This Autumn could see the long-awaited return to bubble free music making for many. To celebrate, Friday Afternoons’ Community Ambassador, Tom Appleton has put together a ‘Bubble Bursting’ playlist using four songs from our free Songbank. These are songs which can certainly be used by large groups of singers across a wide age and ability range. They will, inspire educate and rejuvenate any singing groups in need of a bit of a ‘wow’ factor! Water – Russell Hepplewhite From our most recent set of songs ‘Everything’ Russell Hepplewhite and Michael Rosen’s Water will have your singers gushing! In two parts, this song offers a huge amount of flexibility in how you divide it up. Whether you perform it exactly as scored, or give out solos, duets and semi chorus passages, just go with the flow! This piece is a great ‘gateway’ piece into other parts of the curriculum with strong geography and science possibilities contained within. The highlight of this piece must be the epic choruses which can be found between bars 26-34 and again at the end. Sung with great commitment, there won’t be a dry eye in the house! Manin’ Neighba – Trad. Arr Jason Yarde At first glance, this piece might appear daunting. There are a lot of notes and ‘tricky’ rhythms on the page in this three-part piece. If you use the audio and listen through, it becomes apparent that this piece definitely looks harder than it sings! Break the song down and you’ll see that it’s actually quite straight forward with lots of repetition and it’s SUPER catchy! A really high energy, positive song, it’ll leave you with a spring in your step, ready to face the day. Rice and Beans – and Plantain too! – Errollyn Wallen. This tasty number is a sure fire hit! With its funky rhythms and simple, catchy, melody it’s a piece that children and audiences love. Starting as a single line, the melody grows into a two-part canon, a four-part canon and then finally a half speed version which even your audience could join in with. Jazz Man – Benjamin Britten This classic from Benjamin Britten’s original ‘Friday Afternoons’ song cycle states: ‘Twenty children couldn’t make as much Noise as the Howling Pandemonium of the One-Man-Jazz’. Well! What better time to say ‘Challenge Accepted, Mr Britten’! Your ‘Twenty’ can be as many as you like. We encourage full ‘hooting’, ‘tooting’ ‘crashing’ and ‘clanging’, but remember– have fun, but never louder than beautiful! A partner song to this, also available on the website is Clash and Bang by Talvin Singh, which uses Jazz Man as inspiration in a fusion Indian jazz style. Water Water by Russell Hepplewhite Manin' Neighba Manin' Neighba by Jason Yarde Rice and Beans — and Plantain too! Rice and Beans — and Plantain too! by Errollyn Wallen Jazz-Man Jazz-Man by Benjamin Britten