'Singing Together' - BBC Song Booklets

Subject: 'Singing Together' 1958 UK
From: GUEST,Roger the skiffler
Date: 05 Jun 01 - 03:44 AM

While sorting out her attic my sister-in-law came across a lot of family music. Most of it has gone to local choirs etc but one item Herself rescued was one of her childhood pieces. It is the Spring Term 1958 BBC Schools Singing Together and Rhythm & Melody.
It contains:
Bonny blue-eyed sailor (Dunhill/Fyleman)
Water of Tyne (Northumbrian folk song)
Wraggle Taggle Gipsies (English folk song)
Early one morning (English trad.)
Ye Banks and braes (Burns/trad)
Planting Trees (Plannu Coed, Welsh folk song Eng. Words by Imogen Holst)
Wandering Miller (Schubert trans. Miller)
The Keeper (Warwickshire folk song arr.Sharp)
Drummer and the cook (capstan shanty)
Kathleen Tyrell (Irish folk song trans Fiske)
Haul away Joe (foresheet shanty)
Shepherdess (French folk song arr. Whitred)
Shady Grove (Square dance from Kentucky)
Waley Waley (Folk song from Somerset arr Sharp)
Migildi Magildi (Welsh folk song ,Eng words by Dobbs)
Lieutenant Kije (Prokofiev)
Song of Lieutenant Kije (Russian folk tune, words by Whitred)

I realise most of these will be familiar to folkies but I can post the words to any that might be of interest. I could also photocopy the music of any of them and post or fax to any one interested, I can't do the music on my work PC.

RtS (I wonder if today's primary (elementary) schools do such a range of folkie music?)

Subject: RE: 'Singing Together' 1958 UK
From: Billy the Bus
Date: 05 Jun 01 - 05:24 AM

RtS,

About half the songs you list were current in NZ schools (well the ones I went to) in the 50s. Doubt any of our primary schools would include any in their "sing-a-long" repertoire nowdays. Oh, for the good old days...

Sam

Subject: RE: 'Singing Together' 1958 UK
From: Llanfair
Date: 05 Jun 01 - 06:54 AM

D'you know, Roger, I'm pretty sure I've got that one somewhere!!!!
I have a vivid memory of getting ready to go to Brownies(!!!)and there was snow on the ground outside, which is unusual for Manchester. I was singing "The Keeper" at the top of my voice. I don't think I've sung it since, but I can remember most of it!!
Thanks for the reminder,
Cheers, Bron.

Subject: RE: 'Singing Together' 1958 UK
From: Patrish(inactive)
Date: 05 Jun 01 - 08:40 AM

The memories are so strong, I can just about remember a good 50% of the songs on your list. My time with singing together is really 1960's
Can anyone remember such pearls as "the pigeons in the market Square" or "11 playing cricket, tip it and run"
But we also did "the keeper" and many more main stream folk stuff
Great memories - thanks Roger
love Patrish

Subject: RE: 'Singing Together' 1958 UK
From: Snuffy
Date: 05 Jun 01 - 09:04 AM

Bostin' stuff, Rog. I haven't sung The Keeper since ... last night in the pub. But then I live in Warwickshire, anyway. And I sang 'Early One Morning' in the pub at about 8am on May Day - we'd been dancing at 5.30

Wassail! V

Subject: RE: 'Singing Together' 1958 UK
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 05 Jun 01 - 09:53 AM

Oh Well, In for a penny... as they say, I've been meaning to work out what I have got in Sining Together pamphlets for years. I seem to have lost a few of mine but the list of songs I can find is:

