[For Middle Schoolers] Recommended Classic Songs to Sing at Graduation Ceremonies
Have you already decided on the song to sing at the junior high school graduation ceremony?
When you graduate from junior high, it’s common for classmates to go their separate ways.
While reaching this milestone brings joy, many students also feel the sadness of parting from friends they spent every day with, as well as anxiety about entering a new environment.
In this article, we’ll introduce a selection of graduation songs that resonate with those pre-graduation feelings, including timeless staples and popular tracks.
Use it as a reference to help choose music that will brighten your graduation ceremony!
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[For Middle Schoolers] Recommended Classic Songs to Sing at Graduation (51–60)
Hymn to the EarthSakushi: Oki Atsuo / Sakkyoku: Sato Makoto
It’s a classic choral piece that’s often sung not only as a graduation song but also at choral competitions.
The lyricist, Atsuo Ōki, was a poet active from the Taishō through the Shōwa era, and the composer, Makoto Satō, completed the cantata “Song of the Earth” for mixed chorus and orchestra in 1962.
This work is positioned as its final movement.
With its grand theme praising and expressing gratitude to the earth that has nurtured life, its appeal lies in the moment when many voices merge into one.
It was included on the February 1987 album “Makoto Satō Works II (Song of the Earth / Young Chorus),” which helped it become widely known.
Its powerful resonance perfectly suits the solemn atmosphere of graduation ceremonies! How about singing it with gratitude to your parents who raised you, the teachers who taught you so much, and the friends with whom you spent your time?
storyAI
This is a message-driven ballad by AI released in 2005.
Her vocals are memorable, but when performed as a chorus it gains a different kind of power and is wonderful.
I recommend it for those who find it easier to start with pop songs and feel more motivated.
With ballads especially, I think the performance turns out better if you deepen your understanding of the lyrics before singing, so it’s nice to discuss the meaning together, like in a language arts class.
Enjoy singing so that it becomes a graduation ceremony that stays in everyone’s hearts.
Please give me wingsSakkyoku: Murai Kunihiko
How about a song to color a graduation ceremony that makes your heart race with the feeling of a future where you can spread your wings? “Tsubasa wo Kudasai” was released by Akai Tori in 1971, and its lyrics—filled with the desire to set out and go somewhere new—are perfect for those graduating.
It’s a song we especially want people to sing if they’re feeling anxious or nervous about parting from friends and teachers they’ve spent so much time with and about the changes to come.
Its refreshing sound and lyrics that make you want to take that first step will gently ease your heart and give you a supportive push forward.
BELIEVESugimoto Ryuichi
Written and composed by Ryuichi Sugimoto, this song was released in 1998 as the third ending theme for the NHK program “Ikimono Chikyū Kikō” (A Journey of Life on Earth).
It’s often sung at kindergarten and school graduation ceremonies, and its popularity grew further thanks to covers by Azumi Inoue and V6.
With its clear, accessible lyrics that encourage children as they move toward the future, it’s a truly wonderful piece.
[For Middle School Students] Recommended Classic Songs to Sing at Graduation (61–70)
The Door to TomorrowI WiSH
We’d like to introduce a song that will make you want to sing with someone special as you stand on the brink of a new life.
I WiSH’s 2003 release “Asu e no Tobira” (“The Door to Tomorrow”) is a track we hope you’ll listen to as graduation approaches and you carry hope for tomorrow in your heart.
Its lyrics honestly convey anticipation for the future and feelings for someone dear, making it perfect for anyone about to head to a new place and meet new people.
With memories of your school days in your heart, why not deepen your courage and hope for tomorrow by singing this song?
Unchanging Thingssakushi: yamazaki tomoko / sakkyoku: yamazaki tomoko
The bonds nurtured during our days at school will never fade, even when we are apart.
This work is a choral piece that carefully weaves together those unchanging feelings.
The lyrics and music are by Tomoko Yamazaki, who has created many beloved songs such as “Taisetsu na Mono” and “Te no Hira o Kazashite.” It was newly written for the collection “Tomoko Yamazaki ~Original Songs~ (Mixed Voices),” published by Ongaku no Tomo Sha in July 2010.
While holding the sorrow of parting, it portrays the resolve to look ahead and take a step forward, set to a sincere and beautiful melody.
Both mixed choir and equal-voice choir versions are available, making it easy to choose according to the size and composition of your school.
Sung at graduations, farewell ceremonies, and other moments of parting from those dear to you, it will etch gratitude for the time spent together—and the bonds that will remain unchanged—into your hearts.
Let’s go together.GReeeeN
GReeeeN is very popular for choral pieces.
This is a song they created as a commercial track for AU’s “Santaro” series.
Its bright, upbeat feel is perfect for graduates who want to move on cheerfully without any gloom.
The opening section features an arrangement of Bach’s “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring,” and the main part pairs GReeeeN’s strongly message-driven Japanese lyrics with “Take Me Out to the Ball Game,” a tune long beloved by baseball fans across the United States.