Rats! The Story of the Pied Piper: Choral Director's Score

This score delivers the complete package for a director seeking a full theatrical experience without requiring a pit orchestra or extensive technical demands. The orchestrated accompaniment audio removes a major logistical hurdle while the script, dialog, and musical numbers maintain genuine entertainment value for both performers and audiences.

Hamelin comes alive through clever, singable melodies and a script that treats the town's panic and the Pied Piper's arrival with both humor and theatrical momentum. The fully orchestrated sound creates a professional production quality that makes young performers feel like they are part of something genuinely theatrical, not a simplified children's piece.

Directors leading grades 3 and up who want a theatrical production that tells a recognizable story with genuine musical substance and does not demand extensive pit resources. This works equally well in general music classes staging a concert, school musicals programs, or choir classes seeking an extended ensemble work.

• Play the recorded accompaniment during rehearsals from the start so students hear the full orchestration early and adjust their phrasing and dynamics to sit properly within the arrangement.
• Mark spoken dialog cues clearly in your score and conduct them as deliberately as you conduct the sung sections; this maintains ensemble cohesion when switching between speech and song.
• Cast character roles with attention to vocal range and projection ability rather than just age or height; the witty dialog demands clear diction and personality that carries without microphones.
• Schedule dedicated rehearsals for the choreography and staging of musical numbers before combining them with orchestral accompaniment to prevent students from overcomplicating their blocking.

Program this as a spring musical event, holiday concert centerpiece, or the climax of a semester-long unit on narrative in music. At 35 minutes, it anchors a full concert program or stands alone as a complete theatrical experience for a special performance.

• Singing expressively within a narrative context
• Moving between spoken dialog and sung melody with secure transitions
• Responding to orchestral accompaniment cues and adjusting balance accordingly
• Building characterization and stage presence through repeated performance
• Reading ensemble music with multiple vocal lines and coordinating with dramatic action