Compositions for Children

I have been highly interested in putting together a program of music intended specifically for children.  As I began the search, I found the common works we would expect - Debussy's Children's Corner and the Schubert and Schumann Albums for the Young.  As I began to look deeper, I discovered a couple of additional works that I wasn't familiar with that are proving to be quite rewarding.

First on my list is Musiques d'Enfants (Op. 65) by Prokofieff.  This set of 12 pieces are rather short and are trickier than they first appear.  Not only am I finding them to be wonderfully rewarding to perform, several of the pieces are appropriate for intermediate students who are wanting to explore Russian music.

The other set that is on my plate at the moment is Children's Songs by Chick Corea.  The first 15 songs were originally composed for the Fender Rhodes with the remaining songs intended for the acoustic piano.  Corea states that any of the songs can be played on either instrument.  These are proving to be a little more difficult to become intimate with at this point.  While the Prokofieff grabbed my ear from the outset, Corea's works are less pleasant immediately.  I anticipate that as I spend more time with them in the coming weeks these pieces will become just as appreciated and treasured as the others.

Do you have suggestions of pieces that I might consider adding to my program?  I am thrilled that I have the opportunity to work with children in my church position as well as my teaching and thought it would be fun to present a program that reflects that aspect of my life.