History - BBC's 'Singing Together'

Subject: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: IanC
Date: 17 Mar 05 - 08:40 AM

I tried this in FolkInfo, because they're doing a lot of work on "Singing Together". Not a great deal of luck so far, so I thought I'd try it here ...

Like quite a few people, I suppose, I think of "Singing Together" as being something associated with my childhood. Looking at the BBC website, I learn that the series is still going. What's more, I just bought a copy of Autumn 1948's Singing Together ... so it's been going rather longer than I had thought.

Does anybody know ... when it started, who came up with the idea, what significant stages the project has gone through and who presented it over the various decades.

Thanks for any info.

:-)
Ian

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Irene Shettle
Date: 17 Mar 05 - 03:58 PM

Ian, I don't know who started it, or anything about the stages etc, but do remember William Appleby, whose name appears on the book of songs published under the title of Singing Together and was certainly obtainable three years ago. I've just googled his name, and found out that there is a music centre named after him in Doncaster, and there is information printed about him at www.doncastermusicservice.org.uk/dms.htm (sorry - no matter how many times I've tried I just don't seem to be able to negotiate the blue clicky thing!)

All I recall is fond memories of sitting down at school in the fifties and singing along to the programme. Thanks to you, I'm probably going to be googling for a bit longer tonight!! (:-)

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 17 Mar 05 - 04:16 PM

sorry about that over there Ian. I did post your question to the BBC board which I visit but so far nothing has turned up their either.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 17 Mar 05 - 04:20 PM

It was still going in the '70s which is when I remember them. I might even have one of their booklets somewhere. I remember learning 'Yellow Bird' and 'Jamaica Farewell' from it.

It may have been a different series, but the Schools radio used to do plays that you could get the booklets for, learn the songs via the radio and put on your own show at school. We did 'Alice in Wonderland' and I was narrator... I was always the narrator.

LTS

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 17 Mar 05 - 04:33 PM

Yellow Bird was page 4, Summer 76 Liz. Jamaica Farewell was summer 1974 page 2. I can cover some of it here but not all. The program is older than I realised (I'd have guessed at mid 50s) and still runs.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 17 Mar 05 - 04:37 PM

I can't find the CD but I think an effort made by Kernow John here at Mudcat does run earlier than that but I feel pretty well convinced not back as far as 1948.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Irene Shettle
Date: 17 Mar 05 - 07:33 PM

Had another look at the Doncaster Music Service website, and found out the following about William Appleby. He was a young teacher at Doncaster Grammar school when he was appointed as the first music organiser for the local education authority there in 1947. The site states that he was "a highly successful trainer of choirs (and) subsequently became nationally known through his work as a presenter of the BBC's Singing Together programme." It seems from the site that he was responsible for flourishing instrumental music in the area, and died in 1973. A music centre in Doncaster is currently named after him.

In my previous post I got the title of the book of songs wrong - it should have been "Sing Together". I'm still on the lookout for further information. Having looked at the folkinfo.org site I got a distinct blast from the past at the mention of other schooldays programmes like "Music and Movement" (I loathed that one .... music yes, movement no!)

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 17 Mar 05 - 07:37 PM

Oh no... Music and Movement... Being a daffodil to Grieg's wossname....

ARGHHH!!!

LTS (who never quite got over being told her bird was not graceful - I was being a baby bird learning to fly in the fast passages!)

LTS

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Irene Shettle
Date: 17 Mar 05 - 08:24 PM

Don't remember daffodils - do remember (and I wish I couldn't!) crawling around the floor to "Mars" from the Planet Suite, pretending to be some sort of creepy crawly - definitely NOT my forte......

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Mr Happy
Date: 17 Mar 05 - 09:41 PM

I started experiencing 'Signing Together' from 1955 to 1961- Ah!, what a joy!

Does anyone has copies of booklets from those years?

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Sooz
Date: 18 Mar 05 - 02:53 AM

There was another programme for younger children. I think it was called Rhythm and Melody. I remember being pleased when I graduated to Singing Together!

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: IanC
Date: 18 Mar 05 - 03:44 AM

"Singing Together" was fully titled "Singing Together: Rhythm & Melody".

Here's the 1948 Singing Together booklet.

