While Alfred leads the way with books that work for both beginning young men and beginning young women, Hal Leonard seems to be the leader in books created for specific genders and voice types in this age and difficulty level.
Songs of Love, Music, and Nature is an Alfred publication compiled by Sally K. Albrecht. This book is available with or without the accompaniment CD. I love these songs. Most of the composers/arrangers are familiar names from other Alfred publications--Andy Beck, Ruth Elaine Schram, Sally K. Albrecht, Jay Althouse, and Vicki Turner Courtney. "The Moon", "Why Does the Willow Tree Weep" and "Wintersong" are favorites with the students that love slow, beautiful songs in minor keys.
Joan Boytim's First Book series was a wonderful resource for some beginner high school students, but there was a need for repertoire more appropriate for middle school voices, and so the Easy Song series was created. Some of my middle schoolers are ready for this (as a second or third book), but it also works well for 9th and 10th graders or students that start later. All songs in these volumes are in English, although some are English translations of fairly simple French and German art songs like "Non petit coeur soupire", and "Heidenröslein". Part 2 books include more art songs originally in English and a few older popular/musical theatre songs like "Second Hand Rose". The soprano books do include songs with G and higher, but there are several songs that only go to D or E, so the book can be used with students who really will be sopranos but haven't found the top yet.
Because there are so many options now for students at this level, I don't use Easy Songs for the Beginning Soprano as much as I did when it first came out, but it is still a wonderful resource. It contains a lovely arrangement of "Golden Slumbers" that is a great introduction to melismas. "Two Marionettes" and "The Lilac Tree" are student favorites because they get to tell a story. I love them because the students like them enough that they are not frightened of the high notes, or if they are, they want it bad enough to practice and explore until they can sing the high notes well. Frederic Austin's setting of "It Was a Love and His Lass" is challenging, but definitely appropriate for a young high school student.
Easy Songs for the Beginning Soprano Part II includes more songs from operetta. I was also pleased to see "April" by Roger Quilter, and "Fairy Lullaby" by Amy Beach, providing an introduction to these important composers. "Glow Worm" gives those sopranos who have found their high notes a chance to really show them off.
My students favorite songs from Easy Songs for the Beginning Mezzo-Soprano/Alto are "Vienna, My City of Dreams" and "You are Free" from operetta. I'm not a huge fan of operetta (it's a little sappy for me) but the students love it, and these are presented in easy to sing keys. This book also includes "Who'll Buy My Lavendar" by Edward German. I love this song and the fact that there are more songs in this book that I will use with students than in the other collections that contain this song.
If students like songs in both Easy Mezzo books, I prefer to have them purchase Easy Songs for the Beginning Mezzo-Soprano/Alto Part II. In addition to 2 folksongs that are the same arrangements as published in 15 Easy Folksong Arrangements, there are very nice arrangements of "The Bonny Lighter-By" by Celil J. Sharp and "Go from My Window, Go" by Arthur Somervell. John Ireland's "Spring Sorrow" is also included in this book, as is a student favorite "Second Hand Rose" by James F. Hanley.
Daffodils, Violets, and Snowflakes is intended to be supplemental material for beginners using 36 Solos for Young Voice or the Easy Songs series. It is available in High and Low keys. "Nursery Rhymes" is a favorite of my middle school students and gives opportunities for working on acting in addition to work on the technical concepts of smoothing out the big jumps in the melody and freeing up high notes. "Boats of Mine" is a lovely setting of Robert Louis Stevenson's poem "Where Go the Boats". The high notes are optional, so if needed, the range is only a little over an octave. I also really like "The Fairy Pipers", "Heigh-Ho! The Sunshine", and "Ho! Mr. Piper". I tend to be the person that loves all the sad, slow songs, so it's nice to find a book where I like several of the more upbeat songs.
The Hal Leonard books included in this post all come with the accompaniment CD and do not have an option for the book alone. I believe that all Hal Leonard books now come with the enhanced CD. When used in a computer, you can change the tempo or key of a song.
The next post will cover options for young men in this same age category and difficulty level.
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