Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Sometimes you hear a name or a place and think, "Wow, that's just really fun to say!" And sometimes it's also equally fun to sing. That's how we felt about a city in Canada called Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. We just had to write a song about it! Saskatoon is the largest city in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. With a population of around 266,000 people, it has served as the cultural and economic hub of central Saskatchewan since its founding in 1882.

Our original song for this lovely city features an easygoing melody that's simple to learn and really sticks with you. The lyrics mention singing and whistling while strolling along with a friend. They even highlight the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra (note the reference to Mozart's "Eine Kleine Nacht Musik" beginning in measure 28). There is a second vocal part that enters at measure 5 on the D.S. This part is a catchy little countermelody that includes singing and whistling. Of course, this part is optional, but it adds a bit of whimsy to the piece. To help teach and learn part 2, we have isolated it and included it as part of the downloadables for this issue.

If you're feeling really ambitious, we have also provided a ukulele part. This is definitely a perfect song to strum along with on a uke! The chords used are C, F, G, D7, and A. It's optional and not necessary for a performance, but if you have players up to the task, it would be a really neat addition. There is an extracted ukulele part available on our web site, too.

By the way, if you are interested in singing and learning about all of the Canadian provinces, look in the third issue of Music K-8, Volume 34 for a song called, "The Provinces Of Canada."