Smile, Smile, Smile!

Written by brothers George H. and Felix Powell, this is one of very few songs that have endured from the early 1900s till now. It is perhaps the best-known example of a rousing music hall march often used to recruit and boost the morale of young soldiers during World War I.

While our arrangement updates some of the lyrics, it keeps the overall spirit of the grand old stage plays. As was typical of stage plays at this time, the orchestra was not huge, but featured all the basics, including a small string section, a brass section, a small woodwind section, bass drum, snare drum, and sometimes cymbals.

In our version, we insert a chorus for kazoos and orchestra at measure 9 (the second time). If you choose not to use the kazoos, simply repeat the lyrics for that section. Be sure kazoos are performed with the same uplifting style as the original.

Smile, Smile, Move! - Our choreographer, Melissa Schott, was so taken with this tune, that she decided to add some movement to it. You can use her ideas exactly as she presents them, or as always, you can adapt them however you like to work in your situation. You will find her video and teaching notes on our web site.