MC songs that aren't opera!

Commissioned by Shreveport Opera. Performed by Sarah Saturnino and Ah Young Kim

#92 My Priest (Lyrics by Steve Aiken)

Lyrics by Steve Aiken. For Shreveport Opera. Performed by Dylan Davis and Ah Young Kim.

#89 I Live In A Single Wide

Music by Michael Ching, Lyrics by Steve Aiken.
Demo performed by Jennifer Lopez, at student at UTRGV.

Dater 90 Coffee Or Sex

Verse I		Do you remember
		Back when we were young?
		So full of potential
		So eager for what was to come
		Our life’s adventure
		Spread out before our eyes
		And would you look at us now

Chorus		We’re like a couple of old soldiers
		Swappin’ stories of past glories
		Reliving all the days when we were young
		Wonderin’ who’s still around
		Saluting those who’ve gone
		Like old soldiers marching on

Verse II	The days of greatness
		The days we weren’t the best
		Some awful failures
		But other times when we were bless’d
		The hollow vic’t’ries
		The noble, proud defeats
		Well would you look at us now…

Chorus

Bridge		We can’t live in the past
		Time moves along
		But the memories
		Sometimes are so strong

Chorus

Coda		Old soldiers
		Old soldiers
		Old soldiers marching on

Like Old Soldiers

If you'd like to listen to this with the piano vocal score, please go to my blog https://operaandbeyond.blogspot.com/ and download it.
Conductor.....................................................Andrew Bisantz
Stage Director..............................................Joe Winskye

Anna Hunter...............................................Maria Zouves (M or S)
Louise............................................................Sara Zoe Budnik (M)
Mrs. Davenport............................................Angela De Venuto (S)
Mr. Davenport...............................................Peter Lake (T)
Mr. Progress................................................Leo Radosavljevic (B/BSBR)
Quortina.......................................................Marquita Lister (S or M versions)
Lucy McIntyre................................................Jessica Ann Best
Jane Adair Wright.........................................Caroline Brazelton
Kass (Katherine Judkins) Clark................Lisa Bremer

SYNOPSIS

As young Davenport House tour-guide-in-training Louise’s final exam awaits, a mysterious woman (Anna Hunter) approaches her in a square. Louise does not notice until Anna follows her back to the
House. Louise tries to stop Anna from wandering the rooms; Anna pushes Louise down a set of stairs. Louise wakes up in the 1820s. The Davenports and their children rush about. Anna explains that by the 1950s, the Davenport House was set to be demolished to make way for urban renewal, which they learn about with Mr. Progress. They then head to the Old City Market, where they meet Quortina, a
huckster who is sad about the market’s upcoming closure. Louise finally realizes Anna’s true identity. With Louise in tow, Anna relives her journey to preserve the Davenport House, urging Louise to
preserve Savannah’s rich history. We return to the present. Louise, dressed as Anna Hunter, is finishing her tour. The tourists applaud
and leave. Anna watches as the museum director congratulates Louise, now a permanent tour guide.

Anna Hunter Pages 72 - 81 PV

Lyrics by Steve Aiken. Music by Michael Ching
Dater #94 from Speed Dating Tonight!
Performed by Gabrielle Gilliam at Shreveport Opera (2023)
Commissioned by Shreveport Opera

94 Wildlife Rehabilitator From Speed Dating Tonight (Lyrics by Steve Aiken)

From the original production at the University of Missouri. Ryan MacPherson and Dean Southern. (2003)

Write it Down from CORPS OF DISCOVERY

KING OF THE CLOUDS is a "school show" S/A/T/B piano about Kevin and his mother, Jane. The show dramatizes a number of social issues impacting teens and families.

