Alice, Where Art Thou Going?

This is a nifty little song that comes to us from the turn of the 20th century. It's actually been through a number of iterations over the decades. This particular arrangement adds to that list since it has all original lyrics and a slightly altered melody. We also thought it would be neat to add optional rhythm sticks and triangles to the ensemble.

The gist of this story song is that Alice is simply looking to have a nice day. In the first verse, she wants to enjoy a bit of sunshine. In the second verse, she is trying to walk downtown to buy a new mug. In both instances, things do not go as planned – first she slips in the mud and then she is scared by a bug. Poor Alice!

If you want to use this song in a concert, it could be quite entertaining. You could have one of your students playing Alice. The choir would sing the opening question, "Alice, where art thou going?", and Alice would sing or speak the response, "Outside to get some sun," and pretend to be walking outside. The rest of the verse could be pantomimed, complete with the slip in the mud and a very carefully planned (and safe) pratfall. Then, a similar treatment for the second verse. If it works better for your situation, you could change "Alice" to "Alvin" and alter the lyrics accordingly. A "bonnet oh so snug" could become a "ball cap oh so snug." And for extra challenge and fun, you and your choir could come up with your own set of lyrics for Alice (or Alvin).

The rhythm sticks and triangles begin the second time at bar 1, but if you'd like to have them play the entire time, there is a full bar drum set-up at the top to help them know when to come in. By the way, we have included PDFs of isolated rhythm sticks and triangle parts on our web site. Also, you could use other instruments instead of, or in addition to, the sticks and triangles.