Song Ideas:

Posted by member Heather Brooks:

"The Battle Is Not Ours" is the song Queen Esther sings in the Veggie Tales DVD. It can be found online. Here's a link to a preview at Youtube.com.  If it doesn't work, search for it.

Also, there is a neat resource from Focus on the Family (Heritage Builders) called "The Singing Bible."   All original songs about specific bible stories. We used it in one of our Esther workshops as a new way to hear the story. It is cute, but not an easy one for kids to learn (if that's what you are looking for). 

http://singingbible.com/

It's a great resource in general for songs about specific stories. We're using it this month for our Calling the Disciples rotation.

Music Ideas:

Member Cindy LB posted:

There are numerous Jewish Purim websites with music on them.

Example:  http://www.aish.com/h/pur/mm/48971716.html

If this link changes, search with google, or go to aish.com and use their search feature.

You can find 'some' songs for kids to sing, but more than likely, you'll find many songs to LISTEN TO which sound quite different than what our kids are used to. That's a nice approach in the music workshop.

Member Rachel H posted:

• “Guide Us With His Love” (Veggie Tales)
• “Be Bold, Be Strong (Be not afraid)” Bible camp song
• “Somebody’s Prayin’” Words and music by John Elliott (Ricky Skaggs) (The Jews prayed for 3 days before Esther went to see the king – “somebody’s prayin’, I can feel it, somebody’s prayin’ for me"

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart"

Member Nanci H wrote:

We are using a song called "Trust in the Lord with all your heart" --on the CD "Scripture Rock" by Troy and Genie Nilsson (Hillsong)- It's an excellent Cd and we have used this song several times and made up some fun actions to go with it.

Here's the song on youtube.com https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EN7Lwved3n8

B-i-b-l-e Esther Lyrics

Member Engel posted...

Its hard to find easy Esther songs, so I made one up to follow the "B-i-b-l-e" song (yes that's the book for me!). This song is a classic, so I will list the original lyrics and the music should be easy to find, or perhaps you know it.

Here goes....

E-s-th-e-r
Queen of a land afar
Brave and true and beautiful too,
E-s-th-e-r!
I tried this with my kids and they loved it!Have fun and God Bless!

Music Ideas:

Member Neil MacQueen posted:

I really recommend watching the youtube.com "Raise Your Glass" video by "The Maccabeats".

Not only does it tell the story in a modern catchy tune, but it shows the funny sense of humor and costumes that Purim is celebrated with.  

Here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgJInVvJSZg

Purim, of course, is the big Esther Festival that has a sort of Mardi Gras feel to it.

One of the funniest Purim celebrations I've ever seen was at a synagogue celebration that took familiar songs and rewrote the lyrics.  

The King sang "I Heard It On the GrapeVine....how much longer won't you be mine"  etc.  

Lampooning the King and Booing Haman in song is very Purim-y !

This could be a great exercise for your kids...to give them a very well-known song (to them, not the "old" teacher!).  PRINT the well-known lyrics, and leave space beneath each lyric line for them to write their replacement lyric.

Suggest: have karaoke machine and backing tune to sing to. It requires some set up, but this is what "workshop" is all about in the Rotation Model, you will take the time to set it up well because you'll do it more than one week for all your classes.