Rats! The Story of the Pied Piper: Choral Listening CD (Full Performance Only)

This recording captures a complete, polished performance that lets your students hear exactly how the piece should sound without requiring you to conduct or arrange anything yourself. The fully orchestrated accompaniment is genuinely impressive—it sets a professional standard that motivates young singers and makes rehearsal feel consequential. For elementary and middle school choirs with limited access to live accompaniment, this becomes an invaluable reference tool and performance resource.

Fast-paced and theatrical, with a script that balances genuine humor for adults with engaging storytelling for young listeners. The fully orchestrated sound is vibrant and polished, giving the whole production a sense of occasion and professional accomplishment.

Elementary and middle school choirs looking for a complete, professionally performed reference recording of a full-length musical that tells a recognizable story. This works particularly well for programs that need a high-quality accompaniment model but lack access to a full orchestra or accomplished rehearsal pianist.

• Listen to the full recording at least once as a choir before teaching any individual numbers so students understand the narrative arc and hear how the songs sit within the story.
• Use moments of dialog between sung sections to reinforce character voices and comedic timing that students should mirror in their own performance.
• Pay attention to the orchestration's dynamic shaping during instrumental interludes; students often miss opportunities to rest and reset before their next entrance when they're not actively singing.

Use this recording as a learning tool during rehearsals so singers can internalize the correct tempos, rhythms, and phrasing before learning from a piano reduction or your live accompaniment. Many directors also play it during concert intermissions or open rehearsals to build excitement for the performance and help audiences understand the show's plot and musical style.

• Following a conductor's beat while listening to a full orchestral accompaniment
• Recognizing how individual vocal lines fit within a complex orchestral texture
• Understanding narrative structure and character development in musical theater
• Maintaining ensemble cohesion across a 35-minute work with multiple scene changes