Closers for a 4th-5th Concert?

[WhistlingBadger]

OK, boys and girls (and whatever else). I am putting things together for my 4th and 5th graders' concerts in May. The majority of our concerts are student-written songs, but I like to end with our own take on a cover. I like something uplifting and/or brave, sometimes something just ever-so-slightly edgy (that won't get me fired; this is a public school in a very conservative place). This year, with Mrs. Badger fighting a long term illness and such, I am feeling remarkably uninspired, which is unusual for me. So I turn to the remarkably diverse Fish Forum community for ideas.

Just to give you an idea of what we like, past closers have included:
Three Little Birds by Bob Marley
Down on the Corner by CCR
The Light by Disturbed
Ordinary Day by Great Big Sea
Budapest by George Ezra
Ripple by The Grateful Dead
Here Comes the Sun by the Beatles
Don't Fence Me In by whomever wrote Don't Fence Me In (sorry it's been a long day)

Any good ideas? Needs to be relatively easy to sing (though as you can see we push that a bit) and OK for kids. And fun.

 

[Fishmanic]

Have you ever seen the rain, Creedence cleatwater.. I’ve sung karaoke to this song and people love it and sing along.

 

[GaryE]

@gwand will come in with opera, and for some of those elementary school boys, this is their last shot at soprano...

You've made me realize how dark and grainy a lot of the songs I like are.

 

[Fishmanic]

Or how bout this song

 

[WhistlingBadger]

I've gone through the Foo Fighters whole library and pretty much ruled them out...

 

[Innesfan]

"Don't Fence Me In" was written by Cole Porter.

I'd add "Happy" by Pharell Williams.

 

[gwand]

Here Comes the Sun by The Beatles
BTW Gary E, I will be watching a live stream of the Wagner opera, ‘Tristan Und Isolde’ tomorrow at my local theater. The opera is 5 hours long. Woohoo!

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Here Comes the Sun by The Beatles
BTW Gary E, I will be watching a live stream of the Wagner opera, ‘Tristan Und Isolde’ tomorrow at my local theater. The opera is 5 hours long. Woohoo!

OK, we'll end our concert with Tristan Und Isolde. Or maybe just the Liebestod. I like to end on an upbeat note.

 

[MattW]

Cass Elliot - Make your own kind of music

 

[fishorama]

I like a big upbeat finish too, leave them wanting more! We don't know many of your options. So far, we liked Ordinary Day but still listening. There are better Beatles & punky songs IMO. Some are just too dirgy slow for a big ending. Without vocals (or pyrotechnics) some are just not that good or recognizable. We like CCR, but again, without vocals...Maybe a classic or more modern Celtic folksy song. I'm pretty sure you don't have bagpipers, other instruments can do most of it, but Shipping Up to Boston might be fun! I'm sure you could dance a jig while conducting . Of course, we'd need a video

Depending on your kids skill set & instruments, "Classical Gas" (Mason Williams) or "Green Grass & High Tides" (Outlaws) are always favorite "coda" bedtime music at my house. Now we're having "24 Baroque Etudes" very pretty, too hard? Maybe for your older kids...

How about Jethro Tull? I bet you have some flute players that could combine to make it sound good. "I Believe in Christmas" with Greg Lake & Ian Anderson is our fav Xmas song...for next winter?

 

[GaryE]

I have no idea why I keep thinking about this question, but I do. I still remember the late Mr Springer, a grade 6 teacher of mine who made sing-alongs of then current pop songs a big reward if we did our work well all week. We loved singing, and were intensely loyal to that man - one of the super teacher types. He was an immigrant from Barbados dropped into an Irish Canadian working class community, which must have been hard going. But he listened to what we cared about. Song choices matter.
Somehow, it seems the song should be known to the kids, and be from their world. Our old fart world of 70s and 80s (and 90s and 00s) songs isn't their world. But I rarely listen to current pop and for country, wouldn't know any of the big hits or artists. I'm guessing Wyoming has some nasal twangers on the radio and streams, and that a lot of the kids listen to country. Is there anything there that could work?

 

[MuddyWaters]

This is not in the theme of the music mentioned thusfar, but I remember a particular song from my band days (played drums) that I really liked. The drum part wasn't even that great, but the horn part is. Pictures at An Exhibition- it was a marching band rendition. Not sure what skill level you can find it at, not that my high school band was all that spectacular, but it's just a great song.

Another that I loved even more was called Russian Christmas Music. I am not sure if that was just some made up thing or an actual take on a real masterpiece, but it was dramatic.

 

[gimme30]

So, mainstream music?
I'd love to see kids pull off Ray's RockHouse by the Manhattan Transfer, although you might have to substitute an alto sax for some of the vocals in the lower ranges.
Danny's All Star Joint by Rickie Lee Jones would be another banger to end with, or maybe Al Jarreau's Morning or Yes's It Can Happen for an uplifting message....
People and Places by Journey?
Carolina Blues by Blues Traveler?
Oh wait nope scratch all that, this is the answer: Holy Ghost by the Bar-Kays. 8 solid minutes of funkification, your audience will LOVE it.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Well, I'm finally working my way through your list (and several other lists people have given me). These are great ideas! To clarify: The kids will be singing (I'm not sure where the "no vocals" idea came from); I'll be accompanying on acoustic guitar, and we'll throw in whatever instruments might work (we lean toward xylophones and bass joya tubes). No band instruments and all that.

Anyway, thanks for all the suggestions! I'll let you know what I decide. Stay tuned...

 

[fishorama]

That was me, Badger. When you said "concert" I went to band instrumental. That wasn't clear from your 1st post. I was an "orchestra kid", no vocals in any form, lol. Band...I don't remember any singing there either, maybe a school fight song the crowd was supposed to sing?