World Partners: Multicultural Collection of Partner Songs and Canons

World Partners: Multicultural Collection of Partner Songs and Canons, arranged by music educator Cheryl Lavender, is a multicultural choir songbook for music educators working with grades 3 through 8 in classroom and concert settings. Twelve folk songs from global traditions are paired with original partner songs and canons, bringing cultural exploration, ensemble singing, and musical storytelling together in one Teacher Edition. The collection presents each song as part of a wider musical portrait of cultures and traditions around the world.

This Teacher Edition includes reproducible singer pages, piano and vocal arrangements, teaching tips, and reproducible song sheets with phonetic pronunciations. Many selections also include Orff and percussion parts and folk dances, giving educators additional ways to develop performances beyond singing alone. Teaching objectives linked to the National Standards are provided for each song, supporting purposeful classroom learning while preserving the character of the music.

The partner-song and canon format encourages singers to experience harmony, listening, coordination, and ensemble participation through music drawn from varied cultural traditions. The combination of vocal material, instrumental parts, movement, pronunciation guidance, and teaching resources gives music educators flexible material for lessons, rehearsals, multicultural programs, and concerts.

Song List

A La Nanita Nana (Hear Lullabies and Sleep Now) * Arirang * Come Dance A Jig (Old Irish Air) * Havah Nagilah * Le Carillon * Light A Candle For Peace * The Piper O' Dundee * Sarasponda * Tarantella * Tina Singu (Sing It!) * Vo Luzern Uf Weggis Zu * World-Wide Hello

Designed around the idea of music as a shared cultural language, World Partners can enrich classroom learning and provide distinctive material for school performances and multicultural programs.