Songbook

Songbook

Artists

Beach Boys

The Beatles

The Carpenters

Billy Joel

Manhattan Transfer

The Monkees

Randy Newman

Queen

Neil Young

Composers

Bach

Handel

Mozart

Stanford

Pachelbel

Soundtracks

Casablanca

Grease

The Jungle Book

The King of Jazz

Toy Story

Thomas Crowne Affair

A-E

'After the Goldrush'

Nice tune ... bonkers lyrics. When covering the song Dolly Parton rang Neil Young to ask what the vocals were about. He replied: 'Hell, I don't know. I just wrote it. It just depends on what I was taking at the time.'

Words and music by Neil Young, 1970. Arranged by SHJ Edwards

'Air on a G String'

Featured in adverts for Hamlet cigars, as a riff in Procol Harum's 'A Whiter Shade of Pale', and as the musical accompaniment to a Bond villain feeding his secretary to a shark, this is one of the first works by Bach ever to be recorded and is a serious classical piece, so we'll tolerate no smutty jokes about its title, thank you.

Music by JS Bach, c 1720. Arranged by August Wilhelmj/SHJ Edwards

'Air from Water Music'

Composed for a concert on the River Thames for George I, scaled down from the pomp and circumstance of a full orchestral score to a more modest Swingle-style quartet befitting the modern monarchy.

Music by Handel, 1717. Arranged by SHJ Edwards

'And So It Goes'

Written in iambic tetrameter and reminiscent of a hymn, Billy Joel played this song during a radio interview in answer to the question: what is your best work that is least appreciated... It has a reputation among the choir for making us cry.

Words and music by Billy Joel, 1983. Arranged by S Werne/SHJ Edwards Listen

'As Time Goes By'

Written for a 1930s Broadway musical, it shot to fame a decade later as the leitmotif in Casablanca and the song's popularity has endured as time has gone by, voted #2 in the American Film Institute's 100 Years 100 Songs chart, pipped only to the #1 spot by 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow'.

Words and music by Herman Hupfeld,1931

'Autumn Leaves'

A song of longing and loss. Picture yourself with Edith Piaf, drinking strong black coffee on a Parisian boulevard, smoking Gauloises and regretting nothing about the moonlight kisses and love that you once knew...

Words by Johnny Mercer. Music by Joseph Kosma, 1946. Arranged by SHJ Edwards

'The Bare Necessities'

Memorably sung by American bandleader Phil Harris as Baloo in Disney's animated film of The Jungle Book in 1967, this jazzy, toe-tapping show tune was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song and has certainly proved to be one of our winners! Listen

Words and music by Terry Gilkyson, 1967. Arranged by Nicholas Hare

'Best of the Beach Boys'

Featuring excerpts from hits 'I Get Around', 'In My Room', 'California Girls' and 'Fun, Fun, Fun', this is a warm aural slice of West Coast sunshine, just add surfboards.

Words and music by Brian Wilson/Gary Usher/Mike Love, 1963-65. Arranged by SHJ Edwards

'The Bluebird'

A soprano voice takes solo flight above the shimmering harmonies of the choir. Dazzlingly beautiful.

Words by Mary Coleridge. Music by CV Stanford

'Blue Moon'

A romantic ballad as smooth as John Travolta's dancing in Grease, but without the trouser-dropping finale...

Words by Lorenz Hart. Music by Richard Rodgers, 1934. Arranged by SHJ Edwards

'Canon in D'

A stalwart of Classic FM's Hall of Fame top 20, this one-hit wonder by Baroque composer Johann Pachelbel was once described by Pete Waterman

as 'the godfather of pop music' claiming that Kylie Minogue's 1988 UK #1 'I Should Be So Lucky', among many other chart singles, is based on the piece.

Music by Johann Pachelbel, 1700s. Arranged by SHJ Edwards

'Captain Noah and his Floating Zoo'

Recipient of an Ivor Novello Award for Best British Work for Children, a quirky retelling of the Genesis story set to Latin American rhythms and popularised by The Kings' Singers, bless their sopping wet cotton socks.

Words by Michael Flanders. Music by Joseph Horovitz, 1970

'Chanson d'Amour'

An easy listening hit for Manhattan Transfer in 1977, this 'love song' was referenced by The Beatles in 'All You Need Is Love' and performed by The Muppets, The Nolans and The Spectrum Singers, in no particular order...

Words and music by Wayne Shanklin, 1958. Arranged Paul Hart/SHJ Edwards

'Clarinet Concerto' (Adagio)

The slow second movement of Mozart's final concerto, it is noted for its pared-back simplicity and play between solo instrument (taken here by sopranos) and orchestra. A favourite choice of film-makers it has featured on the silver screen in Out of Africa and The King's Speech.

