Rehearsing and Performing

Year 9 HEAP • Singalong • Performance

A performance is a form of close reading. Every choice about tempo, volume, who sings and where people stand shapes what the audience hears. This page offers a practical process for rehearsing a class singalong without turning it into a spectacle that drowns out the songs.

Everyone has a role

Role	What the person does	What it develops
Singer	Learns and performs a vocal part.	Pitch, breath, diction, ensemble listening.
Percussionist	Keeps the beat or adds a rhythmic layer.	Timing, dynamics, restraint.
Instrumentalist	Plays a melody, chord pattern or drone.	Arrangement, balance, accompaniment.
Narrator	Introduces songs and links sections.	Research, scripting, public speaking.
Sound crew	Sets levels, cues recordings and checks microphones.	Technical listening and problem-solving.
Lighting crew	Plans simple lighting changes and cues.	Mood, timing and safety.
Stage manager	Runs the rehearsal schedule and cues.	Organisation, communication, leadership.
Designer	Makes a program, poster or projection.	Visual communication and audience awareness.
Signer or captioner	Provides access for Deaf and hard-of-hearing audience members.	Inclusion, interpretation and precision.

Singing is optional; participation is not. Some students will not want to sing, and some will be unable to. A class singalong should give everyone a meaningful role. Never make singing a condition of taking part.

Choose the set

A short set with a clear arc is better than a long list of songs. Three or four public-domain songs are enough for a class performance. Think about contrast: fast and slow, solo and group, serious and playful, old and new.

Position	Function	Example choice
Opening	Welcomes the audience and sets the tone.	A bright, familiar chorus.
Middle	Introduces contrast and depth.	A slower ballad or a song with a story.
Turn	Changes the mood or the perspective.	A call-and-response song or a spoken introduction.
Closing	Brings the audience together.	A refrain everyone can join.

Rehearsal schedule

Rehearsal	Focus	Outcome
1	Learn the words and the shape of each song.	Everyone can follow the structure without stopping.
2	Set the arrangement: tempo, dynamics, who sings what.	A written plan for each section.
3	Add staging, cues and technical elements.	A run-through with transitions.
4	Full run, feedback and adjustments.	A performance that can be repeated reliably.

Keep rehearsals short and focused. Twenty minutes of concentrated work is better than an hour of repeated run-throughs. End each rehearsal with one thing that worked and one thing to change.

Mark the score

Use a simple notation on your lyric sheet so everyone makes the same choices.

Symbol	Meaning	Example
/	Short pause	“And he sang / as he watched ...”
//	Longer pause	“Quoth the raven, // ‘Nevermore.’”
↑	Rise in pitch	“Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda? ↑”
↓	Fall in pitch	“with me. ↓”
(soft)	Lower volume	“(soft) The last bus home ...”
(loud)	Raise volume	“(loud) Together we will die!”
→	Slow down	→ “still is sitting, still is sitting”
←	Speed up	← the final chorus

Vocal care

Warm up the voice before rehearsing; hum, sigh and stretch gently.
Do not shout to be heard over instruments. Use a microphone or ask the band to play softer.
Drink water; avoid shouting in noisy spaces between rehearsals.
Rest the voice if it feels strained. A whisper or a spoken role is a valid alternative.
Keep rehearsal volumes safe for the room and the audience.

Staging and technical plan

Element	Decision	Question
Positions	Where does each group stand?	Can everyone see the conductor and be seen?
Entrances	How do performers enter and leave?	Do transitions interrupt the song?
Microphones	Who needs amplification?	Is the sound balanced and feedback-free?
Lighting	What changes are needed?	Is the lighting safe and predictable?
Props	What objects are used?	Do they support the song or distract?
Program	What does the audience need to know?	Are the song sources credited?

Accessibility and participation

Need	Adjustment
Hearing impairment	Provide printed lyrics, captions for recorded elements and a clear sight line to the performers.
Vision impairment	Provide large-print lyrics and describe any visual staging.
Anxiety or selective mutism	Offer a backstage, technical, written or recorded role instead of a solo performance.
Speech or language needs	Allow extra rehearsal, a shorter part or a support role.
Sensory sensitivity	Warn before loud sounds; offer a quiet space and a predictable structure.
Physical access	Ensure the performance space is step-free and seating is flexible.
Religious or cultural considerations	Allow students to opt out of songs that conflict with their beliefs; offer an alternative role.

Performance checklist

Everyone knows the order of the set and their role.
The words are learned well enough to look up.
The arrangement has contrast: loud and soft, fast and slow, solo and group.
Transitions are rehearsed.
The sound levels are checked in the performance space.
Lyrics and sources are credited in the program.
Access needs have been planned for.
There is a plan if something goes wrong.
The performance ends cleanly and the audience knows when to applaud.

After the performance

Reflect as a group while the experience is fresh. Use three questions:

What did the audience hear that we intended?
What changed when the song met an audience?
What would we revise if we performed it again?

Each student should also write a short individual reflection of 100–200 words explaining one choice they made and what it revealed about the song.

Common errors

Shouting every line. If everything is loud, nothing is.
Ignoring the words. The lyric should remain audible and intelligible.
Unrehearsed transitions. The moments between songs matter as much as the songs.
Forcing everyone to sing. Participation can take many forms.
Overproducing. A simple, confident performance is better than a chaotic spectacle.
Forgetting credit. Name the sources of the songs and thank the audience.

Next, read the teacher notes for planning, differentiation, sensitive-content and copyright guidance. The sources and provenance page records the public-domain songs used in this packet.