Flourishing singing assemblies

Beloved by many pupils and staff, singing assemblies present both an opportunity and a headache for music teachers. Katie Teage offers some tips to ensure that the whole school benefits from this collective endeavour

Katie Teage leading a singing assembly - Courtesy Kent Music

Singing assemblies can be the life and soul of a school – and a cherished pastime for children. Increasingly, though, I am hearing that music leads are having trouble with singing assemblies for multiple reasons. Sometimes, they find it hard to fit the singing assembly into the week due to timetabling the hall space. In other cases, more curriculum demands are placed on the assembly, leading to staff becoming overwhelmed and less confident in leading singing assemblies.

In this article, I will show you how to structure your singing assembly, find enjoyable repertoire for everyone, meet curriculum goals, and create a space where the school can unite and find joy as a community. Page 3 of the Model Music Curriculum (MMC) states: ‘In our schools, music can bring communities together through the shared endeavour of whole-school singing’. So, let’s make this happen.

Structure

Play music to listen to as the children enter the hall for the assembly – ABRSM’s Classroom 200 is a fantastic resource for this. Display information about the music they hear, with questions for the children to consider. This music should be varied and reflect the school community. Don’t be afraid to play music where the children move as they sit. Music holds many purposes, and one is to dance and respond physically. You can have active listening questions on the board, such as ‘How often do you hear the triangle?’; ‘How often does the singer say X?’ or ‘How many people do you think are playing/singing?’. You can also have questions that involve the children responding physically, such as ‘Put your hands on your head when you hear X’ or ‘Turn your body to the right when the chorus comes in’. These kinds of questions help the children have an active listening experience instead of a passive one. We want them to develop their listening skills, and these opportunities will help them.

Before you start warming up and singing, think about using visual cues. Be clear and consistent and use your whole body. This way, you are being clear with the children about what you want them to do and your behaviour expectations. With KS2 assemblies, aim to get Year 6 on your side immediately. Employ them as action leaders or laptop monitors, or distribute them among other year groups. This way, you can dispel the idea that they are ‘too cool’ to sing in assembly and help them connect with how they can enjoy singing assembly. They have a significant influence on KS2 and can use it positively. I have found that, if possible, Years 1, 2 and 3 work well together, and then 4, 5 and 6. Have a look at Kent Music’s YouTube channel for examples of running a KS2 assembly and how to teach songs in greater detail.

Warm-ups are essential to helping children explore different parts of their range. Some of your children might be singing in their speaking range (not necessarily at pitch yet) so warm-ups are an excellent place to explore the top and bottom of their range without singing a song. I follow this pattern:

A physical warm-up: try ‘Rubber chicken’ or ‘Hello, my name is Joe’, which are both on Sing Up’s website.
Ask them to roll their shoulders forward and back, bounce on their knees and massage their faces to help them have a relaxed posture.
Use popular chants, such as ‘Engine, Engine number 9’, ‘Chiki Chiki Cha Cha’ and the ‘Grandma Rap’.
Breathing exercises: deep breaths with counting for ‘in (4 beats) hold (5 beats) out (6 beats)’, and ‘deep breaths with a snake-like exhale for as long as possible’, and ‘deep breaths with blowing out lots of candles on a cake’.
Pitch exploration exercises, such as humming up and down as high and as low as possible and moving your hand to show the pitch contours.
Pitch and interval practice: ‘1, 2, 3, 4, 5 – 5, 4, 3, 2, 1’ (singing up a scale by step and holding on 5), which can be developed for the older Years into ‘1, 2, 3, 4, 5 – 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 – 1, 5, 4, 5, 3, 5, 2, 5, 1, 5, 4, 5, 3, 2, 1’.
Short songs with the potential for rounds, such as ‘Frère Jacques’, ‘Albie met the Bear’ or ‘Gospel medley’ (via Sing Up).

It may look like a lot to warm up with, but it moves quickly. It could take longer when you start, but you will get in a flow. Don’t worry if it takes up most of your singing assembly initially. It will be fun and the children will learn techniques and be ready to sing. We can then move into the main songs.

Repertoire

Use a maximum of three songs: one they know well, one they are working on, and something newer. Use repertoire that reflects your school community and the multiple languages that may be spoken. There are many places to find songs that will be enjoyable for your children: BBC Teach Assembly Songs (particularly ‘Chain of Love’ by Soo Bishop); Pete Churchill’s excellent songs, particularly ‘Dig Deep!’ and ‘Green Fingers’ for KS1 (the children love the rap section); and the vast resources from Out of the Ark and Sing Up. Primary Music Facebook groups are full of music teachers who regularly discuss what works in schools. These groups are great at helping you find a contemporary piece that the children love, but with age-appropriate content.

All these resources are excellent, but how you deliver them to the children will make your singing assembly successful:

Ensure you know the song first; you can’t teach something confidently and accurately if you are singing along for the first time.
Teach the words first in the rhythm of the song. I suggest teaching the words cumulatively – chant the first line, then, once you are happy that the children have understood, add the next line and repeat it from the beginning. Keep adding until you have reached the end of the verse or chorus. It’s incredible how much can be retained in this call-and-response way of learning. You can do this without displaying the words, if you want to. I typically display the words at the beginning and add actions as I teach; they remember it by the end of the session.
Then, we add the melody. We already know the words and the rhythm, so this becomes much easier for the children; they can pick up the melody quicker and can enjoy the song immediately. Again, teach this in a cumulative way with call-and-response. Because the words and rhythm are secure, you can slow down the melody if there are pitch issues or you want to point out a place to breathe. The children can go back to singing it in rhythm if they know the words.

Curriculum

You touch upon many curriculum objectives by conducting your singing assemblies in this way. The way children will be entering the assembly with active listening and the vocal warm-up described above cover the introductory information about listening and singing in the MMC. The document also has suggested repertoire for chants, call-and-response songs, and other small songs to sing. These are perfect for your warm-ups.

Keep using musical vocabulary as you describe the songs you are singing. Tell them how many beats are in the bar and ask them to show the beat while singing. Combine body percussion patterns with your chants so that children develop ensemble techniques. Ask them to sing certain sections of songs in their head so they can develop their inner hearing. After the children know the songs well, display small notation sections and ask them what they think the notation means. They will understand the sound, and now you are showing them the symbols – much the same as when we learn to read. Explore dynamics, tempo and articulation; can we sing this like a robot (staccato), or as if we are all moving and swaying like a tree (legato)? It is incredible how much can be achieved in an assembly.

Enjoy yourself!

You, the leader, must enjoy yourself. Think of this as your opportunity to connect with the children in your school. Have fun and show them that you enjoy singing and hearing them sing. If you are nervous about leading singing assemblies, ask another staff member to lead it with you and ask your music hub for support. They may be able to come in a team-teach with you. Good luck!