[Choral Songs You Can Sing in English] Recommended Pieces for Choral Competitions Too!
While singing in English might feel a bit intimidating, many people probably still harbor a longing to try it.
In this article, we’ve selected songs from film scores and Western pop music that are perfect for choral singing in English.
It’s easy to focus on how it sounds—thinking things like “I have to get close to a native accent”—but the top priority is understanding the song and uniting with your fellow singers to create music together!
Treasure your desire to sing choral pieces in English and dive into practice.
We also touch on the meaning of the lyrics and the films in which these songs appear, so please use this as a reference.
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Choral Songs You Can Sing in English: Recommended Pieces for Choir Competitions, Too! (31–40)
Top of the worldCarpenters
Carpenters’ “Top of the World” has easy-to-understand English, so it’s a great choral piece even for people who feel weak at English—highly recommended.
This song by the Carpenters, who were major hitmakers especially in the 1970s, was released in 1972 and reached No.
1 on the U.S.
Billboard Hot 100 in 1973, making it a very popular track.
Surely everyone has heard it at least once, right? It’s familiar too, appearing in music textbooks and the like.
The English lyrics are simple and upbeat, so do give it a try as an English choral piece for competitions!
Just the Way You AreBruno Mars
Here’s a song by singer-songwriter Bruno Mars—whose parents are both entertainers and who himself performed on nightclub stages from childhood—that was released in 2010 and became a huge hit.
It won Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 53rd Grammy Awards, so many of you may recognize it or even be able to sing along.
If you could perform it entirely a cappella like in this video, it would be quite striking, wouldn’t it?
Dancing QueenABBA
Songs by the choral group ABBA, who dominated music charts worldwide from the 1970s through the 1980s and achieved great success in the world of popular music.
This massive hit sold 3 million copies globally, and even those who don’t often listen to Western pop have probably heard it at least once.
Its distinctly pop sensibility—characteristic of popular music—combined with melodies that evoke Scandinavia gives it a different impression from the classical-leaning staples of choral repertoire.
It’s a song that makes listeners feel happy and is one you’ll want to include as an option in your choral program.
HallelujahLeonard Cohen
A song by Leonard Cohen, who was also active as a poet and novelist and continued to work energetically even after turning 80.
Included on his seventh album, Various Positions, it was later released as a single and is one of Cohen’s signature songs.
Its majestic, hymn-like lyrics and choral work truly shine when performed by a large chorus.
With its ethereal, spacious melody that brings a sense of peace, it’s a gospel number that speaks directly to the heart.
Take Me Home Country RoadsOlivia Newton-John
A song by Olivia Newton-John, who enjoyed worldwide popularity with numerous hit tracks as a singer while also succeeding as a businesswoman.
It’s a cover of a well-known American popular song, and it became famous in Japan for being used as an insert song and the ending theme in the Studio Ghibli film “Whisper of the Heart.” True to its title, the nostalgic melody creates an atmosphere that suits choral performance perfectly.
It’s also a number that makes you want to sing together—fresh in memory for its 2019 Rugby World Cup parody version, “Victory Road.”