Laulunuotta 1 –
Songs from Around the World
Editors: Pekka Nebelung, Anna Nora, and Jonna Vehmanen
Design: Jenni Salminen
Printed by: Grano Oy 2017, 1st Edition
ISMN 979-0-55001-444-2
Prices:
- For members: €55 for 5 sheet music books and €100 for 10 sheet music books
- For non-members: €70 for 5 sheet music books and €130 for 10 sheet music books
Orders can be made by emailing: toimisto@nuortenkuoroliitto.fi
Laulunuotta 1: Song Gifts from Around the World
This publication features a selection of songs from various countries, arranged in an accessible style for Finnish children’s and youth choirs to perform. The collection includes fascinating melodies and languages, offering beautiful, joyful, nostalgic, and lively tunes in familiar forms. Some songs also contain an optional baritone part, which allows them to be performed by both treble and mixed youth choirs.
Each song includes a QR code that links to translations and pronunciation guides.
Song List:
CANONS FROM AROUND THE WORLD
• Hotaru koi (Japan)
A song that invites the firefly to come to better waters.
• Mi gallo (Mexico)
“My rooster died, and now he no longer sings ‘cock-a-doodle-doo’.”
• Shalom chaverim (Israel)
“Peace, my friend, we will meet again.”
• Buon giorno, mia cara (Italy)
“Good morning, my darling child, many kisses!”
AFRICA
• Diwalawala (SSA(B), Botswana)
A cheerful and simple song with just one line of lyrics: “Lutherans sing beautifully!”
• Mmangwane (SSA, Tswana)
A short, easy song: “Aunt bought me an umbrella to protect me from the sun.”
• Aandgesang (SSA, Afrikaans)
A gentle and calm close harmony arrangement, an evening song.
• Bolingo bwa nzambe (SSAA(B), Congo)
A somewhat longer, richly harmonic, and rhythmic Christmas song.
SOUTH AMERICA
• Las Mañanitas (SSAA(B), Mexico)
A melodic and beautifully harmonized folk song with slight chromaticism. This morning song wakes up a beloved to hear the birds singing at dawn.
• El Mishito (SSA, Guatemala)
A catchy and easy three-part children’s song with a fun “meow” solo in the fourth voice.
EUROPE
• Leijoo (SSA(B), Finland)
An energetic arrangement of a joik, easily adaptable into a longer joik piece.
• Vårvindar friska (SSA(B), Sweden)
A fresh arrangement with some chromaticism, and the altos sing the melody in the first verse.
• Melai Doina, Doine Le (SAB, Bulgaria)
A lively, 7/8 meter song with many lyrics, a beautiful and passionate song. This Bulgarian betrothal song describes a girl waiting for her suitor.
• Pūt, vējini (SAAB, Latvia)
A beautifully harmonized, short four-part folk song. The tenor part works well for alto voices. The title means “Blow, Wind.”
ASIA
• Khaa tsau banleeng (SSAB, Thailand)
An appealing and somewhat challenging and longer song with rhythm patterns that beautifully mimic percussion instruments.
• Khushi, khushi manou (SSA(B), Nepal)
In this song, Soprano 1 sings the melody while the choir sings two pitches playingon the overtones. The lyrics celebrate the resurrection of Jesus during Easter.
• Mei-ti Hsiau-rong (SSAB, Taiwan)
A pentatonic, subtly beautiful, and short song. The lyrics encourage letting joy take over and singing a song of celebration.
