Product Review – S!ng Celebration and Bah Humbug! from Out of the Ark Music

"A highly versatile and dynamic collection of songs"

Brian Eno once said, “Singing aloud leaves you with a sense of levity and contentedness.” He’s spot on. Songs can have that feel-good factor: they put smiles on faces, lighten hearts and make everyone happy.

Ultimately, If you want to jump for joy, throw a party and have a good old knees-up you’ve got to have music.

S!ng Celebration from Out of the Ark Music delivers the musical goods, no matter whether you’re hosting a festival, fete, gala or party. It bursts with get-up-and-go, is ready to use and is perfect for special days.

It includes 16 songs and three warm-ups covering a range of subjects, from simply celebrating being alive and feeling thankful, to the start of a new term, harvest, Remembrance Day and Christmas, with plenty more in between.

You get the music scores and lyrics for all the songs. These are all unique and expertly written to a high standard characteristic of Out of the Ark Music.

Also available is the fantastic Christmas musical, Bah Humbug! This is a fun adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic and contains a creative script with warm-ups, props, costume ideas, staging and lyrics for nine songs. It has 68 speaking parts and is designed for a one-hour performance.

Both resources feature a quick-glance song chart so you can find what you need in an instant. This provides you with summaries of the songs, age range, musical style, vocal range, key and musical elements. It also comes with brief but astute teaching tips containing essential information and advice.

Whether you’re looking for a Latin number, ballad, show tune or something jazzy, songs are easy to find.

The teacher’s books for these resources makes everything stress-free because they are so well-organised and don’t over-complicate things.

The music comes on an audio CD with vocals sung by children and supported by professional backing tracks, but you also have the option of buying Words on Screen versions of the songs which match the music as it plays.

I’d highly recommend the latter as it enhances the experience and makes learning songs easier and more enjoyable. You can also opt for an online copy to stream or download.

Celebrating and singing go hand in hand. S!ng Celebration is an extravaganza, engineered to get the endorphins dancing. Bah Humbug! is a Christmas must-have and is comical, haunting and thought-provoking.

At a glance

• Fun-packed collection of songs to celebrate success, accomplishments and special occasions
• Helps to promote school-wide positivity
• Songs with opportunities for rounds, harmonies, solo and group singing
• Warm-up songs to support posture and breathing
• Penned by leading children’s writers

Verdict

• Tailor-made for assemblies, choirs and group singing
• Singable songs dripping with joy
• Strengthens a feeling of togetherness and belonging
• Develops a sense of performance, value, self-esteem and self-confidence

Upgrade if…

You are looking for a highly versatile and dynamic collection of songs that will fit any occasion or you want a magical, small-budget, musical spectacle to celebrate the holiday season.

The S!ng Celebration Book, Double CD & Words on Screen CD-Rom is priced at £42.95, while the Bah Humbug! Book, CD, Words on Screen CD-Rom and Annual Performance Licence costs £58.85. Find out more at outoftheark.co.uk.

Reviewed by John Dabell