The Music of Betsy Lee Bailey
  • Home
  • My Musical Musings Blog
  • Easy Piano Solos and Duets
    • Easy Piano Duets - Hymns
    • Pop Christmas Easy Duets
    • Easy Piano Solo Disney Songs
    • Beatles Songs Easy Piano Solos
  • What's New
  • Patriotic Anthems and Pioneer Songs
  • Praise and Thanksgiving
  • Christmas and Easter
    • Easter - Sacred Chorals
    • Christmas - Sacred Chorals
    • Christmas Choir Scripts
    • Christmas Novelty Songs
  • Sacred Solo Song Collections
    • The Praiseworthy Singer Vol. 14
    • The Praiseworthy Singer Vol. 15
  • More Solos and Duets
  • Choral Anthems and Hymn Arrangements
    • Choral Anthems and Octavos
    • Sacred Original Chorals
    • Easy Choir Hymn Roadmaps
    • Hymn Arrangements
  • Women's, Youth and Men's Chorus
    • Women's Chorus
    • Youth Chorus
    • Men's Chorus
  • Fun Tongue Twister Vocalises
  • Fun and Easy Warm-up Songs for Choir
  • Music for Home and Family
    • Songs of Home and Family
    • Family Choir Arrangements
  • Sacred Songs for Children
  • Fun Songs for Kids
  • Echo Songs, Rounds and Partner Songs
  • Visual Aids and Strategies for Teaching Primary Songs
    • I'm a New Music Leader in Primary...Now What?
    • Song Leader's Bag of Tricks
    • Fun With Music - Nursery and Jr. Primary
    • Pop-Up Books, Word Strips, and Melody Maps
    • Puzzles
    • Dress-Ups and Costumes
    • Examples of Visual Aids
  • Electrical Conduit Chimes
  • Instrumentals
  • Janie Thompson Songs
  • Contact Info
  • About Me

Halloween Songs

Picture
Picture
Jack-O-Lanterns, Parties, Candy, Spooky Music, Costume Parades -- these are all part of the fun of Halloween. 

The kid in each of us is always ready to play a new character and experience a silly trick or two.  And who doesn't enjoy being spooked now and then -- just to get the old heart pumping again.  Besides, it can be different and interesting to sing in minor tonalities.

One of the most memorable and interesting Church Social Traditions we ever hosted was a Trunk-or-Treat combined with a Chili Cook-Off and Pumpkin Carving Contest.  The evening started with the guests going from room to room (the classrooms at the building) doing different activities such as bobbing for apples or trying to bite a doughnut off a string.  No hands allowed, of course.  Or trying to find the little prizes on the floor of a room filled with balloons.  Different families volunteered to set-up and host a room.  There was everything from reaching through curtained holes to touch "brains" or "guts" (jello molds or chilled noodles  and other spooky things to bowling for jack-o-lanterns to crawling through a maze of cardboard boxes to singing Halloween songs and many more.  (Nothing too frightening, though!)  Each activity was very short and resulted in a prize or candy treat. Next on the agenda was the Costume Parade.  I played a variety of songs on the piano that suited the characters represented -- including hero songs, spooky songs, and even beautiful princess and butterfly songs.  Meanwhile, our judges were given certain parameters and began the arduous task of ranking the Chili, the amazing Carved Pumpkins, and the Costumes.  After the Costume Parade, the judges recognized the winners and then turned us loose to eat the wonderful fixin's.  Last of all, the children enjoyed a safe and easy-to-walk "Trunk or Treat" out in the parking lot.  What great fun!

                                      Here are a few of the songs I like to use at Halloween:

Picture
Three Little Witches - to the Tune of "Three Little Indians"

                One little, Two little, Three little Witches
                Fly over haystacks, fly over ditches.
                Slide down the moon without any hitches.
                Hi Ho Halloween's here!

                                           Be sure to improvise hand motions!

______________________________________________________________________________________________
Picture
For This Is Halloween - Traditional Halloween  Finger Play arranged by Betsy Lee Bailey
                                                      
Available for immediate        Digital Download at SheetMusicPlus.com

It can be adapted for use with hand motions, puppets, or simple choreography.  The simple intervals and scale passage will help introduce young children to singing in the minor tonality in a fun and engaging way.  Enjoyable for K-3 classes or young Elementary Chorus.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Picture
We Are Out to Scare You Traditional Halloween Song arranged by Betsy Lee Bailey            

Available for immediate        Digital Download at SheetMusicPlus.com
Arrangement of a traditional Halloween song.  Each chorus is changed to spotlight a costumed character in the group of children -- anything with three syllables. Depending on the ages in your group, you may have to nix the scary stuff!
______________________________________________________________________________________________