A New Song On The Taxes (Ireland)
Aiken Drum (Old Scottish Nursery Rhyme)
All Bethlehem's A Blazing (Spain)
All Through The Night (Welsh Folk Song)
Alnwick Football Song (England)
An Austrain Landler (Austria)
Andulko The Goose Girl
Appezollers' Song
At Last Unto The Mountains (Swiss Round)
Avenging And Bright (Irish Tradiational Tune Words by Thomas Moore)
Banana Boat Song (West Indies)
Be Still My Heart
Billy Bones' Hornpipe (Germany)
Black Sir Harry (Welsh Folk Song)
Blaydon Races (England)
Blow Away The Morning Dew (England)
Blow The Man Down (Halliards Shanty)
Boney Was A Warrior (Halliard Shanty)
Bonnie Dundee (Scotland)
Botany Bay (Australian song)
Bound For South Australia
Bound For The Rio grand (Windlass and Capstan Shanty)
Brave Topolini (Italy)
Brian O'Lin (Scotland)
Bring A Torch, Jeanette, Isabella (Old French Carol)
Casey Jones
Cavalry Of The Steppes (Russia)
Charley Is M' Darlin (Scottish Folk Song)
Chiapamecas
Christmas Day In The Morning
Christmas Is Coming (Round)
Chu-lu-lu (Samoan/Polonysian)
Cielito Lindo (Mexico)
Cockles And Mussels (Ireland)
Coconut Tree (Philippines)
Come And Sing Together (Hungarian Carol Words by Max Krone)
Come Oe'r The Stream, Charley
Cosher Bailey (Wales)
Cuckoo
Dance To Your Daddie (Scottish Folk Song)
Darby Kelly (Irish Song)
Deck The Hall (Welsh Carol)
Donky Riding (English Traditional Sea Song)
Drill, Ye Tarriers (America)
Drum March for Guy Fawkes Day
Earth's Joy (Mexico)
Elsie Marley (Old Chester Rhyme)
Eriskay Love Lilt (Scotland)
Evening Music (Germany)
Excelsis! Gloria!
Far In The Forest (Finland)
Farewell My Own True Love (America)
Farewell To Fiunary (Trad Scottish Tune Words Rev Norman Macleod)
Farewell To Tarwathie (Scotland)
Flight Of The Earls (Irish Folk Song)
Flower Of Killarney (Irish Folk Tune)
Flowers In The Valley (English Folk Song)
Football Crazy (Irish Song)
Four In A Boat (Appalachian Mountain Song)
Fourpence A Day (England)
Fum! Fum! Fum! (Spanish Carol)
Gabriel's Message (Old Basque Noel)
Glenlogie (Aberdeenshire ballad)
Go Tell It On The Mountian (America)
Greek Shepherd Song (Greece)
Green Grow The Leaves (Northumberland Folk Song)
Greensleeves (English song arranged by Vaughan Williams)
Gypsey Dance (Spain)
Gypsy Davy (America)
Happiness
Hear The Glad Tidings (Polish Carol)
Here Come The Navvies (Ireland)
Here Comes The Navvies (Ireland)
Heron From Brecon (Wales)
Hey Ho The Morning Dew (Ireland)
Hieland Laddie (Scottish song)
High Germany (English Folk Song)
Ho-la-hi (German folk song)
Hope The Hermit (Seventeenth-Century English Song)
Hungarian Carol
Hunting The Hare (Wales)
Huron Indian Carol (Canada)
I Have Four Sisters (England)
I Loved A Lass (Scotland)
I Wander (Denmark)
I Wonder As I Wander (America)
I'm Not Strong (Round)
Ifca's Castle (Czechoslovakia)
In A Gondola (Italy)
In My father's Garden (France)
In Nightly Stillness (Polish Carol)
In Summer The Sun Shines Brightest (Sweden)
Island In The Sun (West Indies)
Jamaica Farewell (West Indies)
Janko, Janko, Better Beware (Slovak folk song)
Jennie Jenkins
Jesus Is Crying
Jim-along-Josie (American folk song)
John Barleycorn (Somerset Folk Song)
John Brown's Body (Marching Song Form The American Civil War)
Johnny Todd (English Folk Song)
Joseph and the Angel
Joy Of Springtime (Wales)
Joy To The World (by Handel)
Kalinka (Russia)
Kelvin Grove (Scottish folk song)
King Arthur (England)
King Arthur;s Servants (North Country Folk Song)
Kitty Of Coleraine (Ireland)
Kookaburra (Australian Round)
L'il Liza Jane
La Cucaracha (Mexico)
La Pique
Land Of The Silver Birch (Canadian Folk Song)
Leave Her Johhny (Capstan Shanty)
Lewis Bridal Song (Scotland)
Li'l Liza Jane (American song)
Lilliburlero (Seventeenth-century song)
Linden Lea (Words by W Barnes, music by Vaughan Williams)
Linstead Market (Jamaica)
Lisa Lan (Wales)
Little Bull (Traditional American Song)
Little Red Bird (Isle Of Man)
Llangollen Market (Wales)
Llantwit Major (Welsh Oxen Song)
Lonely And Far Away
Lucerne To Weggis (Swiss Folk Song)
Lullaby (Ireland)
Lullaby Carol ( Polish Carol)
Lullaby For Baby Jesus (Brazilian Carol Words Translated by Ruth Heller)
MacPherson's Farewell (Scotland)
Mango Walk (West Indies)
Maranoa Lullaby (Australian Aborigine Tune Words By M Lyell)
March Of The Magi (France)
Marco Polo (Words And Music By Hugh Jones)
Marianina (Italy)
Mary Ann (West Indies)
Mary Had A Baby (St Helena Island Spiritual)
Mary Had A Boy Child (West Indies)
Men Of Harlech (Welsh traditionals song)
Migildi Magildi
Morris Men (Welsh Song)
Mountain Dancer (Czechslovakia)
Mountain Duel
Mowing The Barley (English folk song)
My Bonny Cuckoo (Old Irish Air)
My Boy Billy (English folk song)
My Grandfathers Clock (America)
My Own Pretty Boy (Irish Song)
My White Horse (Chilie)
Naples (Italy)
Nature Carol (Philippines)
Newcastle Fair (Ireland)
No Room Was There For Mary (Spain)
Noel (By Hillaire Belloc)
Now The Winter Is Past (Iceland)
O Rare Turpin (England)
O Sleep My Pretty Baby (Mexico)
O Waly Waly
O, Once I Went A Walking (Germany)
Oh Marlborough's Gone To War Sir (Peurto Rican Melody)
Oh Ru-Ru-Ru (Mexican Carol)
Oh, 'twas In The Broad Atlantic (England)
Old Farmer Buck (English folk song)
Old Mister Noah
Old Zip Coon (America)
On This Day (Welsh Folk Song)
Once A Farmer And His Wife (Wales)
One Man Went To Mow (English Traditional Song)
Ould John Braddlum (English Folk Song)
Out In The Meadow (Israel)
Pat Of Mullingar
Patrick On The Railroad
Pay My Money Down (America)
