[Choral Music] Recommended for Middle Schoolers! A Collection of Moving Choral Works & Choral Arrangements
In junior high school, there are many opportunities to perform choral pieces as a class or grade.
Music classes, choir competitions, school events like entrance and graduation ceremonies, and more.
In particular, it seems that more schools are putting effort into choir competitions.
However, when you want to “deliver a highly polished performance” or “choose songs that will stand out without overlapping with other classes,” selecting the repertoire can be difficult, and many teachers likely struggle with it every year.
In this article, we’ve picked out recommended choral pieces for junior high school students.
From classics to hidden gems, we’ll introduce moving works along with videos—please use them as a reference!
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[Choral Music] Recommended for Junior High Students! A Collection of Moving Choral Works & Choral Arrangements (21–30)
Believesakushi: tanikawa shuntarō, sakkyoku: matsushita kō
Shuntaro Tanikawa wrote the lyrics and Ko Matsushita composed “Shinjiru” (“Believe”), a piece specially created as the set work for the Junior High School Division of the 71st NHK All-Japan School Music Competition.
Tanikawa’s desire to express the deepest core of what it means to “believe” is embedded in the lyrics.
The powerful chorus that builds toward the end is deeply moving.
Among the many set pieces over the years, it remains especially popular and continues to be performed even after the competition, at junior high school choral contests and graduation ceremonies—truly a beloved classic.
To tomorrowTomioka Hiroshi
A choral piece composed by a junior high school teacher.
It features a comfortable rhythm and a beautiful melody.
While it expresses anxiety about an uncertain future, the lyrics leave a strong impression with their powerful message: “Even so, let’s believe in tomorrow and move forward,” conveying a resolute, positive stance.
[Choral Music] Recommended for Junior High Students! A Collection of Moving Choral Works & Choral Arrangements (31–40)
Time to Depart ~Asian Dream Song~sakushi: dorian suke kawa / sakkyoku: hisaishi jō
It is a gem of a choral work imbued with a message of hope and courage.
The melody, with its nostalgic sound based on the yo-nuki (pentatonic) scale, is beautifully balanced with a modern arrangement, evoking a sense of timeless beauty.
In September 1997, Kazufumi Miyazawa performed this piece as the theme song for the Nagano Winter Paralympics, and an instrumental version is included on the album “Piano Stories II.” Frequently performed at graduation ceremonies and choral competitions, the song is ideal for class- or grade-level ensembles, with scores available for a variety of voicings, including mixed three-part and four-part chorus.
Kitearashi
With its simple melodic line and beautiful harmonies that are perfect for choir, “Kite,” composed by Kenshi Yonezu and sung by Arashi, is an ideal choice.
It’s a cheer song dedicated to all those who are giving their best—young people who will lead the future, athletes, and more.
Chosen as NHK’s 2020 Song, it was also used during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, drawing widespread attention.
If you practice well and create beautiful harmonies, it becomes a ballad that you can neither listen to nor sing without tears.
As Arashi’s final release before their hiatus, it’s a song we’d love to see performed at graduation ceremonies.
Eyes of the heartSakamoto Kyu
Kyu Sakamoto’s final work, which Japan is proud to claim, is “Kokoro no Hitomi” (“Eyes of the Heart”).
After a middle school music teacher heard the song on the last radio program Sakamoto appeared on during his lifetime, they arranged it for chorus for their students, leading to its spread as a choral piece.
It was later included as a choral song in middle school music textbooks.
“Kokoro no Hitomi” is a love song from Sakamoto to his wife, and its lyrics, filled with family love, are perfect for middle schoolers with open hearts.
It’s definitely a song I’d love to see performed at a choral competition where families come to watch!
proofflumpool
Akashi is a song specially written by the rock band flumpool as the set piece for the junior high school division of the 78th NHK All-Japan School Music Competition.
It reached No.
4 on the Oricon singles chart, and the first pressing included sheet music for a three-part mixed chorus arrangement.
The lyrics, which sing about friendship with friends walking their own separate paths, really resonate when you listen.
In 2011, it was also broadcast on NHK’s Minna no Uta, featuring a CG-animated portrayal of young people reaffirming their irreplaceable friendships.
The Sea I Saw With YouWakamatsu Kan
This is a choral piece released in 1999, with lyrics and music by Kan Wakabayashi.
Songs that are composed as choral works from the outset have a unique brilliance, don’t they? First, the piano arpeggios in the introduction are very striking and evoke the image of the summer sea.
Partway through, the suddenly appearing main melody in the men’s part is powerful and cool, which really fires you up.
It remains a perennial favorite as a choral piece.
