Text is the heart and soul of vocal/choral music, yet the literal meaning of text is not, in itself, enough reason to choose a song. Text also has sound. It has imagery. It has its own rhythm. It has its own expression that implies pitch direction. Only when all of these things come together into one artistic whole do we have a song that is worthy of children’s artistry.
A song is a vocal stage play, with the intertwining of text, rhythm and melody serving as the staging, scenery, and costumes for the dramatic delivery of the text. Singers engaged in movement become the directors of the “play” of energy, with the text as script.
The words are important, but not so much for their literal meaning as for their sound, their imagery, their reflection in rhythm and in melody, and their expression. Never underestimate children’s capacity for artistry. Like poets, they understand imagery better than we do. Like professional musicians, they revel in musicality.
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