Pedro Go Go Pescador (Portugal)
Peppinetta (Italy)
Per Spelman (Norway)
Perched Up High
Phil The Fluther's Ball (Words And Music by Percy French)
Pierlala (Belgium)
Polly Oliver
Poverty Carol (Wales)
Pretty Pena (Mexican Folk Song)
Queen Mary (Scotts song)
Red Sombrero (by Peter Hutchings)
Rejoice And Be Merry (Dorset Carol)
Riddles (America)
Rise Up, Shepherd (Negro Spiritual)
Robin Hood (English Trad Tune New Words By Gordon Hitchcock)
Rocky, Rocky Road (West Indies)
Running Song
Sacramento (Sea shanty)
Sambalele
Sandy (Round)
Santy Ano (America)
Scarborough Fair (England)
Scotland The Brave (Scotland)
See Amid The Winter Snow (Music by John Goss)
She'll Be Comin' Round The Mountain (American song)
Simple Gifts
Sing Carols To Mary (France)
Sing Sing (Round)
Sir Eglamore
Skye Boat Song (Scottish Song)
Softly Sings (Round)
Some Folks Do
Song Of A Country Girl (Wales)
Song Of Lieutenant Kije (Russia)
Song Of The Western Men (England)
Sour Grapes (England)
Spring Song (Swedish Folk Tune Translated By Ruth Ostland)
Stenka Razin (Russian Popular Song Translated by Jacob Robbins)
Strike The Bell (England)
Sugar Candy (Scotland)
Swansea Town (Wales)
The Ash Grove (Wales)
The Bagpipers' Carol (Italy)
The Bannana Boat Song (West Indies)
The Beautiful City Of Sligo
The Bells Of Aberdovey (Welsh Song)
The Big Rock Candy Mountains
The Boys Of Kilkenny (Ireland)
The Candlelight Fisherman (England)
The Carnal And The Crane
The Cherry Tree Carol
The Child's Carol (Melody from Piae Cantiones 1582)
The Coast of High Barbaree
The Crocodile
The Cuckoo Carol (Czechoslovakia)
The Dashing White Sergeant (Scottish Song)
The Derby Ram (England)
The Donkey's Burial (Spain)
The Drover's Dream (Australia)
The Drummer And The Cook (Music Hall Song And Sea Shanty)
The Erie Canal (America)
The Farmyard (London folk song)
The Fireman's Song (England)
The Fisherman (Portugal)
The Fox (England)
The Garden Where The Praties Grow (Ireland)
The German Band (Denmark)
The Ghost Of Tom (Round)
The Gipsy (Wales)
The Girl I Left Behind Me (Ireland)
The Greenland Whale Fishery (America)
The Gypsy Davy (American Version of an English Folk Song)
The Gypsy Rover (Ireland)
The Handsome Butcher
The Happy Fiesta (Mexico)
The Heavenly Child (Austrian Carol)
The Holly And The Ivy (by John gardner)
The Holly And The Ivy (English Carol)
The Holly Tree (Y Gelynnen) (Welsh Folk Song English words by Carlene Mair)
The Hopak (Russia)
The Huron Indian Carol (Canada)
The Jolly Carter (Folk song)
The Keel Row (Northumbrian folk song)
The Keeper (English Folk Song)
The Keys Of Canterbury (Somerset folk song)
The Lady Bird (German folk song)
The Leaving Of Liverpool (England)
The Leprehaun (Ireland)
The Lincolnshire Poacher
The Linden Tree Carol (Old German Tune Words Translated by G R Woodward)
The Little Red Wagon (American Singing Dance)
The Lullaby Carol (Italy)
The Mallow Fling (Ireland)
The Marigold
The Meadowlands (Chezhoslovakian Folk Song)
The Meeting Of The Waters (Irish Song Words By Thomas Moore)
The Mermaid (England)
The Mingulay Boat Song (Scotland)
The Mountain farm (Wales)
The Mountain Skier (Austria)
The Mountains I Love (Switzerland)
The Nature Carol (Filipino Plantation Song)
The Noble Duke Of York (English Traditional Song)
The Old Man Of The Woods (Welsh Folk Tune)
The Old Man Who Lived In The Woods (America)
The Pearly Adriatic (Yugoslavia)
The Pedlar (Ukranian Folk Song Words by Max Krone)
The Piper O' Dundee (Scotland)
The Praties They Grow Small (Irish Folk Song)
The Quaker's Wife (Somerset Folk Song)
The Quakers Wife (Scotland)
The Rain Song (Words By John Parry Music by Douglas Coombes)
The Riddle Song
The Road To The Isles
The Rommel Drum (Belgium)
The Search For Lodging
The Shanty Boys In The Pine (American Lumberjack Song)
The Shepherd And His Dog (Welsh Folk Tune Words by Barbara Kluge)
The Shuttle Rins (Scotland)
The Silver Wheat (Wales)
The Song Of The Parrot (Guyana)
The Spinner (Catalan Folk Song Translated by Margaret Fullerton)
The Star Of The County Down (Ireland)
The Stranger In Cork
The Streets Of Loredo (America)
The Tartan (Scotland)
The Three Pirates (English Folk Song)
The Tinga-ting Bird (Italy)
The Tinker's Wedding (Scotland)
The Top Of The Morning (Scottish Sheep Shering Song)
The Tortilla Vendor (Chilie)
The Tree In The Wood
The Tuneful Guitar (Italian Folk Song)
The Twelve Days Of Christmas (English Traditional)
The Two Shepherds (German Carol)
The Upward Trail (Round)
The Wark O' The Weavers
The Water Of The Tyne (England)
The Wee Cooper O' Fife (Scotland)
The Wild Colonial Boy (Ireland)
The Wild White Rose (Wales)
The Wreck Of The Sloop John B (West Indies)
The Yellow Rose Of Texas (America)
The Yellow Sheepskin (Wales)
The Yodler's Carol (Austria)
There's nae luck about the house (Scottish song attributed to Jean Adam)
This Old Man (English Folk Song)
Tiritomba
Tortilla Vendor (Chilie)
Tramping Song (Irish Song)
Troika (Russia)
Tum Balalyka
Twankydillo (Traditional song)
Two Shepherds (Germany)
Tyrolean Cradle Song
Tzena, Tzena (Israel)
Up And Down (Round)
Up Good Christen Folk (England)
Village Revels (Czechoslovakia)
Viva La Musica
Vreneli (Switzerland)
Water Come A Me Eye
Wattzing Matilda (Australia)
Westering Home (Scotland)
Where Is John
Whippoorwill
Who'll You Give Me To Sail Away (Irish Folk Song)
Will You Go Lassie
Windy Old Weather (England)
Wraggle Taggle Gipsies (England)
Yellow Bird (Haiti)
Zither Carol (Czech Folk Tune Words by Malcolm Sargent)
Zum Gali Gali