KOTC 11

KOTC 10

KOTC 9

KOTC 8

Song by Michael Ching and Reg Huston
Demo by Ryan Kohn

Verse 1	Another Day, Another Dollar
                Another road that takes me farther and farther
                From your lips, your kiss
                My only bliss
                But wherever I go, 
                 I’ll hold you here in my heart

Chorus       You are with me
                   You never leave me, believe me
                   Your smile is the horizon line…sublime
                   But when the day’s begun
                    It’s like the morning sun in your shining eyes
                   Believe me, you never leave me

Verse 2 	Another gig over the weekend
                Another way to make relationships weaken
                But I hope you know
                That I love you so
                 And wherever I  go,
                 I’ll hold you here in my heart

Chorus

Bridge	     Someday the world is gonna come to us
                     But for now I gotta go out there,
                     And I pray for your trust,
                      I’m gonna miss you so much.

Chorus

Coda		Believe me you never leave me.

You Never Leave Me

By Michael Ching and Reg Huston
Performed by Holly Janz, students at Concordia College. Stephen Sulich Piano. 
Recorded for Fargo Moorhead Opera's contribution to the 2022 Decameron Opera Coalition project.

This Perfect Gift (solo and choral version)

Dater 34 35 "Is it Just Me" performed by Monica Malas And Blayne Stonecipher from Baylor University 2024. Bar/Ms, key of E. From Speed Dating Tonight! (2013). Words and Music by Michael Ching. Based on a concept by Dean Anthony.

Dater 34 35 "Is it just me" performed by Monica Malas/Blayne Stonecipher

This playlist combines the workshop reading with new material. If there is a discrepancy between the piano vocal and the demo, go with the piano vocal!

Royal Feast Demo For 2025 Bars 441 To 491

Royal Feast Demo For 2025 Bars 419 To 440

Royal Feast Demo For 2025 Bars 308 To 418

Royal Feast Demo For 2025 Bars 1 To 53

Royal Feast Demo For 2025 Bars 834 To End

Royal Feast Demo For 2025 Bars 790 To 833

Royal Feast Demo For 2025 Bars 619 To 788

Royal Feast Demo For 2025 Bars 492 To 618

Royal Feast Demo For 2025 Bars 54 To 307

In our own back yard by Michael Ching

Lyrics by Steve Aiken. Commissioned by Shreveport Opera 2025

Dater 101 My Darling Pet Snake

An unusual number where a detective comes in to thank a dater for donating a kidney to their sibling. 

Dater 98 Uninvited Guest Demo

Contemporary Christmas Carol. 
Music by Michael Ching, Lyrics by Reg Huston
Demoed by Jessica Ann Best

There is a solo with chorus version as well. Contact me for more info.
Sheet music available
https://mcmusic.myshopify.com/products/this-perfect-gift

This Perfect Gift (Solo version)

Co written by Quinn Vincent. Performed by Timothy Lee

SpDT 86 I want to be beautiful to you demo

LOVE WILL LIGHT THE NIGHT

CHING HARD TO LOVE YOU NOW

A plea for comity. And my harmonica playing debut. Music and Lyrics by Michael Ching. Recorded by Tim Hildebrandt. 

What the fuss was all about

Title says it all. The use of the "t" word is purely incidental. Cowritten with David Terrenoire. There's also a music video on you tube.

My Lazy Ass Has Trumped My OCD

Commissioned by ALAMO CITY OPERA for their production, September 2017. Available generally after September 2017. Demo recorded by Lidia, Lucy, and Aria and produced by Andrew, all students at Ames High School

Daters #44 #45 and #46 Trio: If Not Now When? from Speed Dating Tonight!

Dater #38 from Speed Dating Tonight! Music and Lyrics by Michael Ching
"Dress Up" performed by Kristina Costello. Demo Recorded at Savannah Voice Festival, 2018. Commissioned by Opera Steamboat.
I like to dress up as a raccoon
It's such fun, so liberating
What do you think about that?
Does it fascinate you? Does it disturb you?
When we were children we would play in the attic
And find flapper dresses, bell bottoms, safari outfits
Now that we're grown, we repress that urge
But why? Why? Why? Why?
I spent hours on my costume
It's such fun to make my character come to life
It's got a beautiful furry tail
And a little mask, complete with whiskers
Ah....
Would you like to see me in my costume
Or try one on for yourself?

