Chicken on a Fencepost
Sheet Music

Choral Piano (undefined), Voice 1, Voice 2, Voice 3

SKU: CF.BL1083

Composed by Taken from 19th century dance reel Hello Susan Brown Play-Part Song. Arranged by Greg Gilpin. Fold. OCTAVO. Duration 1 minute, 57 seconds. BriLee Music #BL1083. Published by BriLee Music (CF.BL1083).

UPC: 680160911943. 6.875 x 10.5 inches. Key: F major. English. Taken from 19th century Party Song.

Chicken on a Fencepost has a long history, as do most part songs. Most likely from African-American descent, it comes from the nineteenth-century reels Hello Susie Brown, Four in the Middle and possibly others. There were many verses to choose from; I chose the ones I liked the best for this arrangement. As you can see, I made use of the work "chicken" a lot! I love rhythm, and the word "chicken" is so percussive; it's just natural to do something fun with it. Pay close attention to whether the word "chicken" is sung with quarter notes, eighth notes or both. When the rhythms are put together, the result is a barnyard full of "clucking". Throughout the entire song, pitches, lyrics and dynamics should have energy, pulse and rhythmic vitality. Explore a variety of dynamics throughout as this will really help create the sound and feel of the piece. This novelty piece is full of teaching opportunities, rehearsal fun and is sure to be a performance gem. I hope you enjoy learning and singing this piece and even consider adding a dance reel.