[Elementary School Chorus Songs] A comprehensive showcase from moving masterpieces to the latest hit tunes!

Thank you, goodbye.Fukuda Wakako

Thank you, goodbye.

For anyone looking for a song to sing at a graduation ceremony, our top recommendation is “Arigatou Sayounara” (“Thank You, Goodbye”).

It’s a moving song filled with gratitude and farewells to the friends, teachers, and classroom you’ve shared time with.

With many repeated melodies, it’s easy for elementary school students to learn.

Even sung in a single part without splitting into sections like a mixed chorus, it still has great impact—so why not choose it for your graduation ceremony?

Song of FledgingIwakawa Saburō

Song of Leaving the Nest, Konosu Kita Junior High School, Grade Choir (172 members)

“Sudachi no Uta,” widely sung as a graduation chorus piece, is a song of parting addressed to the teachers and friends who have supported you before you set off from school toward the future.

It evokes many memories—fun times and hard times—and various scenes from school life.

Though it’s sad to leave this place and the people you love, the song conveys the resolve to hold your head high and depart for a wonderful future.

With beautiful harmony between boys and girls, it lets fathers, mothers, and teachers witness the growth achieved over six years.

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SAKI

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I am a kitten.Okuma Takako

[N-Contest Required Piece] I Am a Kitten / Eiko Kadono & Takako Okuma

This was the required piece for the 2019 NHK Chorus Contest, Elementary School Division.

It’s a charming song themed around kittens.

The key points are the rhythmic feel of the introduction and the singing style that follows.

While the rhythm carries through to the end, the presence of complex scales makes the piece fairly challenging.

It also tests the class’s unity.

How you handle the tricky section at the end is crucial.

In springKinoshita Makiko

Makiko Kinoshita / “In Spring” (poem by Shuntaro Tanikawa) from the mixed chorus collection “Beyond the Horizon” — Shuichi Toma, Taiyo Kinoshita, Osaka Heinrich Schütz Chamber Choir

Makiko Kinoshita set one of Shuntaro Tanikawa’s poems to music, and a three-part mixed chorus version was released in 1989.

Because versions also exist in B-flat major for three-part treble voices and four-part male voices, the piece is popular as a choral work sung by a wide range of ages—from elementary school children to mothers’ choruses.

Many schools choose this piece as their free-choice work in nationwide choral competitions.

paprikaYonezu Kenshi

paprika

A song by the elementary and middle school music unit Foorin, provided by singer-songwriter Kenshi Yonezu.

It became a social phenomenon across a wide range of ages—from children to adults—with countless dance videos posted on social media.

Because it’s performed by a youth music unit, it’s often chosen as an elementary school chorus piece, and its catchy, easy-to-remember melody is a big part of its appeal.

It’s a song that brings smiles to both kids and adults, perfect for brightening the stage of a choral performance.

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Hoshino Takashi

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To the next sky

Two-part choral piece for the Risshiki and graduation ceremonies, “To the Next Sky” (Kurosawajiri Kita Elementary School)

This is a song that is often sung at elementary school graduation ceremonies.

With its clear, pure vocals that resonate in the heart, it expresses children’s hopes for the future and their gratitude to those around them.

As it is also included in textbooks, it is well-loved by many children.

Composed by Kensuke Yugeda, the song features lyrics and a warm melody that are perfect for the important milestone of graduation.

It can be called a classic that leaves a deep impression not only on graduates, but also on current students, teachers, and parents.

When everyone sings it together, it’s sure to become an unforgettable memory.

In the country where Hiroshima isYamamoto Satoshi

Chorus in the country where Hiroshima is

This is a song that reflects on Hiroshima, where many lives were taken by war, and sings about the preciousness of life.

The lyrics are straightforward and may be a bit shocking.

Since many elementary schools have peace education, I think this song is perfect for facing and understanding what things were like at the time.

The key to performing this song is not just to sing the lyrics, but to sing with a wish for peace.