:-)

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Jeanie
Date: 18 Mar 05 - 04:50 AM

Liz - the BBC are still broadcasting musical plays for schools (like the 'Alice in Wonderland' you mentioned) - and very good they are, too. I came across a wonderful version of 'Macbeth' not long ago when doing a day's supply teaching in a junior school - liked it so much, I ordered the book and CD for myself ! Each song is in a different style (jazz, rap, reggae, lament etc.) and as well as looking at different styles, they learn about sequences, minor keys, counter melody and so on - plus being introduced to the story and characters in a fun way. The two hired murderers sing a kind of punk song, like East End thugs, and the bit I was doing with them was Macbeth and his missus singing jazz with some improvised scat.

Children are still moving around school halls and classrooms, often to music, pretending to be people and things other than themselves - (I confess to being one of those who inflict this upon them ) - but it has got a lot less "twee" than it used to be. The trouble is, and always was, that unless the teacher is committed to what is happening, or if the teacher is embarrassed and feels it is an ordeal to make sounds and move about, the children will too - and their natural enjoyment goes out of the window. Hence all the cringing memories people have about these classes. If a junior school has a permanent member of staff who is committed to the subject and isn't afraid of music, movement and drama, they are very fortunate. It is so much luck of the draw.

- jeanie

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 18 Mar 05 - 05:39 AM

I'm so glad that Limpits' school prefers to make their own music and has a very talented group of teachers to help them. Her school has 4 choirs, an orchestra, recorder groups, put on at least one music concert a year and a music/drama show a term. Not a 'Singing Together' booklet or 'music and movement' torture session to be seen!

Oh, and this is just a primary (nursery age to 11yrs) school, 3 choirs cover years 2-6 (6-11yrs) and the fourth is made up of teachers, parents and grandparents. Philip Glass and Salvador Dali would be proud of the orchestral arrangements created by the children themselves - last Monday's effort had 'Yellow Submarine' with whale noises and barking dogfish interludes.

LTS

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 18 Mar 05 - 06:49 AM

I suppose I should post what I've posted at folkinfo as part of trying to find a answer.

A couple of answers for you Ian from my limited range of pamphlets.

1967- Spring 68 Were produced by George Dixon.
Autumn 68 to the end of my collection (Summer 86) were produced by Douglas Coombes"
The last one I have wich credits William Appelby as broadcaster is Autumn 1970.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST, Hamish
Date: 18 Mar 05 - 06:51 AM

I'm with Liz on the "argh!" reaction. At this distance I can't exactly remember what the problem was, but it, The White Heather Club and Jimmy Shand contributed to my aversion to folk music which lasted until I discovered that it wasn't meant to be civilised. (Thank you Hamish Imlach!)

"One misty moisty morning, when cloudy was the weather, dah-de-dah an old man, clothed all in leather" always gave me the creeps. I imagined a leathery-skinned monster - before Dr. Who, mind you - a sort of humanoid woodlouse. (I'm almost getting a panic attack now!)

And music and movement, too. Surely designed by a sadist to punish the 90% of us who didn't have a clue about what dance a daffodil would do to Mussorgsky.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Jeanie
Date: 18 Mar 05 - 07:06 AM

I think the trouble with the old style "music and movement", whether it came from a particular broadcast or was devised by a teacher, was that the role-plays were taken in isolation and totally out of any context. In the context of a whole class devised drama story with movement, with the teacher taking on a role themselves as the mentor/facilitator, being a daffodil, a rat in a sewer, caterpillar, a row of teeth, a *whatever* becomes real and decidedly not a "sadistic" or "cringe-making" experience. As I said, the first person who has to totally suspend disbelief is the teacher. Then, and only then, can such lessons become magical and fun learning experiences.

- jeanie

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Mar 05 - 07:16 AM

Music and Movement:"Now children, get spaced out"! No wonder the sixties happened.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 18 Mar 05 - 09:24 AM

My major bugbear was that I had to interpret the music the way my teacher interpreted it... hence the comments about my baby bird not being graceful. I thought it sounded like a baby bird trying to flutter, when she thought it was an adult swooping and diving.... I never did fit into anyones' particular 'box'.... Some waltz to the rhythmn in their heads, others polka.

LTS

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Jeanie
Date: 18 Mar 05 - 10:52 AM

Yes - a teacher's words have incredible power to lift someone up or deflate them, don't they ? Thank goodness, teachers are taught to include a lot more self-evaluation nowadays: "How did you feel your scene went ?" "Is there anything you would have done differently ?" (opening for the teacher to make subtle suggestions here) and praise from the teacher and the rest of the class: "What did you especially like about this group's dance ?"

