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Twelve Easy Nursery Tunes
1 × $21.00
Build Your Gig Book
Music for a School Presentation
20
Jul
Jul
Download our curated set of music for a School Presentation. Choose what you want, or buy the entire set with a 10% discount. (Scroll down to buy the set!)
Have you been invited to give a concert or demonstration at a local school, but aren’t sure what to play? Here are some recommendations that we think students of all ages will enjoy. From an upbeat rag and viral TikTok classical piece, to a chart-topping pop song and nursery rhymes everyone knows, there’s something for everyone.
Titles marked with an * are playable on lever harp.
Fun for the Students
Patricia Terry-Ross
$5.00
Louise Trotter
$6.00
Pedal Sliders
$6.00
Cindy Horstman
$8.00
Tamsin Dearnley
$4.00
Shoshanna Godber
$5.00
Ailie Robertson
$5.00
Fairy Tale for Harp
by Patricia Terry-Ross
This work by Patricia Terry-Ross is seriously cool. It is such a unique way to demonstrate all the special effects the harp is capable of. The harpist gets to act as the narrator telling this grand fairy tale while also weaving in harp effects conceived by Carlos Salzedo used to demonstrate thunder from a storm, crying, and more.
*Surf Breakers
by Louise Trotter
No student concert would be complete without an opportunity to showcase harp glissandi! This original piece by Louise Trotter does just that by taking a new spin on the glissando waltz. It’s also a good refresher on two-note, right hand glissandi.
Dentist Blues
by Amanda Whiting / Tony Robinson
This piece by Amanda Whiting/Tony Robinson would be a fun way to introduce students to the blues in a concert. You can talk about the history of the blues and why people sing the blues. I think kids could certainly relate to how a trip to the dentist could warrant the blues!
*Stella’s Trip to Kamloops
arr. Shoshanna Godber
In my experience, students respond positively to upbeat, dance-like music. That’s why I chose this peppy Nova Scotian march by Pat Chafe for this list. You can’t help but feel cheerful when listening to it.
Dragonflies
by Cindy Horstman
Pieces that evoke imagery are particularly a good fit for a student concert because they provide something to think about while you play. This original work by Cindy Horstman evokes the flight of dragonflies. In her repeated arpeggio sections, you can imagine the dragonflies’ wings fluttering quickly.
*The Moving House Rag
by Tamsin Dearnley
Here’s another fun, upbeat piece that is perfect for a student concert! Dearnley’s original rag is lively and sounds really impressive without being too difficult.
*The Exploding Bow
by Ailie Robertson
What’s not to love about a good jig? Ailie Robertson weaves together an Irish jig, a Scottish jig, and an original jig to create this really unique, exciting piece that I think students will love.
Familiar Tunes
Janne-Minke Nijp
$4.99
Meinir Heulyn
$8.00
Meinir Heulyn
$21.00
Tamsin Dearnley
$6.00 – $8.00
Alison Martin
$19.00
Claire Swanson
$5.00
*Hello
arr. Janne-Minke Nijp
It’s always a good idea to bring in some melodies that students will know. Adele is one of the top streamed female artists in the world. This song has won dozens of awards, including three GRAMMY awards. Nijp’s arrangement brings the pop hit to life!
The Blue Danube Waltz
arr. Meinir Heulyn
Something about this Strauss waltz is a hit with pretty much all audiences. For extra fun, students can be given kazoos to play on beats three and one of the famous melody.
*Twelve Easy Nursery Tunes
by Meinir Heulyn
If you’re playing for elementary school students, this collection by Meinir Heulyn could be used for a fun sing-a-ling portion during your concert. Surely all the kids will know “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,” “Baa Baa Black Sheep, ” “This Old Man,” and dozens more of these popular nursery tunes. Each tune also comes with an optional second part, too.
*Allegro from ‘Spring’
arr. Tamsin Dearnley
We can thank TikTok for spreading love for standard classical repertoire to the next generation. This is one of those pieces that you’ll hear occasionally while scrolling through the app. Vivaldi’s peppy melody is ultimately timeless and you can use this arrangement by Dearnley in all areas of your gig repertoire.
*Popular Folk Songs for Harp
by Alison Martin
This collection feels so nostalgic for me because it contains many folks songs that I played on the harp growing up such as “Oh Dear, What Can The Matter Be,” “The Ash Grove,” and “Scarborough Fair.” Another fun one in the collection is “What Shall We Do With A Drunken Sailor?”
*Suo Gan
arr. Claire Swanson
Claire Swanson’s arrangement of this Welsh lullaby is stunning with its use of open space. I think it works well as a demonstration piece, as it feels “harp-esque” and also uses harmonics and arpeggios. It will also create a nice quiet moment on your concert.
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| Image | Name | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Allegro from 'Spring' | $6.00 – $8.00 | |
 | Dentist Blues | $6.00 | |
 | Dragonflies | $8.00 | |
 | Fairy Tale for Harp | $5.00 | |
 | Hello (solo version) | $4.99 | |
 | Popular Folk Songs for the Harp | $19.00 | |
 | Stella's Trip to Kamloops | $5.00 | |
 | Suo Gan | $5.00 | |
 | Surf Breakers | $6.00 | |
 | The Blue Danube | $12.00 | |
 | The Exploding Bow | $5.00 | |
 | The Moving House Rag (solo) | $4.00 | |
 | Twelve Easy Nursery Tunes | $21.00 |
