The song, Place in the Choir, was written by Bill Staines and Red Grammer was given permission to record it on his CD, Down the Do Re Mi

Place in the Choir, is a delightful tune to use in the classroom. It is often used with lessons related to music and sometimes the true meaning of the song gets lost. This song is about recognizing that even though we are all different, when all of our differences come together we can create something very magical. When we work together we blend together as one community.

The following is a short play to help young students understand the meaning behind the song.There are 22 animals mentioned in the song. We have included all the animals here in the play so that everyone in your classroom can participate.

NOTE: Click on  Place In the Choir-Activities and Costumes to get directions for costumes for this play. You can use the simple head piece for the costume or make the complete outfit. Directions are included for both.

The play is set up as a narration so that Early Childhood Educators can read the narration and the students can act out what the teacher is reading aloud. For older students, teachers can break the narration down into speaking parts for students.

Title: Place in the Choir

© 2008 by Red Grammer and Maria Knickerbocker

Teachers have permission to use this play for classroom use only. For all other inquiries you must contact Maria Knickerbocker at maria@redgrammer.com

Setting: Somewhere on a farm

As the narrator reads, the children mime what the narrator is reciting.

Narrator:

It is late at night and all is quiet on the farm. Only Dog and Cat are prowling in the night.(Dog and Cat walk around the farm arm in arm checking on the sleeping animals).

Dog and Cat are best friends. That might seem strange for you to hear. Everyone always thinks of a dog not being nice a cat. But Dog and Cat have been best friends since they were little and they don't understand why people think they shouldn't be friends. They do everything together and this night they are singing together as they roam throughout the barn checking on the animals. (Dog gives a howl and cat gives a meow).

Perched up in the loft is Hoot Owl. Hoot Owl hears the music coming from Dog's howl and Cat's meow(the hoot owl cups his wings to his ears to listen to the music).Hoot Owl thinks they sound good together and he tells them so. "Dog and Cat you are making wonderful music together. You should become a duo and perform your songs here on the farm" Cat and Dog think it is a great idea and they begin to practice their singing (Cat and Dog point to their heads to show a great idea and then mime the singing).

The music from Cat and Dog wakes up Old Cow. He likes the music so he decides to join in the fun. Cat and Dog stop singing. They tell Old Cow that he can't be part of their duo because a duo is only for 2 and besides the cow is, well, old. Hoot Owl has been listening to Cat and Dog telling Old Cow that he can't be a part of the Duo. Hoot Owl gives a hoot and tells the story of how Old Cow once had to sing for Farmer Jones until all his other cows came home! "You see Old Cow has a big bass voice and Farmer Jones needed Old Cow to sing as loud as he could so that the lost cows could find their way home. He was a hero on our farm. And with a bass singer your duo could become a trio!" At first Dog and Cat were reluctant to listen to Hoot Owl but once they practiced with Old Cow they realized that they sounded even better as trio.

One night while practicing for an upcoming concert, Old Cow's friend Hippopotamus came for a visit. Hippopotamus loves to sing and he joined right in with the trio. Dog and Cat stopped singing.Dog told Hippopotamus that their group was a trio and a trio means 3only.Cat notices that Hoot Owl was listening again and even though he did give good advice about Old Cow,Cat didn't want anymore animals in the trio. He wanted Dog to be just Cat's best friend. So cat quickly added that only farm animals could be in the trio and everyone knows that a hippopotamus is not a farm animal.

Hoot Owl was in deed listening.Hoot Owl asked Hippopotamus if he traveled far in order to visit his friend, Old Cow."Yes",said Hippopotamus. "I wish I could be with my best friend everyday on the farm but I can only travel once in awhile for a visit. I miss him very much." Hoot Owl turned to Cat and Dog and asked if they have ever been apart. Cat explained that one time Dog had to go to the vet and stayed away for 3 days. Cat meowed day and night until Dog returned. This reminded Dog and Cat how it is hard not to be able to do things without having your best friend around. They huddled together and spoke in whispers to each other. They then turned to Hippopotamus and told him he could sing with them so he could be near Old Cow. Hoot Owl screeched, "Fabulous!" Now you have a quartet! And as the quartet practiced, they did indeed sound fabulous!

Off in the corner of the barn Cricket and Honeybee have been listening to all the wonderful music. Now everyone knows that crickets and honeybees are very musically inclined. In fact the Cricket lulls most animals to sleep with its fiddle- like music. And Honeybee's buzzing alarm sound wakes all the animals up in the morning. Slowly the insects crept toward the quartet and joined in the music. Dog and Cat stopped singing. "Not insects!"We are not going to have to have insects in our quartet are we Hoot Owl?"Hoot Owl peered out at Cat and Dog. "Well now Cat and Dog, you could leave them out. But could you take a look at Honeybee and Cricket for a moment? Really look at them? They look kind of sad don't you think?" (Cat and Dog nod in agreement). "Even insects have feelings. I don't think either one of you thought about your words before you spoke. It is important to think about what you are going to say. Words can hurt or words can make you happy. Your words could make Honeybee and Cricket sad enough to leave our farm. Then who will wake us up in the morning or sing us to sleep at night?" Cat and Dog huddled together once again and then turned to Hoot Owl and asked, "But what will our group be called now?" Hoot Owl thought out loud, "Well, you have the bass, the part on the bottom,where Hippopotamus moans and groans with a big to do and Old Cow goes, Mooo. You, Dog and Cat, you take up the middle where the honeybee hums and the cricket fiddles. But you should ask the donkey to bray and the pony to neigh and bring the coyote in to howl".Oh Yea! We could also use Bullfrog's croak to complete the bottom."(Dog and Cat go off stage to bring in Bullfrog who croaks, Donkey who shouts out a bray, Pony who sings a loud neigh and Coyote gives along howl)

"Terrific!" says Hoot Owl. "But", Dog says to Hoot Owl, "That's even more animals. What will we call ourselves now?" "Nothing yet", says Hoot Owl. You're missing my friend, Jaybird". Hoot Owl flies away to get Jaybird and returns. Hoot Owl says, "With Jaybird and me you have the top where the melody and the high notes ring. Cat and Dog you can now be called a choir. Let's practice shall we?"

So the choir with all the different animals and insects practiced for an upcoming concert. On the day of the event,the farm began to fill up with the audience. Duck quaked his way to his seat but the 'Possum didn't have much to say. He quietly waddled to his seat. Porcupine entered while talking to himself, again. He was joined by Fox, Ox and Grizzly Bear. Grumpy Alligator came with Sly Raccoon. Hawk was high in the rafters with Turtle Dove. This audience wasn't sure what to expect. How could all these different kinds of animals and insects work together to create music that would sound good? This audience didn't think it was going to work.

The choir came out on stage and they began to sing:

All God's Critters got a place in the choir. Some sing low and some sing higher and some sing out loud on a telephone wire and some just clap their hands or paws or anything they've got! (here the choir makes the motions for the song).

All the animals sounded so wonderful together that the enthusiastic audience couldn't help but join in with the singing of the choir.

Cat and Dog turn to Hoot Owl and asked, "Hoot Owl, what do we call ourselves when all the animals in the choir are singing AND all the animals in the audience are singing together?" Hoot Owl did not hesitate with his answer, "Why, Cat and Dog, we have a community!"

The End