Harriet's Freedom Train Cover Image

Harriet's Freedom Train: Choral Acc. CD

$39.95 USD
$39.95 USD
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Harriet's Freedom Train Cover Image
Harriet's Freedom Train: Choral Acc. CD

Harriet's Freedom Train: Choral Acc. CD

The Story of Harriet Tubman -- Breaking the Chains of Slavery

By Patsy Ford Simms

Grade: 4--8

Item: 00-VBM00006CD
$39.95
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Description
Music is the best teacher and no one knows this better than Patsy Ford Simms. Realizing the need for a fun and motivational way to teach the sensitive and important subject of slavery and the fight for freedom, Patsy set about the task of writing a musical for children that would accomplish this goal. She did it with flare, using Harriet Tubman as the key figure for this musical. Easy, memorable, and historically accurate, this is a must for every older elementary and middle school group. Grades four through eight.

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Additional Details
Publisher: Alfred Music
Page Count: 1
UPC: 654979010920
SKU: 00-VBM00006CD

More about this title

About the Author: Patsy Ford Simms

Patsy Ford Simms

Patsy Ford Simms brings three decades of classroom experience to her compositions, having taught K-12 music across multiple school settings, including the Youth Performing Arts School. She holds degrees in Music Education from Knoxville College, the University of Louisville, and Columbia Pacific University, and has built an international reputation as a composer, arranger, and clinician with presentations in Italy and Africa.

Since her first publication in 1981, Simms has created over 300 songs for educational and church use across several major publishing houses including Shawnee Press. Her work emerged from a practical need she identified early in her teaching career: the shortage of age-appropriate choral literature for middle school singers. She has received multiple ASCAP Special Music Awards, and two of her compositions were selected for MENC World's Largest Concerts. Her commissioned works often center on African American history, bringing both musical craft and historical integrity to the classroom.

Why we love this

Simms tackles a historically significant and emotionally complex topic with a musicality that respects both the subject matter and the developmental level of your singers. Rather than simplifying or sanitizing the story of Harriet Tubman and freedom, she creates music that is genuinely memorable and singable for fourth through eighth graders, making the piece both educationally substantive and immediately engaging for young voices.

What to expect

The music balances hope and resilience, honoring the courage of Harriet Tubman and those who traveled the Underground Railroad while remaining accessible and energizing for young singers. Moments of quiet introspection give way to songs of determination and freedom, creating an emotional arc that feels earned rather than imposed.

Who it's for

Fourth through eighth grade choral groups seeking repertoire that combines age-appropriate musicality with substantive historical and social learning. This piece works equally well for concert performance, assembly programs, or interdisciplinary units pairing music with social studies or language arts instruction.

How to get the most out of it

  • Allow singers to learn the Harriet Tubman story alongside the music; understanding the historical context deepens their connection to the material and improves interpretive choices.
  • Use the accompaniment CD to establish secure tempos and harmonic foundations during rehearsal, then gradually move toward independent singing as confidence builds.
  • Encourage clear, expressive diction throughout; the lyrics carry the narrative weight, and young singers will feel more invested when their words land clearly.

How to use it

This works beautifully as a standalone concert piece or as part of a program exploring African American history during Black History Month. It also serves as an excellent anchor for interdisciplinary learning, partnering with classroom units on slavery, abolition, or the American civil rights movement.

Skills your students will build

  • Understanding historical narratives through music and lyrics
  • Expressive, story-driven singing with attention to diction
  • Working with recorded accompaniment to develop secure intonation and ensemble blend
  • Age-appropriate part singing across the choir

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