The Benefits of Singing Rounds in the Classroom

The Benefits of Singing Rounds in the Classroom

By Edward Caswell and Peter Hunt

This blog is sponsored by NAfME Corporate member Oxford University Press.

Our musical backgrounds will vary a lot, but most of us learn music through a combination of what we hear and what we are able to read.

In an age when we are forever scrolling, it’s magical to be able to create a rewarding, even moving musical experience with just what you have in your head. A beautiful melody is a wonderful thing, but teaching a round can produce anything from the light and humorous to miraculous counterpoint as if out of thin air.

What Is a Round? 

A round is one of the simplest musical forms: It simply involves two or more voices singing the same tune but starting at different moments, therefore creating harmonies and other musical interest with the overlap.

Rounds have always appeared in Voiceworks, the groundbreaking Oxford University Press series created by Peter Hunt, quickly becoming indispensable to teachers and choral leaders. The newest addition to the series, SingCircle, brings them front and center with a collection of 111 pieces for singing by heart.

Why Teach Rounds?

Self-reliance is always a good maxim, but a mental archive of rounds means you can create a rewarding and educational musical experience anywhere. As teachers, we often encounter challenges—the piano is locked, the photocopier doesn’t work, or you can’t get online. It doesn’t matter: In a few minutes you can have a room full of people singing in five parts and five languages.

The below pieces from SingCircle are just two examples of how rounds can be fun and inclusive, as well as supporting good singing technique. Teaching this repertoire through call and response ensures a high level of concentration from students; it’s teaching entirely without distractions or barriers.

Example: Since Singing Is So Good a Thing by William Byrd

Probably the simplest piece by the great English Renaissance composer William Byrd, this is the perfect introduction to the world of rounds.

To teach a round, you have to start by teaching it as a unison song, so you can immediately concentrate on intonation and ensemble: Is it in tune? Is it together?

This piece is so short that, depending on the level of the group, you could sing the whole piece and get them to sing the whole piece back; or do it in two sections. It’s also a great thing to start a session with, even before you’ve said hello; your students won’t be expecting that.

Short upbeats are so often out of tune, but this piece presents a good opportunity to practice this. You can get into good habits with the simplest music!

Like a French teacher who speaks only French, you could also teach this without speaking. Just sing and indicate whom you want to sing back: everyone, half of the group, or a quarter for the four-part version. Finally, you can indicate an al niente finish as it disappears over the horizon.

Example: Come Follow, Follow by John Hilton

This is one of English Baroque composer John Hilton’s well-known rounds, presented here—as in his original collection of catches, rounds, and canons of 1658—with consistent dotted rhythms in the third phrase.

Descending phrases tend to go flat; make sure the opening phrase doesn’t, by staying tall as the pitch descends. Point out that the first four times you sing “follow” it stays on the same pitch, then it changes.

While you are enjoying singing this you can also make the point that it’s model counterpoint: a descending theme, an ascending theme and a dotted theme at a slightly higher pitch all complement each other perfectly.

Depending on the level you can grade questions: When it isn’t moving by step, what are the intervals? What is the range? What is the time signature likely to be?

Inclusive Singing in the Classroom

Rounds are perfect for inclusive music-making; nobody needs to be left behind. As your proficiency improves and the group’s learning speed, SingCircle, with its carefully graded sections and broad selection of songs, can continue delivering challenge and satisfaction. Phonetic guides and recordings on the companion website make it as easy as possible to start singing in unfamiliar languages.

Having a handful of carefully selected rounds up your sleeve—which can be short and simple but still engaging and rewarding—is a wonderful way to start the new school year.

About the authors: 

Edward Caswell studied at Oxford University and The Royal College of Music in London. He is an internationally respected choral conductor, singer, and teacher, with a reputation for approaching choral conducting from a singer’s perspective. He has held teaching posts at The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, The University of Strathclyde Centre for Lifelong Learning, where he pioneered the programme Health and Wellbeing through Song, and Glasgow University. In 2017 he published his first book, It’s Always a Pussycat: A Singer’s Approach to Choral Conducting.

Peter Hunt, a freelance teacher, arranger, and choral leader from the United Kingdom, created the award-winning Voiceworks series from Oxford University Press. His extensive experience includes children’s choirs, community groups, and health and well-being through singing.

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