Life is but a melancholy flower

Ask singers to sing the phrase 'Life is but a melancholy flower' to the tune of Frere Jacques. Sing the first couple of phrases to demonstrate how the words fit, but don't demonstrate the whole thing or you'll spoil the joke:

Sing as a round at this point if you like.

Now ask singers to sing the same song in a minor key (demonstrate only if you think they'll need it!).

Now divide singers into two equal groups, preferably not along voice-part lines. One group sings the major version and the other group sings the minor version. This can be done as a round at the bar as normal, or at the half-bar (even more fun!), producing false relations. Or just get everyone to start at the same time, producing nice clashes:



If you like, develop by:
 * asking singers to switch from major to minor every 4 bars / 2 bars / bar
 * doing that as a round
 * with children, forming two teams, the Major Team and the Minor Team; first the teams compete to see who can sing their clashing notes louder, then they aim to get an exact balance