Jon

Subject: RE: 'Singing Together' 1958 UK
From: Lyndi-loo
Date: 05 Jun 01 - 10:02 AM

Wow that's impressive. All I can remember singing in school was
Dashing away with the smoothing iron
Soldier soldier won't you marry meStrawberry Fair
Hob y Deri Dando
Ffarwel i Blwy Llangower
Bugeilio'r Gwenith Gwyn

Subject: RE: 'Singing Together' 1958 UK
From: JulieF
Date: 05 Jun 01 - 10:10 AM

I remember the singing together programmes about 1968-early 70s. I went to a very small village school where three years were taught together. The teacher used to wheel in the radio from her house for the programme. Each year there was a new set of songs which were mainly folk songs from around the world with the odd one thrown in ( eg Football crazy.

All the best

Julie

Subject: RE: 'Singing Together' 1958 UK
From: GUEST,Roger the skiffler
Date: 05 Jun 01 - 10:10 AM

...and the winner is....(opens golden envelope). John Freeman of Norfolk! Big hand, folks, for Jon for saving/acquiring so many of these (surely you're too young to have owned them, Jon?)and reviving many memories of sitting cross-legged on the floor listening to the sounds coming out of the big speaker!
RtS

Subject: RE: 'Singing Together' 1958 UK
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 05 Jun 01 - 10:31 AM

Roger, '58 Is too early for me - I'm the same as JulieF, except the teacher didn't bring a radio from home.

The earliest pamphlet I have is Spring '67 and the latest, summer '86 but there are some gaps. I would guess I got my collection in about 1988. I got them from Hayden Smith who used to sing in the North Wales folk clubs and teach guitar around the local the schools. I think he used to grab any song books that were being thrown out of the schools he taught in.

Jon

Subject: RE: 'Singing Together' 1958 UK
From: Brian Hoskin
Date: 05 Jun 01 - 11:54 AM

I don't know whether it was the singing together programme, I certainly remember at my junior school in the mid-1970s that we had singing sessions along to some radio programme. A lot of the songs on Jon's list might have been sung, but the only one I definitely recall singing is Ol' Zip Coon (hard to think now that this was deemed appropriate for 1970s British schoolrooms!).

Brian

Subject: RE: 'Singing Together' 1958 UK
From: Ringer
Date: 06 Jun 01 - 09:31 AM

I date my love of English folksong from Monday Mornings at 11.00am and Singing Together with William Appleby (about 1954 to 59). We always used to hear the sign-off tune from Workers' Playtime beforehand. And Rhythm and Melody on Wednesday, Time & Tune on Friday, same time. And Music and Movement on Tuesdays & Thursdays, but I'm less enamoured of the memory of that!

