The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #37342   Message #2351309
Posted By: GUEST,ex-Guider
28-May-08 - 04:16 PM
Thread Name: Origins: White Coral Bells/White Choral Bells
Subject: RE: Girl Guide Marching Song
oops--lyrics I posted for the Guide marching song should have said, "song in our heart"--singular, not plural, of 'heart'.

I learned White Choral Bells (a poetic description of lily of the valley), and Make New Friends, and the Guide marching song--all songs mentioned in previous posts by others here--as a Brownie and then a Girl Guide, as far back as 1954-5--and they were already old, then. Also of course Land of the Silver Birch, which I believe is a Canadian song ("home of the beaver"!--and of course we're lush with silver birch and still the mighty moose wanders at will). My mother knew White Choral Bells--I think also from when she was a Guide--and she was English (then). The marching song is most likely English in origin. Girls were still singing these songs in the 60s, when I was a leader. My daughter and granddaughters are still singing them, today(with other Guides).