Holiday Lights

Besides being one of the most iconic elements of the holiday season, lights are also one of the most universally shared around the world. So naturally, we are keen to have music to go with all those holiday, holiday lights! This upbeat, happy pop tune should fill the need quite nicely. We won't say that it's easy, at least not at first. There are some fun and interesting twists and turns that make it more exciting and challenging. But once your singers have it, they'll really enjoy getting to, well, shine. (Pun intended.)

There is an optional part 2, which adds to the overall pleasantness, we think. And should you choose to use it, you'll find a rehearsal track for both it and part 1 at our web site. There, you will also find an acoustic full version of this piece. It features pianos only with the vocalists. (If you have a couple of pianos or keyboards and players for them, this might be a neat way to perform it live.)

Given the subject, we feel this just calls out for something visual with lights, too. You could have traditional lighting in your performance area, really decking the place out so it sparkles during this tune. You could also do a projectable "light show" with slideshow images of holiday lights as they sing.

Candleography

If you want more motion, consider adding "candleography," that is, hand movements done while holding battery powered candles or other lights, like light sticks. For the bouncy parts of the tune, just having kids do small bounces, for example two beats with the left hand, two beats with the right for each measure, will go a long way to adding energy. During the smoother sections, have them do more gentle moves, like swaying from side to side. Really anything you do – simple or fancy – will be quite effective with a large group of tiny lights moving together. Let kids help you come up with the movements for extra involvement.