Happy days.

Subject: RE: 'Singing Together' 1958 UK
From: Kernow John
Date: 06 Jun 01 - 05:20 PM

The school I work at was throwing all their copies of 'Singing Together' out a couple of years back.
I managed to salvage a whole box full. If I list the sets available would anyone in UK like to make a donation to the 'cat in exchange for a set? I'll pay postage and packing to get them to you. I don't need to know how much you donate just that you have.
KJ

Subject: RE: 'Singing Together' 1958 UK
From: MMario
Date: 29 Aug 03 - 12:21 PM

Hey Jon! got the lyrics for Hunting the Hare?

Subject: RE: 'Singing Together' 1958 UK
From: Jeanie
Date: 29 Aug 03 - 01:59 PM

It looks as though he has, MMario. I've just put a reference to this thread on the "Hunting the Hare" one.

I went to a very old-fashioned private "dame school", run by Misses Norman and Pluck, who had a maidservant called Grace who wore Victorian-style maid's clothes. I am not *that* old - this was in the 1960's - but the place was in a lovely time warp ! As well as "The Keeper" and "Three times round went our gallant ship" and so on, we also sang (and acted out) a song which I have never since been able to find:

Old Roger is dead and laid in his grave
Hey, ho, hobbledy ho
We buried him under the apple tree shade
Hey, ho, hobbledy ho

Then there was a bit about an old woman coming and picking apples from the tree and Old Roger getting up from the grave and scaring the old lady.   Does anyone else know this one ?

Another one we used to do was "We've come to see Jenny Jo" - the gist of it was that you had to wear clothes of different colours depending on the state Jenny Jo was in, and it ended with her dying and everyone wearing black. Wonderful Victorian sentimentality. Anyone know that one ?

- jeanie

Subject: RE: 'Singing Together' 1958 UK
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 29 Aug 03 - 02:25 PM

There's a text for Poor Roger in an earlier discussion:  Poor Roger. That particular one is an example from Ireland, but it was common throughout Britain and the North of America in various forms and under numerous names (number 797 in the Roud Folk Song Index).

The second one turns up as Jenny Jones, Jilly Joe, Janet Jo, and so on. Again, it was quite widespread over the same sort of areas (Roud 1047). There's another children's song, Jenny Jenkins, which retains the basic form while dropping the plot, so there is no death or funeral. I don't know if it derives from the other, but it wouldn't be surprising. Several examples are in this thread:  Jenny Jenkins.

Subject: RE: 'Singing Together' 1958 UK
From: Jeanie
Date: 29 Aug 03 - 02:49 PM

Thanks, Malcolm, that's wonderful !
It's great to see those Old Roger lyrics again - all the little boys in the kindergarten used to fight over wanting to be the old chap giving the lady a kick - some of them were quite vicious, as I remember. I always preferred to play the part of the apple tree.

- jeanie

Subject: RE: 'Singing Together' 1958 UK
From: GUEST,Jackie
Date: 29 Aug 03 - 04:32 PM

There's a blast from the past ! What a great idea that was. Do they have an equivalent now ?

I am from Glasgow, and when the kids from our local primary school were told to go home and ask their mums and dads what songs they would like to be taught at school their answer was Matt McGinn songs.

Subject: RE: 'Singing Together' 1958 UK
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 29 Aug 03 - 04:34 PM

Mmario, I have very few pamphlets here at the moment and the odds are I don't have that one. The good news is that Dave has finished scanning my set. See this folkinfo post for the lastest I know.

Subject: RE: 'Singing Together' 1958 UK
From: lady penelope
Date: 29 Aug 03 - 06:52 PM

I was 7 in '73 and we sang from 'singing together" for '60 something. But we only ever sang the same three songs or something and by that time there was an 'educational programme' that went with it.

This changed into 'Music Time' by the time I was 9. They had scores that the relevant notes lit up as the music played.

Aaaah, they don't make 'em like they used to......


TTFN Lady P.

Subject: RE: 'Singing Together' 1958 UK
From: GUEST,Elinor
Date: 20 Jan 07 - 01:00 PM

I'm trying to find a copy of the Welsh words of Migildi, Magildi - I know the first verse but I would like to learn the others - do you have a copy you could send to me? I'd be VERY grateful

Thank you

Subject: RE: 'Singing Together' 1958 UK
From: The Sandman
Date: 20 Jan 07 - 01:08 PM

yes I remember burYIng, roger under the old apple tree,About 1958.
we sang the Girl I left behind me,o no john,Boney was a warrior,early one morning,
thankyou Malcolm Douglas

Subject: RE: 'Singing Together' 1958 UK
From: DMcG
Date: 20 Jan 07 - 04:39 PM

The Welsh words of Migildi, Magildi? Try

Subject: RE: 'Singing Together' 1958 UK
From: DMcG
Date: 20 Jan 07 - 04:41 PM

Oops! I meant try here

Subject: RE: 'Singing Together' 1958 UK
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 20 Jan 07 - 05:53 PM

DMcG
You seem to have entered some form of timewarp or loop. Did you mean to link to Jon Freemans site, Folkinfo.org?
Try this one http://www.folkinfo.org/songs/displaysong.php?songid=652.
Quack!
Geoff.

