It seems like we are just coming back from summer break and already anxiety over the Winter/Christmas Concert is looming. After a few years, it gets more difficult to pick songs your students haven’t performed yet, and so begins the internet search. Or you’ll get that kid who says, “Teacher, we performed that in 2nd grade,” while rolling their eyes!
A few things to consider…
It’s a good idea to be in communication early on with your principal. Find out the rules about performing or not performing religious music. Find out what the style of your principal is. You are not only pleasing kids and parents but your superiors as well. Some principals are really easy going while others will micro-manage every aspect and comb through every lyric. I like to have a meeting with my principal at the beginning of the school year and then email them the concert links and lyrics (with any changes) as soon as I can. Be sure to tell them that this is a work in progress so they can put their input into it as well.
Here are a few ideas for Winter Concert Themes with some song examples.
Santa Claus Concert
A Santa themed concert can be really fun, and if you know someone with a Santa costume, you can bring them out at the end to spread the holiday cheer.
- Here Comes Santa Claus – by Gene Autry
- Santa Claus is Coming to Town
- Up on the Rooftop
- All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth
- Jolly Old Saint Nicholas
- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
- Santa Shark – by Super Simple Songs
- Must Be Santa – Raffi
- Santa Has His Eye On Me – SpongeBob Squarepants
Winterland
Every one likes snow in December. Try a concert with a Winterland theme.
- Winter Wonderland – Michael Buble
- Sleigh Ride – Leroy Anderson
- Frosty the Snowman – The Ronettes
- Let it Snow! – Jule Stone and Sammy Cahn
- Jingle Bells – James Pierpont
- Winter Walk – John Riggio
- I’m a Little Snowflake – (to the melody of I’m a little tea pot) – Super Simple Songs
- Do You Want to Build a Snowman – From Frozen
- Marshmallow World – Darlene Love
- Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening – by Vera Kistler (poem by Robert Frost)
- White Winter Hymnal – Pentatonix
- White Christmas – Irving Berlin
- It’s Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas – Meredith Willson
- It’s Snowing – Lucy Kalantari and the Jazz Cats
- Winter Things – Ariana Grande
Rock and Roll Theme
Everyone likes an upbeat concert. Let’s rock and roll!
- Jingle Bell Rock – Bobby Helms
- Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree – Brenda Lee
- Little Saint Nick –Beach Boys
- Christmas All Over Again – Tom Betty & the Heartbreakers (without bridge)
- Run Run Rudolph – Chuck Berry
- Do they Know it’s Christmas? – Band Aid
- 2000 Miles – Pretenders
- Wonderful Christmastime – Paul McCartney
- Thank God it’s Christmas – Queen
- Raining Tacos (on Christmas Eve) – Parry Gripp
- Christmas in Hollis – Run DMC
Silent Night Christmas
- Silent Night – Franz Xaver Gruber
- Christmas Star – (From Home Alone)
- Winter Dreams – by Jerry Estes
- Christmas Dream – by Perry Como
- Winter Dream – J Desjardins
- Twinkle, Twinkle Christmas Star
- Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening – by Vera Kistler (poem by Robert Frost)
Christian Music
If you teach older students or at a Christian school, consider a Christian themed concert.
- O Holy Night
- Silent Night
- Angels from the Realms of Glory
- We Three Kings of Orient Are
- Little Drummer Boy
- Oh Little Town of Bethlehem
- Go Tell it on the Mountain
- Hark the Herald Angels Sing
- Let There Be Peace on Earth
Hollywood Christmas
We all love our favorite Christmas movies during the holidays. Pick some songs from films and television.
- Do You Want to Build a Snowman – (Frozen)
- Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late) – (The Chipmunks)
- Hot Chocolate – (The Polar Express)
- When Christmas Comes to Town – (The Polar Express)
- What’s This? – (The Nightmare Before Christmas)
- You’re a Mean One Mr Grinch – (How the Grinch Stole Christmas)
- Welcome Christmas – (How the Grinch Stole Christmas)
- Christmas Time is Here – (A Charlie Brown Christmas)
- Frosty the Snowman – (Frosty the Snowman)
- The Very First Christmas – SpongeBob Squarepants
Simple Gifts
What is winter without the spirit of giving? Try a gift based winter concert theme.
- Simple Gifts – Joseph Brackett
- All I Want for Christmas are my Two Front Teeth – Donald Yetter Gardner
- Pretty Paper – Dolly Parton
- I Want A Hippopotamus for Christmas – Gayla Peevey
- Toyland – Doris Day
- The Twelve Days of Christmas – Lady Gomme
- Little Drummer Boy – Katherine Kennicott Davis
- The More You Give – Michael Buble
- It’s Giving Christmas – Chris Brown (no second verse)
- Grown Up Christmas List – Amy Grant (good for high school)
- Christmas Holiday Giving Song – CoComelon and Kids Songs
Christmas Tree Theme
Trees are mentioned in many Christmas songs and winter poems.
- Oh Christmas Tree – Aretha Franklin
- Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree –
- Deck the Halls – Thomas Oliphant
- Decorate the Christmas Tree – The Wiggles
- Christmas Tree Farm – Taylor Swift
- The Happiest Christmas Tree – Nat King Cole
Christmas Around the World
Christmas music has a rich history all around the world. A Christmas around the world concert can help kids with different cultural backgrounds feel included.
- Bring a Torch Jeanette Isabella (Un Flambeau, Jeannette, Isabelle – France)
- Feliz Navidad (Mexico) – by Jose Feliciano
- El Burrito Sabanero – Los Ninos Cantores de Prado (Venezuela)
- Silent Night (Stille Nacht – Austria)
- Mele Kalikimaka – (Hawaii)
- God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (English)
- Wassail, Wassail, Wassail (English)
- I Saw Three Ships (English)
- O Tannenbaum (Germany)
Shiny Bells
How many songs mention bells? Try a shiny bell themed concert and even bring out the jingle bells for the little ones to play.
- Silver Bells
- Jingle Bells
- Ring Those Christmas Bells – Peggy Lee
- Caroling, Caroling
- Jingle Bell Rock
- Carol of the Bells – Christmas at Home
- I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day – Casting Crowns
- Ding Dong Merrily on High
- Here Comes Santa Claus
- White Christmas – Irving Berlin
Multi-Cultural Holiday Traditions
You can celebrate different winter and holiday cultures such as Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa as well.
- I Have a Little Dreidel (Hanukkah)
- Sivivon, Sov, Sov, Sov (Hanukkah)
- Oh Come All Ye Faithful (Christmas)
- Angels, We Have Heard on High (Christmas)
- Kwanzaa Is Here (Kwanzaa)
- Kwanzaa Song (Kwanza)
- A Kwanzaa Celebration – by John O’Reilly (Kwanzaa)
Peace
After all the hustle and bustle is over, hopefully we are filled with peace. Here are a few songs for the occasion.
- Dona Nobis Pacem – One Ascension Choir
- Peace Like a River – Horatio G. Spafford
- Peace Peace Peace – Littleton
- There will be Peace – Mike Wilson
- Where is the Peace? – Teresa Jennings
- Peace and Love for Christmas – John Lennon
- So This is Christmas –John Lennon
- Giving Christmas Away – Tasha Layton
- Let There Be Peace – Carrie Underwood
There are so many songs that it would be impossible to list all the themes and songs for each, and of course, there is a lot of overlapping in the lyrics. Use this as a beginning and let us know in the comments if you have any more ideas!