Santa Is My Buddy

Okay. We just had to do it. We had to write a song for this issue that was undeniably a Christmas song. What else could a song about Santa be?

This one is light and a little bit silly and should be singable for just about any class you have. We recommend primary grades for this song, but you can do whatever works. It features a chorus singing the song while a solo speaker offers a running commentary on the lyrics.

To keep things light and frothy, we have used muted brass, a boingy bass, and of course, jingle bells throughout on the recording. If you don't use the recording, you should at least consider adding your own jingle bells for that seasonal flavor.

The tempo is slow enough to allow time for your soloist to speak the lines that fall in between and after the sung phrases. Listen to the recording for a good example of performance. Your soloist should be someone who can speak clearly enough to be understood, but can also use an accent or funny voice if he/she wishes. (Our soloist was Nathan Bayless, who has done a number of voice solos for us.)

For simple performance pizzazz, include Santa Claus and a hamster - students in costume, that is. They can be bouncing up and down or walking around in tempo during some of the instrumental moments and the ending. Let them put their arms around each other - and your soloist - like buddies at the end.