Chicken Soup With Rice (arr. Emily Crocker): 3-Part Mixed Choral Octavo

Emily Crocker's arrangement captures the warmth and gentle humor of King's beloved children's song while making it genuinely singable for young mixed voices. The 3-part writing sits comfortably for emerging singers and gives you room to build blend and intonation work without fighting awkward ranges.

Cozy and playful, like gathering around a kitchen table on a cold day. The song has a storytelling quality that invites singers to engage with the lyrics rather than simply execute pitches.

Middle school and early high school choirs looking for accessible seasonal material that doesn't condescend to young singers. Works equally well for community choirs seeking repertoire with immediate appeal and built-in recognition.

• Keep the text conversational; resist over-legit singing. This song thrives when singers find their natural speaking rhythm inside the melody.
• Balance the three parts so no voice gets buried. With only 23 pages of material, clarity between parts becomes your strongest asset.
• Make use of any dynamics marked in the score to shape phrases; even small shifts in volume help junior choirs maintain listener engagement.

Pair this with other accessible seasonal offerings for a winter concert that balances familiar pop arrangements with traditional material. Its brevity and straightforward charm make it ideal for community events, school assemblies, or multipurpose programs where you want something charming but not demanding.

• Maintaining tuning in a cappella or accompanied passages
• Singing as a unified ensemble across three parts
• Interpreting text with musical intention
• Responding to dynamic and phrasing cues while sustaining vocal line