Subject: RE: 'Singing Together' 1958 UK
From: bubblyrat
Date: 20 Jan 07 - 06:03 PM

We must have been on a different wave-length in Easebourne,near Midhurst,Sussex,where I was at Primary School in 1958(aged 10 ) ---The songs I remember best were The Ash Grove...Westering Home...Johnny come down to Hilo...The Golden Vanity...The Lincolnshire Poacher...The Minstrel Boy....All Through the Night---
Well,the headmaster was a Welshman ( Mr Bevan,isn"t it?? ) & yes,Folk Music was Compulsory (I am very glad to say !!)

Subject: RE: 'Singing Together' lyrics of Brave Topolini
From: GUEST,sarahcalico
Date: 23 Jan 07 - 04:46 PM

I'm trying to find the lyrics of Brave Topolini. I remember learning it at school and would love to teach it to my little boy. I've hunted high and low and this is just about the only place I've found that mentions the title.

If anyone can help, I'd really appreciate it.

Thank you

Subject: RE: 'Singing Together' 1958 UK
From: DMcG
Date: 23 Jan 07 - 05:07 PM

Thanks for sorting out my second attempt, Geoff. I do seem to have got into a timewarp. The problem with cutting and pasting links from tabbed browsers is that you do seem to be "in a maze of twisty passages all alike".


(Actually, I PM'd someone within minutes of those posts and posted a faulty link there as well. It must have been a bad day.)

Subject: RE: 'Singing Together' 1958 UK
From: DMcG
Date: 23 Jan 07 - 05:12 PM

And in answer to sarahcalico's post - I'll post the lyrics of Brave Topolini in a day or two, unless someone else does so first.

Subject: RE: 'Singing Together' 1958 UK
From: GUEST,maggie.sullivan
Date: 24 Feb 07 - 05:46 AM

Couldn't believe my eyes. asked google bout bbc pamphlets and found your site. I was born '57 (Lancs)but was using singing together pretty soon after that. So was a Scottish collegue born 10 years later. You wondered if any schools still did 'folk' type songs -that's the reaason I am trying to find if booklets are still around. We want to teach children in our school something'new'! Grateful for any donations, especilly if music is acompanied as we have another teacher who loves to play all kinds of songs.
School address
c/o Maggie Sullivan
St Anthony's R.C. Primary School
Genoa Road
Anerly
London
SE20 8ES

school e-mail
[e-mail]

Subject: RE: 'Singing Together' 1958 UK
From: DMcG
Date: 24 Feb 07 - 11:42 AM

Ok, it took more than a day or two, but here are the lyrics of Brave Topolini anyway:

Crowding the streets of Roma
Motor car chariots go by,
Brave Topolini, vroom, vroom, va-ra!
Brave Topolini, vroom, vroom, va-ra!
Trumpet-toned horns are sounding,
Bright as the sunrise of day,
Brave Topolini, vroom, vroom, va-ra!
Noisily going their way.

Making the tour of Roma,
Seeing the sights as they go,
Brave Topolini, vroom, vroom, va-ra!
Brave Topolini, vroom, vroom, va-ra!
Romaing the fabled city,
Faster than Caesar would dare,
Brave Topolini, vroom, vroom, va-ra!
Zip through the flower-filled square.

Opera nights in Roma,
Thrill to a new serenade,
Brave Topolini, vroom, vroom, va-ra!
Brave Topolini, vroom, vroom, va-ra!
Famous as Rigoletto,
Louder than Figaro song,
Brave Topolini, vroom, vroom, va-ra!
Thundering madly along.

When you depart from Roma,
Bearing this sound-souvenir,
Brave Topolini, vroom, vroom, va-ra!
Brave Topolini, vroom, vroom, va-ra!
Coins in the Trevi fountain,
Promise that you'll hear again,
Brave Topolini, vroom, vroom, va-ra!
Singing their welcome refrain.

Subject: RE: 'Singing Together' 1958 UK
From: BB
Date: 24 Feb 07 - 01:03 PM

Maggie, you might try to get hold of a couple of books, 'The Funny Family' and 'The Jolly Herring' which were around when my children were small in the '70s. Now that I have a granddaughter, both I and my daughter wanted to look them out. I think we'd lent the first to someone and never got it back, so I found a copy through a brilliant site called Bookfinder4U - sorry, I tried to make a link, but can't make it work at the moment, but try Googling for it. You might also take a look at Simon Mayer and Hilary James site www.childrensmusic.co.uk, where they have a couple of CDs available. Don't know what they're like as I haven't yet got round to sending for them, but they're excellent musicians, so I would expect them to be good.

Good luck.

Barbara

Subject: RE: 'Singing Together' 1958 UK
From: Compton
Date: 24 Feb 07 - 01:25 PM

Now why does the name "william Appleyard" come to mind with all this.
I remember singing "My Love's an Arfbutus by the borders of Lein" without having a clue what it was all about. It must have had some effect on me as I've been singing Folk Song ever since!
I also remember in the far off days listening to "Music and Movement" (on the Home Service??) and running around being leaves...or staing still and being a tree shaking in the wind.

