Music Alone Shall Live

Vocally,our setting of this favorite round is quite simple. The tune is presented once in unison (at bar 17), then it becomes a 3-part round, repeated four times. It is the instrumental arrangement behind the song that makes it unique. It begins with just a string quartet, building instrument by instrument until it reaches a full orchestra peak as the round begins the fourth time. As the singers finish, the background winds itself back down to just the strings and guitar by the ending. Be sure to let your students listen to the accompaniment tracks to fully appreciate the strings, as well as the oboe and horn soloists.

Those of you who know this song will also note that it has been slightly reharmonized. The new bass notes in bars 21 and 25 (and each time they recur) will make it easier to tell where in the tune Part One should be as the backgrounds get thicker.