Valentine’s Day Songs with coloured hearts

Valentines-Day-Singing-Hearts-page-3-demoNeeding a fun but simple activity tomorrow for Valentines Day, I decided to print up some coloured hearts and attach songs.

 

Coloured hearts…because they don’t all have to be red!

 

How to: Choose a child (or a teacher) to choose a heart, and then sing that song.

 

I have included blank hearts if you’d like to use them as backs, or to write your own songs on them.

Here they are: Valentines Day Singing Hearts

 

Variation: Have the child or teacher who chose the heart eat a block of chocolate with a plastic knife and fork.  Then quickly have someone else come up and choose the next heart, then they swap with the person eating the chocolate (new knife and fork of course).  You’ll have everyone’s attention!

 

Edited to add: I did the chocolate with my Snr Primary today.  I had more children than I thought, and had taken extra blocks of chocolate and enough plastic knives and forks to cater for that, so all was good.  I had 2 or 3 children come up at a time so everyone was able to have a turn.  Worked beautifully!

 

Need simplified primary songs?

I have come across two great sites with kind people who have simplified Primary songs, free to download.  I know it must have taken them hours and hours to do.

 

There is D’Net Layton’s site here.  She has made the songs very simple, included colour pictures from the Primary Songbook and has some pre-reading songs too (notes with finger numbers, not on the stave).

There is also Michael and Heather Smuthwaite who have kept the songs in their original key from the Children’s Songbook, added fingering and have a feature where you can listen to the song as well.  Their site is here.  They also have some simplified hymns and choir arrangements.

I don’t have a primary pianist called as yet, but I have someone fill in for me (except the one Sunday she teaches RS.  She’d much rather be in Primary!).  I have a student of mine in Snr Primary play simplified Primary Songs while Snr Primary is walking in to Opening Exercises, and our Jnr Primary is making their way back from having a drink and/or going to the toilet.  We sing along with my student, which get the attention of the children.  It’s a great confidence booster for her. It also gives our Presidency the opportunity to check that the children giving the talk, scripture and prayer are present on the day.

 

 

Freeze Like This – Action Song

Once we had completed our hard work today, learning If I Listen With My Heart, I did ‘Freeze Like This’ with Jnr Primary.

 

I printed out the pictures from Kami’s Primary Music Ideas site (link here) and pasted them on to thick cardboard.

 

My Jnr Primary were already sitting in a big circle on their chairs, so I had them stand up in front of me, in the middle of the room.

 

Go through the original song with the children, then show them the pictures.  Can they stand like this? (show them the first card).

 

If you’re happy and you know it, freeze like this (show a card)

If you’re happy and you know it, freeze like this (show another card)

If you’re happy and you know it, then your face will surely show it

If you’re happy and you know it, freeze like this (show another card).

 

The children absolutely LOVED it!  We started off really slow for the first time through the cards, then did it faster.  The children got their wiggles out, and the teachers commented afterwards that they thought it was such a great way to do the song.  The sunbeam children asked to sing it again in their class.

 

I did it with Snr Primary too, to see what they would think (was it too babyish for them?)  They really enjoyed it too, especially the Snr boys.

Kiss or Miss – Song Revision Game

Hershey KissesI purchased a Classic Bag of Hershey’s Kisses on my recent trip to the US.  I think they’re the red, silver and gold ones? – we don’t have them in Australia (only silver, and they’re difficult to find), so it’s my special treat for Snr Primary.

I’m not doing this game with Jnr Primary, because it won’t work in my ward at the moment.

The game is like pass the parcel, but there’s a twist.

Set up:

– Have the children sit in a large circle.

– Instruct your Pianist on the song you wish to revise and how to play.

 

How to play:

– Drop 3 or 4 ‘Kisses’ into the hand of a child.

– Start the music.  The children need to sing along to the music.

– When the music stops, tell the child left holding the Kisses “Kiss or Miss”.  The child holding the Kisses can choose to sing the next line of the song, or miss out, and pass the Kisses on to the next child to sing the line.  Once they sing the next line (or mime actions if they are a non-singer or self conscious) they can keep the Kisses.

– Give the child 3 or 4 more kisses to pass around, and begin from the line they just sang (you could repeat that line and keep going).

 

Extras:

– You might have a ‘savvy’ pianist who selectively chooses when to stop, so that everyone gets a turn.

– Make sure you have enough Kisses to hand out to all the children who haven’t received any when your time runs out.

– Think about what you’re going to do if a child/children get a second go.  Do they have to give the kisses to a teacher?  To the Primary President?  Share with other children?  Keep for themselves?  I would haven’t any children sit out for this game.

