Children Sing for Water

Credit: Andy Howes Photography, Music for Youth Schools Prom and Oxfordshire Massed Choir

Five small songs about big problems

Use the power of song to learn, have fun and raise money for WaterAid, and help us enable even more people to gain access to clean water and sanitation and take their first steps out of poverty.

Our brand new songs, written by songwriter Richard Stilgoe, are available to download at the bottom of this page along with sheet music and fundraising ideas. You will have everything you need to sing for water!

Please note that the songs are not available on CD at the moment but will be available again in Summer 2009.

Watch a video explaining more about the project, and how your school can get involved, here:

Howard Goodall, the Government's 'Singing Ambassador' has heard the songs and this is what he has to say:

"These five songs are truly fabulous. It's a pity they haven't existed for forty years because if they had they would by now be everybody's favourite songs for fairly young people, ever. But they haven't and you have to start somewhere, so here they are, at last, and today's youngsters will be able to sing them to their children in twenty years' time, which is great.  

"They are very funny without being stupid, clever without being patronising, meaningful without being nauseating, exceedingly hummable without being even slightly annoying, all about water yet not at all wishy-washy and, let's face it. The Poo Song is a work of sheer, exuberant genius. Hurrah for Mr.Stilgoe's life-enhancing bucketful of watery songs!"
 
-Howard Goodall

Download all you need to Sing for Water!

Evaporation ( WMA file 3Mb)
Five thousand children ( WMA file 2.5Mb)
I turn on the tap, I walk to the stream ( WMA file 2Mb)
Short walk to freedom ( WMA file 3Mb)
The poo song ( WMA file 2.6Mb)

Five thousand children - lyrics ( PDF 68K)
Five thousand children - sheet music ( PDF 693K)
Full recording track listing ( PDF 28K)
Sponsor form ( PDF 63K)