[Elementary School Chorus Songs] A comprehensive introduction from classic standards to the latest hit songs!

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.

TOMORROWLyrics and Composition: Sugimoto Ryūichi

[Choral Song] Tomorrow (Mixed Chorus, Three-Part) [3-Singer Version]

This song, beloved as the ending theme of NHK’s nature documentary program “Ikimono Chikyū Kikō” (A Journey of Life on Earth), is one of Ryuichi Sugimoto’s signature works as both lyricist and composer.

Released as a single in May 1993, it is also included on the album “Tomorrow — NHK ‘Ikimono Chikyū Kikō’ Soundtrack.” Its lyrics, which sing of hope for tomorrow while drawing on the grandeur of nature—like birds soaring in the sky and stardust in the night—leave a lasting impression and gently encourage the listener.

With a calm tempo and expansive melody, it’s perfect for choral performance and is sung in various arrangements, including two-part and mixed three-part choruses.

It has long been cherished as a standard song for graduation and farewell ceremonies, and when voices come together, it warmly colors any moment of departure.

Song of LifeTakeuchi Mariya

Choral accompaniment for “Song of Life” — Graduation Ceremony Performance 2023-03-17

This is a song themed around encounters and bonds between people, and the importance of living together.

It was created as an insert song for the NHK morning drama series “Dandan,” and from spring 2009 it began to be sung in various settings such as weddings and graduation ceremonies.

Mariya Takeuchi wrote the lyrics under the pen name “Miyabi,” with music composed by Takatsugu Muramatsu.

In 2012, Mariya Takeuchi recorded a self-cover of the song and released it as a single.

The lyrics, which express gratitude for being born, being raised, meeting others, and sharing laughter, ask us to reflect on the meaning of life and the value of living.

It’s a perfect song for ceremonies that mark a new departure, such as graduations.

I’m glad I met you.Inoue Sonoko

Sonoko Inoue “I’m Glad I Met You” BOMBER-E LIVE

A number by Sonoko Inoue that makes you realize those ordinary days were irreplaceable treasures.

It’s included on her first album, “Hello,” released in March 2016, and drew attention as the theme song for the drama “Sakura Saku” and in a KKBOX commercial.

The lyrics capture the genuine feelings of Inoue herself, then a third-year high school student, and they move you not only with a sense of loneliness but also with gratitude for the people you met and a forward-looking message.

The warm yet refreshing sound woven by piano and strings beautifully colors graduation ceremonies where tears and smiles mingle.

It’s the perfect song to sing when you want to convey overflowing thanks to friends as you each head down different paths.

Everyone, everyone is shining.Yugeda Kensuke

Everyone, everyone is shining (unison chorus)

Riding on a cherry-blossom-colored breeze, this heartwarming song by Kensuke Yugeda gently sings of the hopeful arrival of spring.

It carries a message of encouragement for children taking their first steps forward, conveying a sense of anticipation for a shining future.

Its melody, expressing both endearing freshness and the courage to walk toward one’s dreams, tenderly nestles against the listener’s heart.

The piece is included on the album “Shiawase ni Naare” and is a beloved song performed at entrance ceremonies and welcome events for new students in elementary schools across Japan.

Since June 2018, it has been passed down in schools nationwide, and through more than 2,000 school concerts, Mr.

Yugeda has delivered it directly to children.

It is a springtime song brimming with joy, one we hope new students, teachers, and families will listen to.

Aboard a ship called the UnknownKobayashi Asei

[2016 Kumagaya Music Festival] Kumagaya Children’s Choir “Aboard a Ship Called the Unknown” November 13

“Board the Ship Called the Unknown” conveys the feeling of moving forward into an unseen future with a flutter of excitement and anticipation.

The lyrics were written by Yū Aku, who penned songs for many famous artists such as Kenji Sawada and Pink Lady, and the music was composed by Asei Kobayashi, a composer and actor known for numerous works including commercial jingles.

It’s a song that inspires great hope for the future in elementary school students whose lives are still just beginning and who can imagine any kind of future.

Sing this song and cherish all kinds of dreams!

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Treasure IslandSakushi: Iwaya Tokiko / Sakkyoku: Haneda Kentarō

Treasure Island - Mita Children's Choir, May 5, 2022

This classic song celebrates the longing for adventure and the courage to chase one’s dreams.

Its powerful melody resonates with children, and its beautiful lyrics overflow with anticipation for the unknown—a masterpiece born from the finest collaboration between Tokiko Iwatani and Kentaro Haneda.

Released in 1978, it was used as the opening theme for a TV anime broadcast on the NTV network, and it is now included in elementary school music textbooks.

It’s a perfect fit for the lively voices of grade-schoolers! Why not try singing it at a school performance or choir competition?