 

 

Easter Singing Time

Tomb-and-stone-rolled-away-Singing-TimeI’m keeping it really simple tomorrow.  I’m using a picture of a tomb facing the front. On the back is a picture of the tomb with the stone rolled away (they’re stuck together back to back, and laminated).  I will write a song on the side with the stone rolled away.

Reverent children will be able to come up the front and choose a ‘tomb’.  Turn it over, and see what song is on the side with the stone rolled away, then we get to sing it.

We have Invitation Sunday tomorrow, so I think Singing Time will be short and sweet anyway.

Here’s the printout: Tomb and stone rolled away Singing Time

I’m Baaaaaack

My husband has recently been released as the Second Counsellor in the Bishopric, and was called as the Young Mens President.  I was a Ward Family History Consultant, but have also been called as the Primary Music Leader again.  Woohoo!  They’re both really cool callings but they’re going to keep me busy!

I also have a new addition to my family – a just turned 7 month old baby, just because I didn’t have enough to do.

 

Anyhow, looking forward to sharing more music with you, and whatever ideas flow into this brain of mine.

The Olive Tree – Vocal Trio

I was called as First Counsellor in Relief Society at the beginning of this year, and I have to say with all honesty that it is the most depressing calling I have ever had!  Depressing, because when you are in Primary, you get to concentrate on the beautiful children in your care and not have to worry about the cares and concerns of the Ward.  The children are so sweet and trusting and relatively easy to teach.  They have such simple but inspiring faith as well!

Relief Society came as a huge shock to me after spending so many years in Primary (15 years, I think it was).  Each and every sister seems to have something they’re going through or battling with.  We have something like 40% inactivity in our ward, which is crazy!  Completely different from the sweet, trusting and faithful children in Primary who have simple but gorgeous testimonies.  It certainly isn’t my favourite calling, but I’m doing the best I can and trying to enrich the lives of those around me.

My husband has recently been called as Second Counsellor in the Bishopric (another HUGE shock for us!!) and because we don’t have a music chairman in our ward, he has asked me to ‘work my magic’ and help him out with some musical items every now and then.

This song took me 8 hours in total to arrange, but I LOVE it. The story behind this one is that I have been looking for the vocal trio that Felicia Sorensen did for EFY many years ago, but only the solo version is available.  After mentioning this to my husband, he said “Well, you have the skills, do it!”.  So I did.  And here it is, ready for three YW in my ward to perform it in Sacrament Meeting in July:-

The Olive Tree – Vocal Trio

And in E Flat major: The Olive Tree – Vocal Trio_eflat

It isn’t the same as Felicia Sorensen’s version, in fact it’s quite different but blends the three parts really well.  The middle part carries the melody for most of the song.

Baptism/When I am Baptised Medley

Another Fireside favourite!

I arranged this for my daughter and one of the gorgeous YW in my ward to sing at the Fireside last year mentioned in a post below.  It is a simple but effective combination of the two songs, keeping the lilting 6/8 time signature so they flow together.

It would be perfectly suitable as a musical item for Baptisms, as well as Sacrament Meeting!

Here’s my arrangement of Baptism and When I am Baptised:-

Baptism When I Am Baptised Medley

Lord, Make me an Instrument of Thy Peace

Last year, I was asked to find an arrangement of St Francis of Assisi’s “Lord, Make Me an Instrument of Thy Peace” for a fireside.  There are some lovely versions out there, but the requirements were that it needed to be a male vocal solo, and it had to be suitable for a Fireside.  That meant that I couldn’t use any choral versions, and the more ‘modern’ arrangement sung by Olivia Newtown John was out of the question.  Because I couldn’t find one, I had to arrange one myself.

Although not the intended target (I wrote it for someone in particular, who sang it beautifully at the Fireside), it has become one of my husband’s favourites to sing.

Here is my arrangement of “Lord, Make Me an Instrument of Thy Peace for Male tenor, violin and piano: Lord Make me an Instrument of Thy Peace

I’m Moving House

I am moving house in less than two weeks, hence the lack of posts on this blog :(  It has been such a learning experience selling my house, but it’s all good.  I hope to catch up posting the music I have arranged since June very soon.

 

I’m looking forward to being able to have a music keyboard near my computer again, and get back to composing/arranging more music.  My apologies to those who have wanted music arranged  – I hadn’t visited my blog for some months.  I hope you were able to find something suitable for what you needed.

 

The packing has started, and all the fun that goes with that.  (Wish me luck!)

 

 

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