The Cherry Song

by John Riggio

Did you know there are over 1,000 varieties of cherries in the world? We didn't! And this song doesn't come anywhere close to naming them all, but it names a bunch, and probably a few you've never heard of. This is a list song, and John has listed merely 45 varieties. Now, you may ask, where's the Maraschino cherry? Maraschino isn't a variety unto itself. It's made using other cherries, such as Royal Ann or Rainier, with sweetener and red dye added to it.

Vocal part 1 of the song is straightforward, with no syncopation and a fun melody synth to help guide your singers. Part 2 vocals at the end of the song are more challenging, as the varieties are listed in rapid-fire succession, but we've given you a high synth guide to help with this as well. Be sure to consult our recording as to how to pronounce some of these varieties.

This is a happy song to sing, and it's cross curricular as well. If your school has a school garden program, teaches agriculture in the classroom, etc., be sure you spread the word that you have this sweet resource.

Text is taken from Music K-8 magazine.