Of Harvest and Home
An All-School Program Suggestion
using materials from Share the Music and Share the Music 2003

This program is an alternative to a December holiday program. It can be presented at any time in November or early December, but is not related to any holiday. Its theme is a celebration of harvest and of happy relationships with family and friends.

An optional feature of the program is a salute to the centennial of the birth of the American composer Aaron Copland, born November 15, 1899. (See the "Featured Composer" section for details on teaching this section.)

The program is suggested as an easy-to-prepare all-school program. Take out, or add, any songs of your choice. It can also be easily adapted to be presented by a school chorus, by just one grade level, or by any combination of classes or grades. Any of the many songs in the Share the Music books related to Thanksgiving may be added. (See Thanksgiving songs in the Celebrations section of individual books.) They have not been included in this version of the program in order to make the time frame and the content suggested here as flexible as possible.

NOTE: Play all CDs through the public address system if at all possible. Except for an explanation of the "Patsch-along" audience participation during the movement for "Hoedown," which probably should be done by a teacher, use a different narrator for each speech. The speeches have been kept brief to facilitate memorization. Optional performance suggestions are included for each part of the program.

SCENERY: Use large cut-outs of various fruits, flowers and vegetables. One could be made by each student. They can be placed randomly on a backdrop, to create a colorful collage, and around the auditorium on the walls. Students can sit in the audience section, coming to the stage for their special sections. Some students may wish to wear jeans, straw hats, and other apparel appropriate for harvest time.

1: Narration: We begin with a song that expresses one of the themes of this program—a hope for harmony within our homes, our school and our country.

Grade 6 and All Students: "Harmony". . . . . . . . . . . . Artie Kaplan and Norman J. Simon
Share the Music 2003: Book 6, page 110, CD 2:42;
Share the Music 1998: Book 6, page 92, CD 2:28

Performance Suggestion: Teach the melody of "Harmony" and of "Peace Round" to all the students previous to the day of the concert. Have a chorus, the sixth graders, or whatever the oldest group may be, perform this two-part song alone. Then, repeat the song, inviting all the students to join in on the melody, at least on the refrain.

2: Narration: This time of year in many areas of the world is a season to the harvest the food.

Grade 2: "Harvest" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Georgia Folk Song
Share the Music 2003: Book 2, page 313, CD 6:34;
Share the Music 1998: Book 1, page T245, CD 4:45

Performance Suggestion: Have students sing and move to the words of the song and to any additional words they may have created. (See Teacher's Edition for suggestions.) Have second graders remain in place to be the "lead" group in the sing-along that follows.

Narration: Nothing can bring people closer together than singing. Unfortunately group singing has been a practice that has all but died out in the last few decades. Let's revive group singing here in our school, our "home away from home," with two songs you probably already know and one that may be new to you, but that you will soon learn. All the songs express thoughts and feelings close to the theme of our program today.

All Students and Audience: A "Home-style" Sing-along
NOTE: All songs are from Share the Music 2003.

"Home on the Range" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .American Cowboy Song
Book 3, page 2, CD 1:3; Performance Mix: 9:31

"Stand by Me" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ben E. King, Mike Stoller and Jerry Leiber
Book 6, page 150, CD 3:29; Performance Mix: CD 11:23

Narration: Listen as the second graders sing the first verse of this song, then sing along on the rest.

"In the Name of All of Our Children" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sally Rogers
Book 2, page 8, CD 1:6; Performance Mix: CD 8:8

Performance Suggestions: Words for "Home on the Range" can be on an overhead transparency. Only the words of verses 2–5 need to be on a transparency for "In the Name of All of our Children." The words for "Stand by Me" cannot be legally displayed on an overhead, but the song is so well-known that most will be able to sing it without seeing the words.

3. Narration: A bountiful harvest reminds us of our good fortune and that we should be grateful for it.

Grade 3: "Gather 'Round" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Margaret Campbelle-Holman
Share the Music 2003: Book 3, page 314, CD 7:25, Performance Mix CD 10:14;
Share the Music 1998: Book 3, page 270, CD 6:38)

Performance Suggestion: Add bells and unpitched instruments, as suggested in the lesson.

