We Shall Not

by Teresa Jennings

No one likes to have to make rules, much less enforce them. But what if you could do it with humor, even getting your students to self-police? That just might be the end result when you use the round "We Shall Not" to make your disciplinary point. Set in a minor key with a dramatic string orchestra as a backdrop, it's the contrast between the accompaniment and the lyrical content that makes the tune amusing. Well, that and the "olde and properish" style married to the crisp enunciations of contemporary subjects. We daresay that overdoing the presentation of this piece will add a nice dramatic flair if you're doing this in performance. We designed it originally to be used that way (also as part of the musical, Music Class), but as you can readily hear, it has possibilities for other uses as well. As a matter of fact, on the music we suggest substituting your own words, even citing an example. (See bottom of page 18.)

As usual, the second part is optional. Though in the case of rounds, it is more fun when you use it.

Text is taken from Music K-8 magazine.