I Count My Blessings

There's no rule we know of that says you can't sing about your blessings any day and any time of the year. Even so, we welcome the chance to remind ourselves of this every November, thanks to our Thanksgiving celebrations. (Well, in the United States anyway.) This easy-going tune is one way to make the most of the opportunity. It's a light country folk song with a comfortable melody and a memorable chorus. It's got an optional second part that makes it a duet, but the melody can easily stand on its own. Because both parts are on the full recording, we have created rehearsal versions with each part isolated for ease of hearing. We have also recorded a special duet version that features sisters Melissa Schott and Michelle Martin. We wanted you to hear how neat it could sound this way and these ladies have been singing duets all their lives! For information on accessing these free extras, see page 77.

If you are using this piece in performance, you can set a nice stage with some basic autumnal/Thanksgiving props. Set up some bales of hay, and/or use streamers of orange, yellow, red, etc. to decorate in general. Embellish with pumpkins, gourds, apples, dried corn on the cob, and other iconic elements. Another idea would be to have a backdrop of pictures – posters, drawings, or projections – that are either autumnal, Thanksgiving themed, or simply represent things your students are grateful for. Ask them: What are the blessings in your life?