4. Narration: With harvest, in many places, come the first signs of colder weather.

Grade 1: "North Winds Blow". . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Zoltan Kodály and Ivy Rawlins
Share the Music 2003: Book 1, page 280, CD 6:12;
Share the Music 1998: Book 1, page 249, CD 5:4

Performance Suggestion: Have students create gestures, accompanied by piano or the CD recording. Then, repeat the song, with first graders accompanying with Orff and other instruments, as suggested in the lesson for the song and at the bottom of page T280. Others perform the dramatic movement they have created to fit the words of the song.

5. Narration: (by sixth grader. Use text from MEET THE COMPOSER: AARON COPLAND.)

6. Narration (by teacher): In the days of the old West, and in some places even today, people celebrated friendships, family, and harvest with a good old-fashioned hoedown—or square dance. We're going to play a recording of Aaron Copland's "Hoedown" from the ballet, Rodeo. We invite you to do a "Patsch-Along" with the recorded music. That means you will clap, snap, pat and stamp, using the Listening Map as a guide.

Performance Suggestion: Listening Map Transparency T•7, the Listening Map for "Hoedown," Book 4, page 178.

Narration (by teacher, continued as transparency of "Hoedown" is projected) First, notice the "big" A section and the "little" a and b phrases in it. The part of the chart marked "Key," above it, helps you know what to do. On every "little" a phrase, clap on the sun burst and snap with one hand then the other on the two stars. On the "little" b phrase, pat four short, even sounds to a beat, alternating hands. In the "big" B section, stamp on the lowest note and clap on the highest one. That's all you have to do. Oh, you might want to mirror me in the parts in between the ones we've talked about. Now, move with me, watch the listening map, and imagine you're at a real hoedown!

"Hoedown" from Rodeo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . Aaron Copland

Narration: (Use text of MULTICULTURAL PERSPECTIVES at bottom of teacher's page, for "Simple Gifts" Grade 4. 2003 Edition: page 269; earlier editions: page 235.)

Performance Suggestion: If possible, have the entire audience, including any adults in attendance, do the "Patsch-along" with the recording. You may wish to have them practice without the music first, omitting the parts not included on the listening map where they will later simply mirror you. (Suggestion: Use mirrored "elbow dancing" for these places.)

As an option, or preceding this audience participation, have a group of eight dance a "hoedown" to the recording, using the choreography by Nancy L. T. Miller at the bottom of the teacher's page.

7. Grades 4 and 5: "Simple Gifts". . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Traditional Shaker Song
Share the Music 2003: Book 4, page 269, CD 6:16; Book 5, page 215, CD 5:19
Share the Music 1998: Book 4, page 235, CD 6:21; Book 5, page 191, CD 4:36

Performance Suggestion: Have all fourth and fifth grade students sing the song. Accompany the song with the Orff instrument orchestration played by Grade 4 students as students from Grade 5 do the original dance (Grade 5, page 215). See O•13 in Orchestrations for Orff Instruments Grade 5.

Narration (by fifth grader): (Use text of ABOUT APPALACHIAN SPRING)

8. Grade 5: Variations on "Simple Gifts," from Appalachian Spring. . . . . Aaron Copland
Share the Music 2003: Book 5, page 216, CD 5:20;
Share the Music 1998: Book 5, page 192, CD 4:37

Performance Suggestion: Have students form four groups and do their original creative movement to the recording as Listening Map Transparency T•8 for Variations on "Simple Gifts" is projected. See Book 5, page 216 for Listening Map and suggestions for movement.

Narration: Aaron Copland communicated the joy of harvest and of home in his music as, perhaps, no other American composer did. Let us honor him, his harvest of contributions to American music, and his 100th birthday as we sing our final song, thinking about how grateful we all need to be for the blessings of harvest and of home.

9. Grade 5 and All Students: "Peace Round...." Old English Canon, Words by Jean Ritchie
Share the Music 2003: Book 5, page 53, CD 1:29;
Share the Music 1998: Book 5, page 43, CD 1:22

Performance Suggestion: Have Grade 5 students sing the song in unison and in canon. It can be accompanied with the Orff instrument orchestration (See page 0•3 in Grade 5 Orchestration for Orff Instruments.) Then, invite the audience to sing along and repeat the song and movement. For an audience sing-along, use CD 1:29. Also, see suggestions for movement in unison and canon in Book 5, page 53.