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

The calling voiceNEW!Vaundy

Vaundy LIVE “Yobigoe” (NHK General ‘Vaundy 18 Fes’ theme song) | 2026.02.15 Vaundy DOME TOUR 2026 “SILENCE” at TOKYO DOME

A song produced for an NHK General TV project to be performed together with 1,000 18-year-olds.

Created by Vaundy, a multi-artist overwhelmingly supported by young people, it was released digitally in December 2025.

The lyrics are distinctive for the way they intertwine personal loneliness with a grand, expansive worldview, and the layered group vocals build an anthemic sense of uplift.

By earnestly taking on a technically demanding piece, it’s designed to let performers feel the beauty of challenge and the weight of seeing it through.

Filled with the feelings of the same generation, it’s perfect for high school students who want to strengthen class unity at events like school festivals or graduation ceremonies.

To You — A Message for Your DepartureNEW!Sakushi Sakkyoku: Tsutsui Masako

Masako Tsutsui / To You—A Message for Your Departure—

A choral piece written and composed by Masako Tsutsui, known as a staple song passed down during graduation season.

It was originally created as a message to graduating students and later completed as the final movement of the choral suite “Goddess of Time.” Its appeal lies in its profound theme woven from dialogues across generations, imbued with hope to move forward after overcoming difficult times.

It’s perfect for singing at graduation ceremonies or competitions—the culmination of high school life—while connecting hearts with classmates.

Savor the meaning of the words and create a beautiful harmony with your irreplaceable friends.

Time to Depart ~Asian Dream Song~NEW!sakushi: dorian suke kawa / sakkyoku: hisaishi jō

Time to Depart ~Asian Dream Song~ [My Song Singers EX]

This piece is a perennial favorite and a staple at high school chorus competitions and graduation ceremonies.

Released as a single in September 1997, it features music composed by Joe Hisaishi and lyrics by Dorian Sukegawa.

It was tied in as the theme song for the Nagano Winter Paralympics, with vocals by Kazuya Miyazawa.

Alongside its grand melody, it offers a universal cheer for those stepping into the future, delivering a warm message that supports people at life’s milestones.

Whether chosen as an inspiring anthem that gives you the courage to take a step onto a new path, or as a moving choral piece passed down through school events, it is a wonderful choice.

We againNEW!SG (Sogyon)

We, Again [Chorus] / With Lyrics / Singing Practice / Graduation Song #Chorus #ClassChorus

A single with a warm message that resonates with high school students.

Created by singer-songwriter SG, who has roots in both Japan and Korea, this track was released digitally in April 2021.

Rather than portraying graduation and departures as merely sad farewells, it frames them as hopes for future reunions, making it highly recommended as a choral piece.

Its rhythm, which makes you want to clap along, is distinctive and helps you feel a sense of unity with your classmates.

In November 2024, a wind ensemble version was featured in an Otsuka Pharmaceutical commercial, becoming a hot topic.

It’s a song we’d love students to sing at major milestones in their lives—of course at graduation ceremonies, but also when retiring from club activities and other turning points.

Planet SozoroNEW!Sakushi: Nogi Akiko / Sakkyoku: Nada Ayako

Lyrics by Akiko Nogi, Music by Ayako Nada / Planet Sozoro

This choral piece, themed around the “sky,” portrays both a cosmic vastness and a trembling of the heart.

The lyrics are by Akiko Nogi, a screenwriter known for weaving many stories, and the music is composed by Ayako Nada, active in the field of music education.

Official sheet music for the work was released in April 2025, and it was created as the set piece for the high school division of the 92nd NHK National School Music Competition.

Under the wide sky that belongs to no one, the piece conveys a grand sense of scale, as if connecting with people all over the world.

It is crafted to let singers savor the essence of choral music without being overly difficult.

By feeling connections with others from a broad perspective and blending their voices with their peers, high school students can draw out their most passionate emotions as they grow into adulthood.

The sky is nowNEW!sakushi sakkyoku: Yamazaki Tomoko

Remote Chorus “The Sky Now” by Graduates of the Vocal Music Department, Kunitachi College of Music — Mixed Chorus in Three Parts | Tomoko Yamazaki: Lyrics and Composition (with Lyrics) / In Remembrance of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Days

This work, with lyrics and music by Tomoko Yamazaki, is a choral piece that has continued to be sung in schools since the release of its song collections and CDs for equal voices and mixed voices in August 2018.

Characteristic of Yamazaki’s background as a junior high school teacher, it features down-to-earth lyrics and a naturally flowing melody that have resonated with many students.

This piece is a message song that overlays images of landscapes such as sky and wind to question the meaning of living in the present amid changing times.

It is a work we especially hope high school students will take on—raising their voices together with classmates to sing of the days they’ve lived so far and their hopes for the future.

far; distant; by farNEW!GReeeeN

[Choral Piece] Haruka / With Lyrics [163/200]

A song chosen as the theme for the film “ROOKIES: Graduation,” it is the first ballad GReeeeN ever attempted.

Released as a single in 2009, its lyrical lyrics—expressing gratitude to parents and the emotions felt at the moment of becoming independent—are deeply moving.

Beginning with a quiet piano and gradually building as more instruments join, its structure is highly dramatic, making it excellent as a choral piece as well.

The down-to-earth message—clashing with parents during school days but eventually recognizing their love—makes it perfect for performances at cultural and school festivals.

It’s a heartwarming masterpiece that we hope will be sung by those starting their journey toward independence, such as high school and junior high students.