Dress up (Dater #38) from Speed Dating Tonight!

Dater #47 from Speed Dating Tonight! by Michael Ching "You Know Who" (U Del Dates) Demo by Sarah Barker at Savannah Voice Festival 2018
I need to bring somebody home this summer/for Christmas/this weekend
How 'bout you?
If I don't bring somebody home this summer/etc
Then I'm so screwed
My father voted for you-know-who
He's gonna disown me if I tell him the truth about what I think
about you-know-who
If you come home with me this summer
I'll pay your way
You can be Jewish or Muslim... (spoken) or whatever!
(sung) It's all okay
If I bring home a complete stranger,
He'll be so stunned
There won't be any danger of political talk
About you-know-who
We fight, we argue
We never could agree politically
Since this election
He won't stop goading me.
You'd be doing me a favor
I won't forget
You'd be keeping me from saying
Many thing's I'd regret
He'll be so surprised I brought home a guy
They'll be so distracted that they won't pry
About what  I think
About you-know-who
(spoken) you-know-who!

You Know Who (Dater #47) from Speed Dating Tonight! for UDel

based on Carmen Trio (Mercedes and Frasquita) from Act III performed by Malia Sherwood and Alexandria Carmon

Borrowed from the MERCÉDÈS/FRASQUITA portion of the Trio from Bizet’s CARMEN. 
It is advisable that this duet take place somewhere very near the end of the opera, perhaps right before the finale. Two friends are texting each other from across the room. Although they are far from each other, there is some implied eye contact.

S	THAT ONE
M	WHICH ONE?
S	THAT ONE
M	THAT ONE
S	HE’S NOT TOO BAD
M	HE’S NOT TOO BAD
S	THAT ONE OVER THERE?
M	BUYER BEWARE
S	DAMAGED GOODS?
M	DAMAGED GOODS.
BOTH	They come together. SO TELL ME FRIEND, HOW IS YOUR EVENING GOING?
	WHAT HAVE YOU FOUND? ARE ANY BRIGHT SPOTS SHOWING?
S	ARE ANY OF THEM DATEABLE?
M	ARE ANY OF THEM DATEABLE?
S	WHICH ONE’S COMPLETELY HATEABLE?
M	WHICH ONE’S COMPLETELY HATEABLE?
BOTH	I’M CHECKING IN. I’M CHECKING IN.
	ARE ANY OF THEM DATEABLE
	WHICH ONE’S COMPLETELY HATEABLE?
M	DO TELL
S	DO TELL
M	LET’S HEAR
S	LET’S HEAR.

M	THAT ONE’S STARING DOWN AT HIS PHONE
	SUCH AN OBVIOUS COVER FOR SHYNESS
S	THAT ONE OVER THERE’S REALLY BAD
	HE’S A VERITABLE D MINUS
BOTH	AH HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!
M	THAT ONE THINKS HE’S DASHING AND BOLD
	HE OFFERED ME RIDES IN HIS BUICK
S	HE MADE THE SAME OFFER TO ME
	SAID WE COULD SLIP AND SLIDE
M	EW
S	ICK
BOTH	AH HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!
M	MAKES ME WANT TO PACK UP AND GO HOME
	SPEND THE EVENING WATCHING NETFLIX
S	OR CURLING UP WITH A BOOK
	WALKING MY DOG, PUTTING ON LIPSTICK
M	WHY DON’T WE GET OUT OF HERE NOW?
	THE TWO OF US COULD SLIP AWAY
S	AND THEN… AND THEN?
	SLIP AWAY WITH YOU?
	YES. WE TWO!
M	YES!
BOTH	AH! MAYBE YOU COULD BE THE ONE FOR ME.
	SO TELL ME FRIEND
	HOW IS THIS EVENING GOING?
	WHAT HAVE WE FOUND?
	YOU ARE THE BRIGHT SPOT SHOWING
S	I GUESS THAT MAKES US LESBIANS
M	I GUESS THAT MAKES US LESBIANS
S	IF THAT IS TRUE THEN COUNT ME IN
M	IF THAT IS TRUE THEN COUNT ME IN
BOTH	IT’S TIME TO GO. IT’S TIME TO GO. 
[alt: WE’RE FEELING GAY, THANK GEORGES BIZET]
	I GUESS THAT MAKES US LESBIANS
	IF THAT IS TRUE THEN COUNT ME IN.
	LET’S GO. LET’S GO
	IT’S TIME TO GO.
	CALL IT A NIGHT
	SPEED DATING BITES.
	IT BITES! IT BITES!
	IT BITES! IT BITES!

