Merry Merry Joy Joy

A frolic is a playful action, and that's just what this vocal piece is. Light and merry (what else?), it gives your older singers a chance to flex their vocal muscles a bit. You could use it in a holiday performance, though it never actually says anything about a holiday, so any performance would actually work. You could also just use it in your classroom for the sheer joy of singing it.

There are two tempos suggested and we have recorded both of them. The faster one is on the recording for this issue. The slower one, which you may want to use for rehearsing, is available as a free download at our web site. In fact, there are a number of extras for this tune that you can access. Use them to rehearse, perform, or just listen to as you wish. The full list is indicated with our other downloadables.

Obviously, with a more "choral" piece like this one, you will want to emphasize the nuances with your singers. Things like dynamics, phrasing, enunciation, etc., are what make it more musical. And more fun. Just singing it a cappella is quite enjoyable. We are partial to the charming string orchestra on the recording, but if you want to perform it live with piano accompaniment only, you can. The part is very simple for piano. If you do this, you can alter the tempo, or you could even alter the length. For example, go through the whole tune two times before taking the D.S. and finishing it at the coda. However you use it, be sure your singers maintain a properly merry and joyful attitude throughout.