Happy Days.

Subject: RE: 'Singing Together' 1958 UK
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 25 Feb 07 - 10:35 AM

The Jolly Herring - 77 Songs - Folk and Pop
Is that the one?
First published 1980 by A. & C. Block (Publishers) Ltd.
ISBN 0 7136 2095 1 / 0 7136 2094 3 (depending on the type of cover)
It's got quite a reasonable assortment of stuff.
Quack!
GtD.

Subject: RE: 'Singing Together' 1958 UK
From: BB
Date: 25 Feb 07 - 04:57 PM

That's it, Geoff. I hadn't realised it was published that late though. Mind you, my youngest was only four at the time. Doesn't time fly when you're growing older?

Barbara

Subject: RE: 'Singing Together' 1958 UK
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Mar 07 - 11:09 AM

D McG - thank you so much for the Brave Topolini lyrics - you have made my day! (I must confess that I did keep checking back and then it slipped my mind and I've just checked now.)

Thank you so much, I really appreciate it!

Sarah

Subject: RE: 'Singing Together' 1958 UK
From: GUEST,Gadaffi
Date: 13 Mar 07 - 11:24 AM

If anyone's interested, I saw of bundle of 'Singing Togethers' for sale in a second-hand bookshop in Rye ten days ago - the one down the hill from the parish church near Simon the Pieman.

Subject: RE: 'Singing Together' 1958 UK
From: GUEST,Young Buchan
Date: 11 Sep 07 - 07:01 AM

Singing Together was of course the origin of Big Brother. All schools who took the broadcast had the right to nominate their 3 (I think) favourite songs; those songs that did not get enough nominations (usually the quiet ballady ones) were voted off and did not appear in the final broadcast of the term when all the loud, in-your-face songs were sung.

As to Old Roger Is Dead, in my (Suffolk) neck of the woods, being the Apple Tree was not a safe option, because it was progressive. The Old Woman selected the Apple Tree, and went on to receive her clout from Old Roger. Then for the next round the Old Woman became Roger, the Apple Tree became the Old Woman, and Roger dropped out, back into the general circle. So the new Roger handed out the clouting to the person they had originally nominated as the Apple Tree.

Subject: RE: 'Singing Together' 1958 UK
From: Girl Friday
Date: 11 Sep 07 - 09:21 AM

Have just aquired "The New National and Folk Song Book Part 1 (teacher's edition, by Desmond McMahon. £2.50 from second-hand bookshop.It's dated 1938. Songs therein are:

Admiral Benbow
Afton Water
All Through The Night
The Ash Grove
Auld Lang Syne
The Baillif's Daughter of Islington
Blow the Man Down
Blue Bell of Scotland
Blow the Wind Southerly
Bobby shafto
The bonny Briar Bush
British grenadiers
Broom,green Broom
Carrion Crow
Charlie is my Darling
Cold's the Wind
Come Lasses and Lads
Come Ye not from Newcastle
Dance to Your Daddy
Dead Horse
Dear Harp of erin
Deck the Hall
The Dumb wife Cured
The Dusky Night
Early One Morning
Fire Down Below
The Frog and the Crow
A Frog he would a-wooing Go
gather ye rosebuds
God Save The King
Golden Slumbers
Gossip Joan
Hanging Johnny
Harvest Home
Here's a Health unto His Majesty
The Hunt is Up
The Brisk and Sprightly Lad
I Drew my Ship
I have House and Land in Kent
I sowed the Seeds of Love
If all the World were Paper
With jockey to the Fair
John Dory
John peel
The Jolly Waggoner
The Jovial Beggar
Just as the Tide was Flowing
The Keel Row
Kelvin Grove
The Laird of Cockpen
Land of my Fathers
The Lass of richmond Hill
Lavender's Blue
Leave Her Johnny
The Lincolnshire poacher
Loch Lomond
Men of Harlech
The Mermaid
The Minstrel Boy
My Bonny Cuckoo
My little pretty One
Oh Dear! What can the matter Be?
Old King Cole
The Piper o' Dundee
Polly Oliver
Richard of Taunton Dene
Rio Grande
Rise, rise, Thou merry Lark
Roving
St Patrick was a Gentleman
Saucy Sailor
Sir eglamore
Sweet Nightingale
The Miller of Dee
There was an Old woman
The water of Tyne
We're all Bound to Go
When Johnny Comes Down
Widecombe Fair

Subject: RE: 'Singing Together' 1958 UK
From: GUEST,Young Buchan
Date: 11 Sep 07 - 10:31 AM

I seem to recall that 'Rhythm and Melody', 'Time and Tune' and 'Music and Movement' were similar programmes for different age groups. So poor Ringer who seems to have had all three in a week must have had an extremely lazy teacher.
One of them used to specialise in the Sailor's Hornpipe which we had to dance not only to the 'proper' tune but also to the Trumpet Hornpipe. [They say that a proper classical musician is someone who can hear the Blue Danube without singing 'Shiphams for tea, for tea, for tea' or for a younger generation one who can hear O sole Mio without singing 'Just one Cornetto'. By the same token is a real folk musician someone who can hum the Trumpet Hornpipe without thinking of Capt. Pugwash and the Black Pig? On an entirely irrelevant theme I am convinced that over the years I have heard the Trumpet Hornpipe introduced as the Oxford Hornpipe and bizarrely the Traffic Hornpipe. Am I senile, or has anyone else come across these?]

