Need A Fairly Easy Solo

[saxy_jag]

I may or may not have to fill in our Christmas concert programme with a short solo slot, either singing or on saxophone. Needs to be fairly easy because I don't have much time to practice or prepare it. Doesn't have to be overtly Christmassy and I'd rather it wasn't anything religious. Oh, and it needs to be something that will sound OK with just a piano accompaniment.

Any ideas?

[Zacs-Master]

Didn't Roy Wood play sax on I wish it could be Christmas every day?

[Zacs-Master]

Awesome one in Billy Joel's 'New York state of mind'.

[Buenchico]

Would anything in the list of songs here be suitable? Perhaps 'I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing'?
http://www.musicroom.com/se/id_no/05016/details.html

[The Builder]

What style would you prefer Saxy? Pop/Jazz/Classical?

[shoota]

Dmitri Tiomkin - The green Leaves of Summer. Sing a bit, play a bit, sing a bit.
Sorted.

[saxy_jag]

Roy Wood didn't actually play that solo, as far as I'm aware. I think he just pretended to, although I'll stand corrected.

Nothing suggested so far is really suitable. It's all a bit cheesy and cliched. Not quite Baker Street but getting there. Also, when you've just got a piano to accompany you, you don't always get the full effect, and that's exacerbated much of the time if what you're playing is a song tune. A lot of songs just don't work without the words. You either get a very short or a very boring performance.

Classical (or classical style) is fine, as is light jazz, although it can't be too complicated because as I've said, I don't have much time to work on it. Folk's OK too - my favourite singing genre, actually.

I've found a couple of jazz numbers that might be worth singing, as well as a music hall song, and I'm about to have a browse through a book of Benjamin Britten folk song arrangements for something not too difficult.

[bednobs]

What about "they can't take that away from Me" I always think of it as a little bit Christmassy because it is a sort of thinking about people who aren't here any more song. I know what I mean anyway!

[bednobs]

Although I have no idea how easy it would be. Or even what it would sound like on a sax

[saxy_jag]

That is possibly very singable, Bednobs. I may get hold of a copy and try it out at next week's singing lesson. My accompanist on the night is a professional jazz pianist so it wouldn't need a great deal of prep on his part either.

I think I've found a sax possible too - a Spanish sounding piece that I'll go through later today.

Thank you all.

[bednobs]

:) i can't even think of it without welling up! i heard it sung at a memorial service once and the words are so apt.