Canons, Quotes and Musical Jokesis a suite of 15 short songs that set texts from nursery rhymes and quotes from famous people. Each song also uses a form of canon, like a round or catch, From the composer: My goal was two-fold: first, canons and catches are an excellent introduction to part singing for young singers in schools and youth choirs. Everyone learns the same tune, but if each part begins to sing at a different time:voila, instant counterpoint and harmony! The second goal was to furnish an entertaining short cycle for adult choral singers – and their audiences – whose offerings are usuallyvery serious…as manny of these quotations are built the joke at the end, I have give the set-up to the soloist and the punch line to the chorus…these can be used to teach the chorus and the soloists the importance of perfect diction – without it, the audience won’t get the jokes.

Canons, Quotes and Musical Jokeswas written for the Piedmont East Bay Children’s Choir for its 40th anniversary season.

CONTENTS: Hickory, Dickory, Dock Cinderella’s Slipper The Crazy Farm Two Bees Hot Cross Buns Be Yourself Jack Spratt Always Forgive Jack and Jill The Secret The Fly and the Spider Memory Are You Sleeping? Music Peter Piper