Learning Christmas Songs : The Twelve Days of Christmas Age Group: 5 – 16+ Subject: Music : Voice : Christmas Secondary Subjects: Art : Drama : English : Languages : Maths : Technology Grades: Any Topic: In this lesson the students will learn to sing The Twelve Days of Christmas. For more free resources visit http://www.vocalist.org.uk , http://www.singing-teachers.co.uk and http://www.vocalistonline.com Note: Although aimed at teaching students how to sing the 12 Days of Christmas, this lesson may be used with other songs for a variety of subjects and grade levels by adapting it to meet your needs. For example: Art teachers may ask students to create ornaments depicting the 12 gifts. Technology teachers may ask their students to create music and graphics for a video for the class to sing along. Language teachers could translate the words into another language, Drama teachers to create an interpretive dance or mini musical sketch, Maths teachers for adding and counting, Music teachers for learning various instruments to accompany the singers or as a song writing task to make up their own lyrics describing alternative gifts. Resources included: Printable Lyrics, Piano Sheet Music & Clipart Optional Materials: Instrument to provide starting pitch, Spectrograph & Ear Training Software, Jingle Bell Sticks or Wrist Shakers, Paper, Pencils, Crayons or Paint. 1. Vocal Warm Up and Melody: Instruct the class to HUM along to the melody, repeat using Vowels and Consonants (A, D, E, M, O) to warm up their voices and familiarise them with the song. 2. Tempo & Timing: Demonstrate the beat and tempo then instruct the class to clap along in time to the music (use bell shakers or other percussion instruments as well if available) 3. Demonstrate singing the melody with lyrics then instruct the class to sing along (use lyric sheet handouts for older students and visual images/aids or acting/dance for young students). 4. Instruct the class to draw/colour/create images/posters and/or movement depicting each verse to help memorise the words. Enhance the lesson by including song origins and meaning. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Twelve_Days_of_Christmas_(song) 5. Optional: Use pitch recognition &/or spectrographic software like Sing&See or Voce Vista to aid students to sing in tune. Older students may be taught to harmonize Students of different grades could be given related tasks (artwork, posters, ornaments, musical creation, acting/dancing to each verse/gift), then come together in assembly, at a parents evening or in front of another class to perform the song whilst displaying their work. As they sing, record their performance (audio and/or video) for them to watch/hear later.
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Learning Christmas Songs : The Twelve Days of Christmas
Age Group: 5 – 16+
Subject: Music : Voice : Christmas
Secondary Subjects: Art : Drama : English : Languages : Maths : Technology
Grades: Any
Topic: In this lesson the students will learn to sing The Twelve Days of Christmas.
For more free resources visit http://www.vocalist.org.uk, http://www.singing-teachers.co.uk and http://www.vocalistonline.com
Note: Although aimed at teaching students how to sing the 12 Days of Christmas, this lesson may be used with other songs for a variety of subjects and grade levels by
adapting it to meet your needs. For example: Art teachers may ask students to create ornaments depicting the 12 gifts. Technology teachers may ask their students to
create music and graphics for a video for the class to sing along. Language teachers could translate the words into another language, Drama teachers to create an
interpretive dance or mini musical sketch, Maths teachers for adding and counting, Music teachers for learning various instruments to accompany the singers or as a
song writing task to make up their own lyrics describing alternative gifts.
Resources included: Printable Lyrics, Piano Sheet Music & Clipart
Optional Materials: Instrument to provide starting pitch, Spectrograph & Ear Training Software, Jingle Bell Sticks or Wrist Shakers, Paper, Pencils, Crayons or Paint.
1. Vocal Warm Up and Melody: Instruct the class to HUM along to the melody, repeat using Vowels and Consonants (A, D, E, M, O) to warm up their voices
and familiarise them with the song.
2. Tempo & Timing: Demonstrate the beat and tempo then instruct the class to clap along in time to the music (use bell shakers or other percussion instruments as
well if available)
3. Demonstrate singing the melody with lyrics then instruct the class to sing along (use lyric sheet handouts for older students and visual images/aids or
acting/dance for young students).
4. Instruct the class to draw/colour/create images/posters and/or movement depicting each verse to help memorise the words. Enhance the lesson by including
song origins and meaning. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Twelve_Days_of_Christmas_(song)
5. Optional: Use pitch recognition &/or spectrographic software like Sing&See or Voce Vista to aid students to sing in tune. Older students may be taught to
harmonize
Students of different grades could be given related tasks (artwork, posters, ornaments, musical creation, acting/dancing to each verse/gift), then come together in
assembly, at a parents evening or in front of another class to perform the song whilst displaying their work. As they sing, record their performance (audio and/or video)
for them to watch/hear later.
The Twelve Days of Christmas lyrics below are from the original public domain versions circa 1780 - 1909 which may be printed and used by educators and non profit
organisations. The lyrics and music may differ slightly from other later versions that may still be copyrighted.
The Twelve Days of Christmas
The first day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me,
A partridge in a pear tree.
The second day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.
The third day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.
The fourth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Four colly birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.
The fifth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Five gold rings,
Four colly birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.
The sixth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Six geese a-laying,
Five gold rings,
Four colly birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.
The seventh day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five gold rings,
Four colly birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.
The eighth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five gold rings,
Four colly birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.
The ninth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Nine drummers drumming,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five gold rings,
Four colly birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.
The tenth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Ten pipers piping,
Nine drummers drumming,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five gold rings,
Four colly birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.
The eleventh day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Eleven Ladies dancing,
Ten pipers piping,
Nine drummers drumming,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five gold rings,
Four colly birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.
The twelfth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Twelve Lords a leaping,
Eleven Ladies dancing,
Ten pipers piping,
Nine drummers drumming,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five gold rings,
Four colly birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree!
Text: Gallic Traditional version from Husk's Songs of the Nativity, 1864 Music: 12 DAYS Gallic traditional melody arrangement by Frederick Austen, 1909 Copyright: Creative Commons Attribute 3.0
Another free sheet music arrangement with accompanying midi file may be downloaded from
http://www.free-scores.com/download-sheet-music.php?pdf=8356
EXAMPLE IMAGES
Use these as visual aids to help younger students learn the 12 days of Christmas lyrics, use as examples for more advanced/older
students to create their own artwork or print out for younger children to colour or copy. The following images are in the public
domain, and may be printed out & coloured for personal, educational, or non-commercial use courtesy of http://www.12days.com
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