Music by Mozart, 1791. Arranged by SHJ Edwards

'The Commandments'

Composed by the founder of the New London Chorale and one-time member of The Animals, it does what it says on the tin. Thou shalt listen and have no other choir before us.

Music by Tom Parker, 1990. Arranged by SHJ Edwards

'Daffodils' (Cennin Aur)

Music by Mansel Thomas. English words by Robert Herrick

'Daydream Believer'

Lead singer of The Monkees, Davy Jones admits he was not in the best of moods when he recorded this track, 'You can tell from the vocal that I was p****d off!' but his edgy tone didn't stop it becoming a #1 hit for the band in the US. We guarantee a sweeter temperament when we sing...

Words and music by John Stewart, 1967. Arranged by SHJ Edwards

'Dayton Ohio' (interpolating 'Moonlight Serenade')

A nostalgic mash up of songs, featuring big band leader Miller's signature sound, that instantly transport the listener to another time and place. No wonder this time-travelling tune was featured in an episode of Dr Who then. Now where did I put the keys to the TARDIS?

Words and music by Randy Newman, 1980. (Music by Glenn Miller, 1939). Arranged by SHJ Edwards

'Deep Purple'

No, not the heavy metal rockers, although this hit for pianist Peter De Rose is precisely where the band took their name from. It was a favourite of the guitarist's grandmother who used to play it on piano.

Words and music by Peter De Rose, 1933. Arranged by Andrew Carter

'Der Frühling'

Ward Swingle’s arrangement of Bach’s ‘Der Frühling’ (The Spring). A typically exuberant Baroque piece from, not JS (Bach) the father of Western music, but his eldest son: WF (Wilhelm Friedemann).

Music by WF Bach. Arranged by Ward Swingle

'Dirait-on' from 'Les Chansons des Roses'

Music by Morten Lauridsen. Words by Rainer Maria Rilke

'Dream A Little Dream Of Me'

Music by Wilbur Schwandt/Fabian Andre. Words by Gus Khan. Arranged by SHJ Edwards

'Eli Jenkins' Evening Prayer'

From Under Milk Wood.

Words by Dylan Thomas

'Enjoy Yourself'

Recorded by classic crooner Bing Crosby, listeners to Radio 2 may be more familiar with the Jools Holland and Prince Buster ska version that Simon Mayo plays as the theme tune to his drivetime show on weekday evenings.

Words and music by Herb Magidson, Carl Sigman, 1949. Arranged by SHJ Edwards

'Elizabethan Serenade'

Music by Ronald Binge

F-J

'Flowers o' the Forest'

Scottish Folk Song. Arranged by SHJ Edwards

'Goodnight, Sweetheart'

Calvin Carter/James Hudson. Arranged by SHJ Edwards

'The Green Leaves of Summer'

From the film The Alamo

Words by Paul Francis Webster. Music by Dimitri Tiomkin. Arranged by SHJ Edwards

'Gypsy Rose'

As cheeky as the striptease made famous by burlesque dancer Gypsy Rose Lee, this eponymous ragtime number is guaranteed to make you smile, although we reserve the right to keep our clothes on. Ring a ding, ding...

Words and music by Irwin Levine and L Russell Brown, 1973. Arranged by SHJ Edwards

'The Gypsy Rover'

Scottish Folk Song. Arranged by Peter Wilkinson/SHJ Edwards

'Happy Heart'

Words Jackie Rae/Fred Weyrich. Music by James Last. Arranged by SHJ Edwards

'How Can I Keep From Singing'

Shaker hymn. Arranged by Peter Wilkinson/SHJ Edwards

'I should probably mention that I hate sheep'

Words and music by Rosie Clements

'Imagine the Duchess's Feelings'

Words and music by Noel Coward. Arranged by SHJ Edwards

'In My Life'

Words and music by John Lennon/Paul McCartney. Arranged by Steve Zegree/SHJ Edwards

'I Do Like To Be Beside the Seaside'

Celebrating our hometown, which is known as the 'Garden by the Sea', this well-loved summer holiday tune from 1933 was made famous by Reginald Dixie, the organist at Blackpool’s Tower Ballroom for 40 years. Sung by numerous screen characters over the years including Sherlock Holmes, Dr Who, Mr Bean and the Vicar of Dibley...

Words and music by John A Glover-Kind. Arranged by Andrew Carter/SHJ Edwards

'Jambalaya' (On The Bayou)

Go hog wild, a foot stompin’ and a hand clappin’ along to this American country classic. It owes its origins to a couple of Cajun–French staples: the popular melody ‘Grand Texas’ and the spicy paella-inspired dish after which it is named. The Carpenters scored a UK #2 hit with an up-tempo cover version of the song in 1974. Me oh, my oh!

