The Music of Betsy Lee Bailey
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  • Easy Piano Solos and Duets
    • Pop Christmas Easy Duets
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    • Weary Not - solo
    • Ring! Glad Christmas Bells - SATB
    • Glory to God on High - SATB
    • How Exquisite Was My Joy
    • Did You Think to Pray? Mezzo Bar Duet
    • I Stand All Amazed - SATB with Piano, Flute and Oboe
    • I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go - SATB and SA
    • Have I Done Any Good? - SAB
    • What Child Is This? SATB, Soloist, Flute, Clarinet
    • Christmas Day Round 3-Part
    • America the Beautiful SSAA
  • Patriotic Anthems and Pioneer Songs
  • Christmas and Easter
    • Easter - Sacred Chorals
    • Christmas - Sacred Chorals
    • Christmas Choir Scripts
    • Christmas Novelty Songs
  • Featured Songs
    • The Bread of Life - TTBB
    • My Promised Land - SATB
    • Forget Me Not, O Lord - SATB
    • Come Unto Him - SATB
    • Love At Home - SSA 2 Flts.
    • Keystone of Our Faith - SATB
    • Sing a Song of Christmas - SSATBB
    • Mary Had a Pretty Little Baby - SA
    • O Tidings of Comfort and Joy - SATB
    • On a Sacred, Still and Silent Night - SATB
  • Sacred Solo Song Collections
    • The Praiseworthy Singer Vol. 14
    • The Praiseworthy Singer Vol. 15
  • Choral Anthems and Hymn Arrangements
    • Choral Anthems and Octavos
    • Sacred Original Chorals
    • Easy Choir Hymn Roadmaps
    • Hymn Arrangements
  • 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
  • Fun and Easy Warm-up Songs for Choir
  • Fun Tongue Twister Vocalises
  • Women's, Youth and Men's Chorus
    • Women's Chorus
    • Youth Chorus
    • Men's Chorus
  • Instrumentals
  • More Solos and Duets
  • Visual Aids and Strategies for Teaching Primary Songs
    • 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
  • Janie Thompson Songs
  • Contact Info
  • About Me

Janie Thompson - Songs and Arrangements

          Over her many years of directing shows that toured the world, Janie Thompson, creative director of the BYU Program Bureau for more than 30 years, was known for her entertaining arrangements and brilliant lyrics.  She gained quite a reputation for rewriting the lyrics to familiar songs to fit any occasion.  Particularly fun were the Tribute Songs for the BYU Football and Basketball teams through the 1950's-1980's.  Those of us lucky enough to be related to her got special tribute songs written to and about us for our weddings.  Offered here are some of her original songs and arrangements of familiar tunes. To get to know this wonderfully talented lady better, take some time to read her autobiographical Life Sketch or watch the documentary about her Janie Thompson - A Performance of Faith.

U.S. Constitution Medley

Medley of familiar Patriotic songs as well as Janie's original piece written about the ratification of the U.S. Constitution on Sept. 17, 1779, "We the People." Janie loved America and lifted her voice in defense of this great nation and the Constitution.

A Flag for Freedom

Original Patriotic song written for a 4th of July celebration, "We the People," and premiered by two young boys.  Well-suited for 2-part children's chorus.

Christmas Day Round
SAB or 3-Part Treble

This charming round is actually three partner songs meant to be sung as a round. Perfect for use as a Choir warm-up song.

Take Me Out to the 
Ball Game

This version presents a different take on the traditional song with new lyrics and additional verses for both football and baseball fans. It's a friendly rivalry!  Janie Thompson re-wrote the refrain for the football fans, and I added the verses for both football and baseball fans.

Turkey in the Pan

A Thanksgiving parody song to the tune of "Turkey in the Straw." We remember singing this before eating Thanksgiving dinner every year.  Janie, of course, would change the last line every year to reflect the date. One year it went like this: "Oh, this is how we celebrate this Thanksgiving Day of Nineteen Seventy-eight."

Don't Wait 'til the Night Before Christmas to Be Good

Janie introduced this song to our family in the early 1960's.  We sang it on many of Janie's shows and then have continued using it in our own families.  I added the accompaniment because Janie rarely wrote down anything but the vocals and a few chord symbols.

The Christmas Alphabet

My brothers and sisters and I grew up singing this song every Christmas.  My mother taught it to us, even though she learned it from her sister Janie.  Once, we sang it on a program where Janie had changed all the words to Easter lyrics. I created this arrangement from the many iterations of hearing it played by my mom and Aunt Janie.

"Jingle Bells" a la Janie

Janie learned early in her life that she needed to make any song she performed "her own."  I grew up thinking that many of the popular songs she sang were her original songs, because no one could sing them like she did.  This version of "Jingle Bells" has what I call a "Janie Ending."  She had such a great way of jazzing up the song for an un-forgetable finish.  This is one is a classic.
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