[For Junior High School Chorus] A Curated Selection of Challenging Popular Works and Classic Songs

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 who wrote both the lyrics and music, created “To You — A Message for Your Departure” for her graduating students.

It is one piece from the mixed-chorus suite “Goddess of Time.” The lyrics convey a message that no matter how hard life may become, the experiences gained during school days will surely support you.

From the middle of the piece, the melody advances with syncopation, entering slightly ahead of the previous measure, which makes the rhythmic phrasing a challenging point.

Try singing while staying closely attuned to the flow of the melody.

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SAKI

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rainbowMoriyama Naotaro

[Chorus] Rainbow – Naotaro Moriyama (Mixed Three-Part Chorus) with Lyrics

This piece was specially written as a set work for the NHK All-Japan School Music Competition.

Its lyrics, which gently resonate with the hearts of junior high school students, are especially compelling.

With delicate wording, it expresses how encounters and farewells, joy and sorrow, are two sides of the same coin.

Released in 2006, the song was also included on Naotaro Moriyama’s album “Kazamachi Kōsaten” (Wind-Waiting Crossroads).

Perfect for choir competitions and graduation ceremonies—occasions of parting from friends and meeting new ones—this song will surely make for a moving choral performance when sung with heartfelt emotion, each person picturing their own life’s journey.

ReplayDISH//

[Female Chorus] Replay / 89th (2022) NHK All-Japan School Music Competition Required Piece, Junior High School (Diva.Draft)

“Replay,” selected as the compulsory piece for the 89th NHK All-Japan School Choral Competition, was created in 2022 by the rock band DISH//, whose vocalist is Takumi Kitamura, also active as an actor.

The lyrics overflow with emotional feelings depicted under the theme of “youth,” leaving a strong impression.

Its expansive melodic line, well-suited to a junior high school choral competition, is sure to resonate with listeners.

It’s a song filled with memorable messages for junior high students who repeatedly experience “meetings” and “farewells.” Be sure to try singing it in mixed three-part or treble three-part chorus.

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mutō

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DepartureSakushi: Yamazaki Kayoko / Sakkyoku: Matsushita Ko

[N-Con 2018] The 85th NHK All-Japan School Choir Competition, Ishimine Elementary School – Set Piece 'Departure'

This piece was selected as the set song for the junior high school division of the 85th NHK All-Japan School Music Competition.

It sings directly about the conflicts and uncertainties of adolescence.

Adults who listen will be able to reflect on their own younger days and relate to it, while children who listen may feel at ease, as if they can open up about their worries.

determinationSakushi: Kataoka Akira / Sakkyoku: Suzuki Norio

To You Living in the 21st Century — Resolution [Iwate University Choir]

This song, a message song based on Ryotaro Shiba’s essay “To You Who Will Live in the Twenty-First Century,” is a mixed chorus in four parts, released as the fourth piece of the choral suite “Resolution for the Future.” The fact that it begins a cappella already hints at its high level of difficulty.

A four-part mixed chorus is a challenging piece for junior high school choirs.

Because it has a medium tempo, practice with the goal of aligning firmly and matching precisely, and try singing with a conscious focus on achieving a beautiful unison.

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utatane

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BeginningSakushi: Kudō Naoko / Sakkyoku: Kinoshita Makiko

Choral Piece “The Beginning”

A “Beginning” that lets you feel the grandeur of the Earth.

Our planet holds many places, and within them, humans and animals live each day thinking and feeling many things—yet the Earth simply keeps turning.

This piece portrays that scene.

The song is sung in a slightly challenging 6/8 meter, so the first priority is to firmly feel the rhythm.

The difficult aspects are not only the time signature, but also the nuances as the music unfolds—how to use dynamics effectively.

While keeping the lyrics’ content in mind, try singing with rich expressiveness, sensing the Earth’s vastness and the many human dramas and lives of creatures that play out upon it.

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running riverKurosawa Yoshinori

Choral Piece: The Running River

A choral piece that depicts the power of nature and an indomitable spirit.

The image of a river’s rapids biting into rocks and surging forward in sprays of foam is expressed through a vigorous melody and moving lyrics.

It was premiered in 1993 as the second movement of the mixed-voice choral suite “Wings of Water,” commissioned by Minami Junior High School in Ogaki City, Gifu Prefecture.

Widely performed at junior high school choral competitions across Japan, it has become beloved by many students and educators.

With music by Yoshinori Kurosawa and lyrics by Chieko Kanazawa blending beautifully, this work conveys the beauty of nature and the strength of the human spirit through music.

When you need the courage to face difficulties, be sure to give it a listen.