Words and music by Hank Williams, 1952. Arranged by SHJ Edwards

'The Jimmy Brown Song'

Words and music by Jean Villard. Arranged by SHJ Edwards

K-P

'Keeping the Dream Alive'

Words and music by Zauner/Strobel/Touchton/Briggs. Arranged by SHJ Edwards

'Leaving of Liverpool'

English folk song.

'Linden Lea'

Music by Ralph Vaughan-Williams

'L'il Liza Jane'

American song. Arranged by Gordon Lawson/SHJ Edwards

'Money Can't Buy Me Love'

Classic Beatles track transposed into a madrigal.

Words and music by John Lennon/Paul McCartney. Arranged by Keith Abbs

'Mr Sandman'

Alluding to the eponymous figure of folk lore, the song was originally a romantic #1 hit in the US charts for The Chordettes but has since crossed genres into numerous soundtracks from crime drama Breaking Bad to horror movie Halloween and video game nasty Stubbs the Zombie.

Words and music by Pat Ballard, 1954. Arranged by SHJ Edwards

'Music To Watch Girls By'

Words and music by Anthony Velona/Sidney Ramin. Arranged by SHJ Edwards

'Not Yet But Soon'

Anonymous

'The Orchestra Song'

Austrian traditional song.

'The Old Woman'

Words by Joseph Campbell. Music by HS Roberton

'Preludio'

Music by Bach. Arranged by Bennett Williams

'Pokarekare'

This traditional Maori love song expresses deep yearning for an absent loved one and was popularised by soldiers in New Zealand during World War I. A version of the song shot to fame in 2000 as the unofficial anthem of the Sydney Summer Olympics.

Arrangement by Tomoana

Q-T

'Queen: A Tribute'

Words and music by Freddie Mercury/Brian May/Roger Taylor/John Deacon. Arranged by SHJ Edwards

'Short People'

Words and music by Randy Newman. Arranged by Simon Carrington

'Sing'

It's what we like to do best, although we try to sound more like The Carpenters, who scored their seventh gold single with this song, than the Muppets on Sesame Street for whom it was originally written.

Words and music by Joe Raposo, 1972. Arranged by SHJ Edwards

'The Slow Train'

Comedy duo nostalgically reminisce in lyrical ballad of the provincial stations forever lost to the great British train network.

Words and music by Flanders and Swann, 1963. Arranged by SHJ Edwards

'Song of the Dawn'

Words by Jack Yellen. Music by Milton Ager, 1930. Arranged by Peter Wilkinson

From the film The King of Jazz where handsome chaps in leather chaps salute the new morning by singing to a (clearly painted) backdrop of the wild west. What's not to like?

'The Story Book Ball'

Words by George Perry. Music by Billy Montgomery, 1918

Straight from music hall days. Listen carefully, we shall sing this only once and your challenge is to count the number of nursery rhyme characters who put in an appearance throughout the lyrics...

'Swing Low'

Arranged by Peter Wilkinson/SHJ Edwards

'Thank You For the Music'

Words and music by Benny Andersson/Bjorn Ulvaeus. Arranged by SHJ Edwards

'Till There Was You'

Meredith Wilson. Arranged by SHJ Edwards

'Top of the World'

Words and music by Bettis/Carpenter. Arranged by SHJ Edwards

U-Z

'Uptown Girl'

Words and music by Billy Joel. Arranged SHJ Edwards

'Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow'

Words and music by Gerry Goffin/Carole King. Arranged by SHJ Edwards

'Where Do I Begin?'

Music by Francis Lai. Arranged by Adrian Lucas/SHJ Edwards

'We're Your Friends'

From Disney's Jungle Book

Richard M and Robert B Sherman. Arranged SHJ Edwards

'The Weather Forecast'

Incorporating the shipping forecast set to a psalm chant.

'The Way You Look Tonight'

Words by Dorothy Fields. Music by Jerome Kern. Arranged by SHJ Edwards

'What a Wonderful World'

Words by

'The Windmills of Your Mind'

Theme from the Thomas Crowne Affair

Words by Alan & Marilyn Bergman. Music by Michael Legrand. Arranged by SHJ Edwards

'Yesterday Once More'

Words and music by Richard Carpenter/John Bettis. Arranged by SHJ Edwards

'You Are the New Day'

Composed by Cardiff-born Welsh songwriter John David and recorded by rock band Airwaves, the song was penned in a dark moment when personal crisis and threat of nuclear war converged, making David look for hope within himself and in the dawn of a new day.

Words and music by John David, 1978. Arranged by SHJ Edwards

'You've Got a Friend in Me'

Words and music by Randy Newman. Arranged by SHJ Edwards