[Graduation Songs] Choral pieces perfect for singing at elementary school graduation ceremonies: A collection of moving classics

YELLikimonogakari

YELL – Ikimono-gakari (Full)

Ikimonogakari’s classic graduation song “YELL.” Its beautiful harmonies and passionate call-and-response don’t just move the graduates—they stir the hearts of all who listen.

Although it was composed as the required piece for the NHK National School Music Competition’s junior high division, it’s full of appeal that makes even elementary school students want to take on the challenge.

Creating beautiful harmonies by blending your voice with someone else’s—something you couldn’t do when you first enrolled.

Engaging in call-and-response, as if exchanging opinions through different melodies and lyrics.

By showcasing these forms of expression, you can also demonstrate, “I’ve grown this much over these six years.” Let’s present the culmination of your grade’s unity—something that can’t be achieved through music classes alone!

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SAKI

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The day called tomorrowNatsukawa Rimi

Rimi Natsukawa “A Day Called Tomorrow” Music Video

A heartwarming ballad that sings of hope for tomorrow and the joy of living.

It turns our gaze to the beauty of nature and the small happinesses of everyday life, portraying the strength to not be defeated by hardship.

Rimi Natsukawa’s soaring vocals further amplify the song’s powerful message.

Released in September 2011, the track became widely embraced as a support song for recovery after the Great East Japan Earthquake.

In the same year, it also featured a collaboration with tenor Masafumi Akikawa on NHK’s Kōhaku Uta Gassen.

Often performed at graduation ceremonies and moments of new beginnings, it’s a song that gives listeners the courage to take a step toward tomorrow.

Sakura (2019)Moriyama Naotaro

Naotaro Moriyama – Sakura (Solo)

A classic favorite both as a graduation song and a cherry-blossom song, this is a number by Naotaro Moriyama.

His song “Sakura” was a huge hit released in 2003 as “Sakura (Dokusho)” [Solo].

Sixteen years later, it was released in a new version as “Sakura (2019).” Selected as the theme song for the drama “同期のサクラ” (Synchronous Sakura) starring Mitsuki Takahata, it garnered renewed attention.

Although the title “Sakura” might make you think more of entrance ceremonies, the lyrics are actually about graduating, parting from friends, and walking into the future.

With its simple melody and lyrics, it’s likely easy even for elementary school students to sing!

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cherry blossomKobukuro

Sakura

A quintessential graduation song that has been loved ever since its 2005 release.

The original is a beautiful ballad featuring Kobukuro’s two-part harmony, so of course it also shines in large group choral performances.

Its gently enveloping, unhurried melody, the beautiful harmonies of mixed chorus, and lyrics that evoke graduates spreading their wings—all of these elements explain why it’s cherished as a graduation song.

It’s a timeless classic loved across generations, making it a perfect fit for elementary school graduation ceremonies as well.

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Hane Keisuke

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We Look Up to You with Respectshouka

[Graduation Song] Congratulations on Your Graduation! “Aogeba Tōtoshi” [Soprano Duo]

A classic graduation song, “Aogeba Tōtoshi.” Many of your parents’ generation likely sang it, too.

It has a long history—it was composed in the Meiji era! For over a hundred years, it has been passed down as a staple of graduation ceremonies.

The song expresses graduates’ gratitude to the teachers who taught them, as they look back on their school days.

Because the lyrics are written in somewhat literary and difficult language, it also lets students show that by the end of their six years of elementary school, they can sing something this challenging.

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SAKI

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Thank you · GoodbyeSakushi: Ide Takao / Sakkyoku: Fukuda Wakako

Choral Piece 'Thank You, Goodbye'

This beloved classic has long been an essential song for graduation season.

It warmly expresses gratitude to friends, classrooms, and teachers, skillfully weaving together memories of student life with hopes for a new beginning.

First broadcast in February 1985 on NHK’s “Minna no Uta,” it has continued to resonate with many hearts ever since.

The lyrics and melody crafted by Takao Ide and Wakako Fukuda beautifully capture the complex emotions of those facing graduation.

Recommended as a heartwarming anthem that supports everyone reaching the end of their student days.

To You — A Message for Your DepartureSakushi Sakkyoku: Tsutsui Masako

[High Quality Audio] To You: A Message for Your Departure

“To You — A Message for Your Departure” is a song gifted by Masako Tsutsui, an elementary school teacher, to her graduating students, and it is also known as a classic graduation song.

It carries a message for students who are ending their school life—full of both joyful and difficult moments—and standing at the threshold of a new beginning.

The song features a powerful yet beautiful piano melody and suits singing that makes use of the wide vocal range of mixed voices.

By singing clearly and with a strong voice, you can deliver an even more convincing performance.

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mutō

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