Subject: RE: 'Singing Together' 1958 UK
From: GUEST,Russell
Date: 22 Sep 07 - 08:21 AM

Dear John Kernow

I am interested in making a donation for set of your books. Are you actually selling the books themselves?

Thanks Russell

Subject: RE: 'Singing Together' 1958 UK
From: GUEST,Russell
Date: 22 Sep 07 - 08:23 AM

John my email is [e-mail] if you wish to contact me regarding a donation for a set of your books.

Thanks Russell

Subject: RE: 'Singing Together' 1958 UK
From: GUEST,Laura
Date: 25 Sep 07 - 01:17 PM

Hello everybody

I am so pleased to have found this discussion group. I've just been out walking the dog, singing away to myself all the old songs I could remember from Primary School (almost 30 years ago!).

Can anyone help with this one - it starts off

"T'was the 15th of September, how well I do remember
I nearly broke my poor old mother's heart.
For I shipped with Captain Nipper on a good 4-masted clipper
Bound to far away and foreign parts.
And the wind began to blow and the ship began to roll
And a devil of a hurricane did blow, aye-aye-oh,
It nearly knocked the stuffin' from the Good Ship Ragamuffin
And we thought that to the bottom we should go...."

I can't remember the other verses but I remember us giving a rousing 'Aye-aye-oh' when we got to that bit in our tiny country school, with the Master playing along on a tinny old piano!

Am I being daft or has anyone scanned in the front covers of the old Singing Together books? I can't find that page, so would be grateful if someone could post it....

Many thanks
Laura

Subject: RE: 'Singing Together' 1958 UK
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 25 Sep 07 - 02:33 PM

'Kernow John' made his offer six years ago (see the date on his message) so I wouldn't expect much in the way of a reply from him; he doesn't seem to have posted in the Forum in the last three years.

For 'Ragamuffin', see these discussions from 2004-5:

Origins: good ship ragamuffin (words and background)

Tune Req: captain nipper (unanswered request for the tune).

Subject: RE: 'Singing Together' 1958 UK
From: BB
Date: 25 Sep 07 - 02:37 PM

I don't know how to do a link to the thread, but if you put 'Good Ship Ragamuffin' into the 'Lyrics & Knowledge' search at the top of this page, you should find the thread that includes all the words to this song.

Have fun!

Barbara

Subject: RE: 'Singing Together' 1958 UK
From: GUEST,Lesley
Date: 29 Sep 07 - 11:32 AM

Just found this brilliant site! I can remember sitting on the floor in the hall at school in 1957/8 singing "The Campbells are coming Oh Ho Oh Ho" then having to do it in a round.
Now I'm looking for the rest of the words. My present school has a 50th anniversary next April and - yes - we're having a 1950's timetable!!

Subject: RE: 'Singing Together' 1958 UK
From: GUEST,Catherine Schmidt
Date: 05 Nov 07 - 06:16 PM

Subject: RE: 'Singing Together' 1958 UK
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 05 Jun 01 - 09:53 AM

Come And Sing Together (Hungarian Carol Words by Max Krone)

My daughter is learning this song on her flute and would like to find the words to sing to her Hungarian grandfather. If we can find the English words they might help a Hungarian friend remember the original words for us.....

Much appreciated
Catherine

Subject: RE: 'Singing Together' 1958 UK
From: GUEST,Marie Purtill Southend on Sea Essex
Date: 11 Apr 08 - 06:59 PM

I thought I was the only one to remember Singing Together. I went to a primary school in London and we really loved singing along with the songs - I remember a lot of them on the lists, this site brings it all back. They definitely were happy carefree days.

Subject: RE: 'Singing Together' 1958 UK
From: kerry and Mandy
Date: 12 Apr 08 - 05:53 PM

Singing together was alive and well in the 70's when I was little (showing my age!) I can remember one song quite vividly, Per Spelman. I've tried looking it up on T'internet but can only seem to get the Scandinavian words!!! If anyone has got the words I'd be really gratefull. Mandy

Subject: RE: 'Singing Together' 1958 UK
From: GUEST,kate
Date: 21 May 08 - 02:50 PM

I remember a bit of a song from Singing Together around the period 1962. It is about 'a fox with a great bushy tail.'


.....cluck, cluck,cluck cried the poor little creature
    Cluck, cluck, cluck but she cried in vain.

...? followed after but down in the farmyard
There sat a fox with a great bushy tail.


Can anyone remember it, please. I keep singing bits of it and would love to be able to sing it all.
Thanks in anticipation
Kate