SOLO AND UNISON FAVOURITES
– for young singers –

by Gladys Davenport

Solo or UNISON with piano – LMS-139 – duration 2:00

This lovely song with words and music by Gladys Davenport paints a beautiful picture of the scenery surrounding a Canadian lake, complete with the call of the loon. Full of beautiful imagery and word painting, it is so easy to imagine this lovely scene and sense the tranquility of nature.  “Cool and Silent is the Lake” has been a staple vocal solo for the RCM level 8 and Conservatory Canada Grade 8 for many years for exams, concerts and festivals. It is part of the Canadian Art Song Series as recorded by Canada’s own Leslie Fagan. 

Cool and silent is the lake
Only the plaintive laughter of the loon I hear
And in the far off hills
The answer of his mate

by Linda Fletcher

UNISON with piano, opt. flute and cello

by Nancy Telfer

Solo or UNISON with piano – LMS 588 – duration 1:55

This lovely song  by Nancy Telfer has been very popular as a unison choral piece and as a vocal solo; it is on the RCM Level 2 and on the Grade 3 syllabus for Conservatory Canada. With a hauntingly beautiful modal melody, this song features a repetitive rhythmic motif. The York Board of Education commissioned it, and it describes what you could see if you could fly on the back of an eagle. The accompaniment rises and falls like the soaring of an eagle. 

I would fly on the back of an eagle
On a warm and windy day
From a place quite high in the clear, blue sky 
I would feel the air blowing through my hair
And watch the sights below

by Linda Fletcher

Solo, UNISON or SA with piano –  LMS 708 –    – duration 2:05

by Linda Fletcher

Solo or Unison or SA with piano –  LMS 723 –    – duration 1:55

Originally written for the Walton United Church youth choir, “A Song of Sharing” was Leslie Music’s biggest seller the first year it was published. The lyrics carry the message of sharing, loving, hoping and making the world a better place. This two part or unison song has an optional Christmas verse. 
Choirs around the world have performed “Song of Sharing,” which has been translated into Swedish. It is also a popular Level 3 RCM solo for examinations, festivals and recitals.  The song frequently appears in educational and choral collections and is on repertoire lists for school and community choirs. 

Let’s sing a song of sharing, of loving, of caring
We’ll sing a song of sharing with our brother next door
Let’s sing a song of sharing, of hoping, of daring
To love your sister as yourself, and give others more

by Walter Macnutt

Solo or UNISON with piano – LMS-762 – duration 2:00

“Take Me to a Green Isle,” reminiscent of his birthplace, PEI, is one of Walter MacNutt’s most popular songs. The lyrics are taken from a poem by H.E. With its gorgeous melody, sweeping phrases, and descriptive text, it has been a favourite song for many years at concerts, festivals and exams.  It is on the RCM Level 8 and Conservatory Canada Grade 8 syllabi. 

Take me to a green isle
Lay me softly there
Where dew is on the roses
And peace is in the air

by W.H. Anderson

Solo or UNISON with piano  – LMS 804 – duration 2:10

This beautiful song, with its long, sweeping phrases has been on the RCM Level 6 list for decades.  It is also on the syllabus for Grade 5 Conservatory Canada

May your every hour be a poem rare
Woven out of courage
And loveliness and light
I would have your days
As the radiant glow in the western sky
Between day and night.

Blanche Pownall Garrett

by Clifford Crawley

Solo or Unison with piano – LMS 820

Young choirs across North America have performed this energetic and expressive song.  Young singers will delight in the dramatic storytelling about what Trolls like and dislike.  As a vocal solo it is frequently heard as a Level 4 RCM song for exams, festivals and concerts. It is also on the syllabus for Conservatory Canada Grade 4. Set in a minor key, with it’s misterious piano accompaniment, this song is an excellent lesson in text exploration and storytelling. 

Very high up in the mountains
In a dark and echo-ey cave
Live a family of giant trolls;
Be very careful for they behave
In a most peculiar manner