobe City Mixed Chorus [from the Assigned Pieces Concert 2022 for the Choral Competition]

This work sings of the preciousness of youth that can never be rewound.

The rock band DISH//, fronted by Takumi Kitamura, created it as a set piece for a choral competition.

It’s a message song infused with both a love for time that has passed and the determination to keep facing forward and moving on.

Released as a single in October 2022, it was also selected as one of the songs broadcast on NHK’s music program Minna no Uta from August to September 2022.

For high school students who experience meetings and partings as they climb the steps toward adulthood, it’s a theme that will surely resonate.

It’s a perfect number for situations where you raise your voices together with irreplaceable friends, such as at school festivals or graduation ceremonies.

dawnNEW!Sakushi: Hokkaidō Asahikawa Shōgyō Kōkō Suisōgakubu Heisei 10-nendo Sotsubusei Ichidō / Sakkyoku: Yahata Emi

[NHK Stories] Hokkaido Asahikawa Commercial High School Wind Ensemble, Chorus “Dawn” (2021.03.13 Shari Special Performance)

This is a moving choral piece imbued with gratitude toward teammates fostered through club activities and a resolve for the future.

It stirs the heart with its uplifting progression, depicting growth under the watchful care of mentors and family, like welcoming a new morning.

The lyrics were written collectively by the 1998 graduating members of the Asahikawa Commercial High School Wind Ensemble in Hokkaido, and the music was composed by Emi Yahata.

First performed at the graduation-from-club ceremony in October 1998, it went on to be widely loved and was published in April 2012 as a score with wind ensemble accompaniment.

The work has also been adopted as a title and emblem for NHK-related programs and publications.

It is perfect for singing powerfully with classmates who have deepened their bonds by overcoming hardships, at events such as graduation ceremonies and school festivals.

spring melancholyMrs. GREEN APPLE

Mrs. GREEN APPLE – Spring Melancholy (Chorus ver.) by Waseda Jitsugyo School Music Club, Chorus Section

It’s a song that delicately weaves together a range of emotions—sadness, poignancy, joy—like a page from youthful days.

Imbued with the band members’ genuine feelings from when Mrs.

GREEN APPLE graduated high school, it was released in February 2018 and featured in Suntory’s “Craft Boss” commercial.

Portraying the complex emotions of parting and growth that everyone experiences, along with a beautiful melody, it’s a perfect track for high schoolers in the midst of youth.

Especially during the graduation season, when joy and loneliness intertwine, it will bring a warm light to those who struggle to fully express their true, honest feelings.

StoryNEW!AI

Story / AI

A masterpiece by Ai that sings of deep love and bonds.

Released in May 2005, this song landed numerous tie-ins with commercials and TV programs, including Morinaga’s “Jelly Weider,” and became a major hit.

It’s included on the album “Mic-a-holic Ai,” and an English version was later produced as the ending theme for the Japanese-dubbed release of the Disney film Big Hero 6.

It’s a dramatic R&B ballad that begins with piano and carries a powerful message about protecting the ones you love.

If you sing it with heartfelt emotion, it’s sure to fill any school cultural festival or campus stage with a moving atmosphere.

Try creating warm harmonies together with your classmates or choir friends!

A Cheer Song Dedicated to YouNEW!HIPPY

君に捧げる応援歌 / HIPPY

Singer-songwriter HIPPY is known for words that hit straight to the heart.

Featured on his March 2017 album “HomeBase ~Arigato~,” this track is an anthem that cheers on everyone giving their best.

It later spread in sports contexts as well, becoming a walk-up song for pro baseball players and appearing in corporate TV commercials, making it increasingly familiar in many settings.

The lyrics, which both acknowledge the anxieties of taking on challenges and give you a gentle push forward, are sure to resonate deeply with students facing club activities or entrance exams.

It’s a warm, uplifting song that makes you want to link arms with friends and sing together.

Perfect for a group chorus on stages like school culture festivals or campus festivals, where everyone wants to unite their hearts!

hometownNEW!arashi

“Furusato” choral piece / Arashi / All parts / With full lyrics – for part practice Covered by Singer micah

This is a J-pop ballad that expresses gratitude for the land where one was born and raised and for heartwarming original landscapes.

With its warm melody at a relaxed tempo and an arrangement that gains depth when voices are layered together, this captivating piece was performed by the national group Arashi and premiered at the 61st NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen in December 2010.

It was later selected as the set piece for the 80th NHK National School Music Competition in 2013 and used as the ending theme for the drama “Hajimari no Uta,” and it is included on the album “Japonism,” released in October 2015.

It’s recommended for moments when you want to unite hearts with your classmates while resonating with beautiful harmonies.

If you sing it on a school festival stage, it’s sure to be etched deeply in your heart as a precious memory.

futureNEW!Kobukuro

“Mirai” (Kobukuro) Osaka University Mixed Chorus Freund Chor 64th Regular Concert (2021)

This song was released in December 2015 as the theme for the film “orange.” It’s a warm ballad crafted by Kobukuro, whose acoustic sound and conversational vocals truly touch the heart.

The track was also chosen as the theme for the TV anime and animated film of the same work, and it has long been beloved by many fans.

The lyrics are sprinkled with natural imagery like spring and branches, carefully portraying anxieties and hopes for the future, as well as a poignant sense of longing.

Its gentle tempo and beautiful melody make it perfect for choral performances at school and cultural festivals.

It’s a heartwarming piece that quietly encourages students to keep moving forward, even as they struggle with uncertainty.