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All Aboard, Little Children!: SoundTrax Digital Audio Download

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All Aboard, Little Children! Cover Image

All Aboard, Little Children!: SoundTrax Digital Audio Download

Traditional Spiritual / arr., with new words and music, by Mary Donnelly and George L. O. Strid

Item: 00-A-00015701

$27.99
Digital Download
Description

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Additional Details
Series: Alfred Choral Designs
Publisher: Alfred Music
SKU: 00-A-00015701

More about this title

About the Arranger: Mary Donnelly

Mary Donnelly

Mary Donnelly spent thirty years in the Reno, Nevada public schools teaching general music and choir at the elementary and middle school levels. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and French from the University of Nevada, Reno, and a Master's Degree in Education from Lesley College in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where she studied arts integration across the curriculum.

In 1985, Donnelly began a songwriting partnership with George L. O. Strid while team-teaching a sixth grade music class. Their collaboration has produced over two hundred songs and twenty-five musicals for young singers. She remains active in ACDA, NEA, and ASCAP.

Why we love this

This arrangement takes a beloved spiritual and recasts it as an accessible, energetic piece that invites movement and staging without requiring elaborate sets or choreography training. The partner song structure keeps young singers engaged with each other while the recorded accompaniment supports confident performances at festivals or in concert.

What to expect

The spiritual radiates joy and forward motion, its traditional melody carried on the promise of journey and adventure. Young singers feel the energy of departure and possibility, buoyed by the steady support of the recorded accompaniment.

Who it's for

This piece works well for elementary and middle school choirs, children's choruses, and festival or competition contexts where moving ensembles shine. It suits directors seeking music that engages young singers' bodies and voices equally.

How to get the most out of it

  • Familiarize singers with the accompaniment track during early rehearsals so they can internalize the tempo and harmonic support before focusing on their own vocal line.
  • Plan your staging early and teach it alongside the music rather than adding it as an afterthought; young singers learn words and blocking together more efficiently.
  • Use the partner song nature to your advantage by having sections rehearse independently first, then combine them so singers hear how their part interlocks with others.
  • Consider recording a rehearsal run-through to identify balance issues between the two melodic lines and the accompaniment.

How to use it

Program this alongside other spirituals or folk-based selections to build a thematic concert or contribute it to a repertoire set at a choral festival. The movement and staging options make it a natural choice for spring concerts or programs celebrating cultural traditions.

Skills your students will build

  • Singing with partner songs (independent melodic lines sung simultaneously)
  • Responding to recorded accompaniment cues and maintaining ensemble accuracy
  • Coordinating singing with choreographed movement or staging
  • Performing in a traditional spiritual style with appropriate phrasing and expression

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