	They sneak out.

Dater #50-51 "It Bites" Duet from Speed Dating Tonight! performed at OCU

1 RSBE Friendship Bracelet

Demo by Jessica Ann Best at Savannah Voice Festival August 2019 (click more for lyrics)
https://www.jessicaannbest.com/
From RSBE (Remove Shoes Before Entering) a new opera by Michael Ching. Words and Music by Michael Ching
Commissioned by University of Alabama Opera. 
Paul Houghtaling and Laurie Rogers Directors.

Gramma’s Song. 
Where the Wonder Never Ceases

They step in the shoes and recall a time with their grandmother

Summer… I must have been ten years old
A week with gramma in the country
I must have seemed bored
Staring at my phone
She grabbed it and said ”Enough!
Let’s go outside” but I sulked
Spoken And she said “Look!”
Look at what? I said…

Sung It’s Queen Anne’s lace
Like clouds in the sky
Or like fireworks 
on the 4th of July.
They bring such joy, 
they bring such peace
They’re a  simple little thing 
but the wonder never ceases.

There’s a monarch on a milkweed
A hawk up the tree
Imagine for a moment
If you could see all she could see
Mushrooms in
A fairy ring
Imagine what they talk about
Imagine how they sing.

There’s a cricket chirping loudly
A toad under the leaves
If stay all day shut in the house
There’s a rabbit in the garden
A cat bird on a branch
You won’t be here forever
So take it in while you can.


“Take it in while you can”
I thought she meant the week.
But now that she’s gone
I see what she wanted me to see.
And it brings me joy,
It brings me peace
All the simple little things,
The simple little things,
The simple little things,
Where the wonder never ceases.

RSBE 8 Gramma's Lesson (J. Best/M. Ching) (click title, scroll down, & click show more for lyrics)

Recorded at Converse College (2020) Verity is a senior there and was in their SPEED DATING TONIGHT! production. Accompanied by Michael Ching.

Dater #9 Talkative Girl sung by Verity Arden

From the University of Nebraska Omaha production 2020
Performed by Sadie Ziegerer and Hal France, Music Director

Speed Dating Tonight! Dater 5 Lurking

Sung by Christine Boddicker, Christina Scanlan, Ian Bolden
From Zoom Speed Dating Tonight! 
Music and Lyrics by Michael Ching
Based on a concept by Dean Anthony

If Not Now When (Brevard 2020)

Music and Lyrics by Michael Ching 2020

(Verse) Seems like every journey has its ups and downs
Incidents of road rage 
Annoying freeway clowns
It’s a wonder that we made it
It’s a wonder we survived
I’m so glad that we’ve arrived
At Exit 45

(Chorus) Exit 45, I wasn’t sure we’d get there
Exit 45...
I’m gonna set right here
And drink a beer
And hug my neighbor 
At Exit 45
(Verse)	Every trip will have its share of slip ups
Windshield dings
And directions you can mess up
We’ve been on a detour
Down a rocky, dangerous road
But finally we’ve figured out
There’s another way to go

(Repeat Chorus)

(Bridge)	We never should have gone this way
But hopefully we’ll be okay
And never travel down this road again
(Last chorus)	Exit 45
I wasn’t sure we’d get there
I’ve been biding my time
Hoping that we’d get there
Now I’m gonna set right here
And drink a beer
Hug my neighbor 
Hold em dear
And shout a cheer
At Exit 45

EXIT 45

from the Zoom Speed Dating Tonight production by the Janiec Opera of Brevard Music Center, summer 2020. Originally written for Alamo City Opera, 2017.

