Songs for a Children’s Choir, Bohuslav Martinů's only small a cappella choral cycle of its kind, was written, on instigation of the Brno children‘s choir, at Schonenberg in Switzerland from 1th to 3rd February 1959. Its first performance took place in Brno on 17 April 1960, the performers being the "Dětský pěvecký sbor Krajského domu pionýrů a mládeže v Brně" (Children's Choir of the Regional House of Pioneers and Youth in Brno) - later called "Mladost" (Youth)-, conducted by Jaroslav Dostalík. The cycle is based on the handwritten score of the composer, now in the property of J. Dostalík, and the copy made by the editor on 2nd May 1960. It includes the "Easter" poem of František Halas from his collection "Ladění" (Tuning), and a collection of Karel Jaromír Erben‘s "Prostonárodní české písně a říkadla" (Czech Folk Songs and Rhymes).
Zdeněk Zouhar, Bohuslav Martinů: Písničky pro dětský sbor, Ptačí hody, Prague: Panton, 2nd revised edition, 1995.