Does your choir have a Halloween concert or event? If not, this list of 13 spooky songs might inspire you to start one. We have the perfect Halloween music for you, from classic arrangements you know and love to exciting new originals. Some of these pieces are best sellers, while others are fresh releases just in time for the spooky season. You’ll find a variety of options, from festive accompaniment tracks to chilling piano accompaniments, in a wide array of voicings for your next Halloween concert or performance.
Spooky Scary Skeletons
Andrew Gold/arr. Roger Emerson – Hal Leonard Corporation
Catchy and quirky, this Halloween novelty is easy to learn and fun to sing. It’s a great choice for choirs of all ages to learn in just a few rehearsals. You’ll also want to check out the instrumental track, as it has a lot of sound effects that will enhance your performance during spooky season!
Starts at 1:06
Bad Vibe
Anita Cracauer – ShowChoirStock
A fresh option for a spooky show moment or Halloween-themed performance, this original song features a slick R&B throwback sound, funky guitar, and a hot horn section. The chart opens up with an alto soloist and continues with the full choir throughout, singing about those times when we can’t help but feel scared even though we know that monsters aren’t real. There are no zombies in this song – just a bad vibe your singers will love!
Starts at 2:03
Some One
Cristi Cary Miller – Hal Leonard Corporation
This original work highlights the mysterious and haunting text from one of England’s best-known poets, Sir Walter de la Mare. The minor key along with the music’s short, staccato themes, interactive harmonies, and optional bassoon part add to the sense of thrill and questioning found in the song’s unique text. An ideal choice for fall or Halloween concerts – or any time of year!
Starts at 3:05
I Put a Spell on You
Artist: Bette Midler Jay Hawkins/arr. Jacob Narverud – Alfred Music Publishing
This bewitching bit of nostalgia will charm your audience for Halloween, fall concerts, or any pop or show choir concert. Originally written in 1956, but famously covered by Bette Midler for the ’90s cult classic “Hocus Pocus,” this song is included on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Use the accompaniment track for full effect, and conjure up some costumes and choreography to brew a spellbinding performance.
Starts at 3:53
The Spider
Greg Gilpin – Choristers Guild
Look no further for the perfect spooky concert offering for Halloween or any time of year! This creative original, set to a text by Jane Taylor, features vivid imagery sparked by dynamic contrasts and rhythmic interplay between parts. The agitated, eerie atmosphere of the piano accompaniment, punctuated by vocal gasps, will definitely provide your audience with moments of fun and fright!
Starts at 4:45
Double Trouble
John Williams/arr. Teena Chinn – Alfred Music Publishing
Add a touch of mystery to your concert program with this delightful number from “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.” With John Williams’ music, lyrics based on Shakespeare, and a sensational orchestrated accompaniment, this is very special!
Starts at 5:35
Danse Macabre
Z. Randall Stroope – Walton Music
Translated as “Dance of Death,” the French text from poet Henri Cazalis sparkles and spins with the movement of skeletons dancing in the graveyard in this formidable display of rhythmic and technical vocal agility. It is at once both humorous and serious, explaining that death is the ultimate equalizer. It is a rhythmic and challenging work for more advanced choirs with piano that may be performed at any time of year – but perhaps most effectively near Halloween.
Starts at 6:22
Two for Halloween
arr. Mark Weston – Alfred Music Publishing
It’s a spooky twist on a couple of classical themes! Complete with swooping bats, snarling cats, and all kinds of ghostly imagery, this duo can be sung together or separately for any fall or Halloween performance. Sing along to melodies from Grieg’s In the Hall of the Mountain King, Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor, and Schubert’s Erlkonig – and let your singers learn about music history while having so much fun!
Starts at 7:16
Haunted Houses
Clark William Lawlor – Endeavor Music Publishing
Elevate your next spooky concert experience with this unique and exciting selection for mixed choirs! This original work seamlessly transitions from musically creeping through the shadows to embarking on a quasi-ragtime adventure through Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s Haunted Houses. Don’t miss out on this spine-chilling musical journey, at Halloween or throughout the concert season.
Starts at 8:12
The Broomstick Flew All Around
Mark Burrows – Heritage Music Press
Based on the old Appalachian folk tune The Green Grass Grew All Around, this hilarious Halloween adaptation will have your audience in stitches! A cumulative song, each verse incorporates a new element to the text such as witches, hats, cats, and rats each with an associated sound effect. You’ll want to check out the various accompaniment track options because this instrumentation is not to be missed!
Starts at 8:55
hist whist
Patrick Baker – Santa Barbara Music Publishing
“hist whist little ghostthings tip-toe twinkle-toe, little twitchy witches and tingling goblins hob-a-nob hob-a-nob.” E.E. Cumming’s spooky text is perfectly set in this engaging concert work that calls for actions and movement, props, and sound effects including wind noises, chattering mice, croaking toads, and simple body percussion. Great for fall concerts or Halloween, this unique piece will be a favorite of your treble choir!
Starts at 9:43
The Bat
Andy Beck – Alfred Music Publishing
This creative original piece written especially for two-part choirs features quick-changing dynamics, textures, and articulations that will both challenge and reward young singers. Consider programming in the fall for Halloween, or as a song cycle with Firefly and The Moon, pieces on a similar theme by the same composer.
Starts at 10:31
Thriller
Artist: Michael Jackson Rod Temperton/arr. Mark Brymer – Hal Leonard Corporation
Since its release in 1984, this ingenious song became one of Michael Jackson’s signature works. Your audiences will be thrilled by the spooky sound effects and horror motifs that helped to make the video choreography so stunning!
Starts at 11:18