Dater #41 Overthinking, performed by Sarah Coit

Lurking, Dater 5 from SPEED DATING TONIGHT! performed by Danielle Bavli from the Zoom Speed Dating Tonight! production at the Janiec Opera of the Brevard Music Center 2020.
Dater 5 is one of the original 25 pieces from the 2013 Brevard premiere.

Dater 5 Lurking performed by DANIELLE BAVLI

Christmastime Sucks These Days

This song is part of a prequel (Daters #76-#83) commissioned by L'arietta Productions in Singapore. It was a response, a pivot from their plans to do SPEED DATING TONIGHT! but having to postpone it due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During the summer of 2020, a song was premiered every week. Each video was made carefully under quarantine/lockdown conditions. The soprano in this video is Akiko Otao. Pianist is Aloysius Fong. Directed by Eleanor Tan. You can find the you tube video at This song is part of a prequel (Daters #76-#83) commissioned by L'arietta Productions in Singapore. It was a response, a pivot from their plans to do SPEED DATING TONIGHT! but having to postpone it due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During the summer of 2020, a song was premiered every week. Each video was made carefully under quarantine/lockdown conditions. The tenor in this video is Leslie Tay. Pianist is Aloysius Fong. Directed by Eleanor Tan. You can find the you tube video athttps://youtu.be/8PnLL0HE3Es

WHAT WOULD I DO WITHOUT BARTHOLOMEW? 
WHERE WOULD I BE WITHOUT HIM? 
WE'VE BEEN THROUGH SO MUCH TOGETHER
WHAT THEY CALL IN SONGS THAT "STORMY WEATHER." 
ONE ROOMMATE, TWO CATS, 
THREE APARTMENTS AND THEN A COUPLE OF MEN... 
IF ONLY YOU KNEW HOW MUCH BARTHOLOMEW GETS ME THROUGH THE DAY HE'S BEEN THE ROCK IN MY LIFE 
DEPENDABLE, GENEROUS WILLING TO SHARE OF HIMSELF, 
NOT NEEDY OR FUSSY NOT JEALOUS,  
STEADFAST THROUGH IT ALL  
THROUGH LET DOWNS AND LOCK DOWNS 
BREAKUPS AND MAKEUPS 
HEATUPS AND COOLDOWNS 
LOVING AND LOAFING 
NOBLE BARTHOLOMEW MY FRIEND 
spoken, grabbing the jar, holding it aloft 
"Lactobacillus Sanfransisensis Bartholomew!"

Bartholomew (#78)

Michael Ching is an opera composer/librettist, songwriter, and conductor. His opera SPEED DATING TONIGHT! has had over a hundred forty productions since its 2013 premiere. It is constantly being expanded and this is the place to hear the demos of new dater songs. This summer, Savannah Voice Festival will premiere his opera CINDERELLA'S ROYAL FEAST, a sequel to Rossini's opera. In 2024, the University of South Dakota-Vermillion premiered his opera, NOTES ON VIARDOT. It has subsequently been performed by Arizona State University and On Site Opera. His other sequel--to Puccini's GIANNI SCHICCHI is BUOSO'S GHOST. BUOSO is published by E.C. Schirmer Classical and has been performed by the Florida Grand Opera, Detroit Opera, OperaDelaware and several other companies. In 2020, the University of Alabama commissioned and premiered his opera RSBE. It is now on its sixth production. In 2018-19 high school students in Palm Springs premiered his opera, THRIVERS. His opera about Grant Wood, EIGHT WOODS AND A VAN, premiered at Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre.  Michael has written four one act operas for Savannah Voice Festival, including ALICE RYLEY and ANNA HUNTER, both about Savannah. Michael developed confidence in his ability to write words by trying to write songs. His favorite composer is George Gershwin. 

Most of these files are working files here for reference by the commissioning and producing organizations that Michael works with. There are also some singer-songwriter songs.

Michael Ching

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