First Thanksgiving, The

We created this song to commemorate the occasion of the first Thanksgiving in 1621. There are basically two sections to this song. One section gives a brief history of the holiday and is written in the Mixolydian mode. The other is in a major key and borrows words and melody from the well-known Thanksgiving hymn, "We Gather Together." The song is mostly in unison, with a brief divisi.

The accompaniment starts very sparsely with just a lute, a recorder, and piano. A solo violin, a harp, and a solo cello join in, and from there it builds and builds. By the end of the tune there are full winds, strings, and percussion that all help to bring it to a majestic ending. Since there's so much history surrounding this topic, there is a nice cross-curricular opportunity with this song. Be sure to share it with the classroom, social studies, and history teachers at your school. (from Music K-8, Vol. 32, No. 2)

What's in a Singles Reproducible Kit?These are single song kits that include: a Piano/Vocal Part; a Singer's Part with full rights to reproduce, perform, and use it as many times as you need for your students; and high-quality full performance and accompaniment (instrumental) recordings.

About the Downloadable OptionThe downloadable version contains all the components the print version would, but in electronic format.

About the Audio RecordingsAudio recordings contain full performance and accompaniment only (instrumental) tracks.