When watching mimes and "freeze frame pictures" (drama teacher's staple diet), I quickly learned, the hard way, not to go for the obvious interpretation and to keep my mouth shut until I found out what was occurring - eg. I have had Vikings who I thought were bandaging each other after the battle very indignantly tell me that of course not - they were giving each other tattoos. The indignation was genuine and totally justified - I had broken the spell of the world they had just created for themselves.

The worst thing a teacher ever said to me (and I can still feel the hurt to this day, like you and your bird dance, Liz) was after I had spent ages using every coloured pencil to draw a picture of Jesus wearing the brightest clothes imaginable. My teacher told me it couldn't possibly be Jesus, because he always wore white.

I hate to think how many times I may have unwittingly used the wrong words to a child at the wrong time. All a teacher can do is try to keep aware of the pitfalls of ill-chosen words, accentuate the positive, give genuine praise - and remember what it was like to be 7.

- jeanie

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Jeanie
Date: 18 Mar 05 - 10:53 AM

Sorry for the thread creep, by the way :)

-jeanie

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Mar 05 - 10:58 AM

MY teacher used to get upset when time came for us to pretend to be trains. We didn't go 'chuff-chuff' like a steam train. Being Londoners we went 'hooooomm' like the tube trains which were the only ones we'd seen.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Flamenco ted - can't log in
Date: 18 Mar 05 - 11:57 AM

eh by gum!!! Spring 1970 has a song called "Mango walk" and I can still remember the tune and half the words, but not what I did yesterday!!

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Sheila
Date: 18 Mar 05 - 12:51 PM

I'm curious how this all worked. Was the program piped into a classroom or auditorium once a week? If there were roughly 10 songs/book, were the programs ever repeated? Did everyone in England learn these wonderful songs in these great collections? How long was a teaching period? Was the song presented with an accompaniment? Was each student given a book to keep per term? Etc. Thanks for your input.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Cats
Date: 18 Mar 05 - 03:00 PM

If you did Singing Together like me, then we are all showing our age! I remember, in particular, 'Aunt Hessies White Horse' as being some kind of intro, and crying when we sang 'Shenandoah'. My headmistress was really worried about me... a song making someone cry, unheard of! I think I was about 7 at the time.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Cobble
Date: 18 Mar 05 - 03:08 PM

We used to have about 4 or 5 classes get together in the fiftys, to sing with the radio. AHHHH memorys.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: IanC
Date: 18 Mar 05 - 03:59 PM

Sheila

Before tape recorders were popular, we all sat cross-legged in front of the radio in the school hall and sang with it. Later, with tape recorders, it was obviously easier.

Each term there were 10 or 11 songs, which we learned. Some of them would repeat every few years, it seems, but it gave you a fairly large "vocabulary" of folk songs in common - as well as the ones you knew from other sources (like yer mum and dad etc).

:-)
Ian

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 18 Mar 05 - 04:34 PM

We had a big reel to reel that lived in the headmasters' office. He recorded the programme and then sent the R2R round with the 'Reel Monitor' and a large amount of booklets with the words.

LTS

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,bill
Date: 10 Apr 06 - 03:30 PM

I sang aunt hessies white horse 'oh have you seen aunt hessies horse.........don't you call him snowy...........does anyone know the full song. I would be grateful. thankyou

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: DMcG
Date: 10 Apr 06 - 04:25 PM

Just to let you know I am still inching my way along putting the booklets online over at Folkinfo. When I started I thought it might take a couple of years to load them up because of other commitments. That still looks likely; so far I've put 34 up (unless I've miscounted). But I've not seen Aunt Hessie and her horse yet that I remember.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Jane F
Date: 10 Apr 06 - 11:05 PM

I used to LOVE doing Singing Together in the 1970s. Hope to find some of the old songs on Folkinfo and bring back some memories!

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 11 Apr 06 - 01:33 AM

It was a well meaning attempt to widen our horizons, and maybe in some cases it did.

Certainly when you discovered Martin Carthy five years later, you had already come across some of his songs like High Germany in Singing Together. Mr Appleby must have been pretty well up on the folk scene for his time - acquainted as he seemed to be with Scots, Irish, English, Welsh, Jamaican and American folksongs.

The plummy accents singing the songs seemed to us very unhip, we were listening to Cliff Richard and Tommy Steele round that time in the 1950's. Still as Peggy Seeger said recently in a thread - in that period, people earnestly consulted her and Ewan as to how to make a start presenting traditional material - people just felt all at sea.

Its a big pity folksongs aren't presented to kids nowadays. One would have thought, now that we have so many different ethnic strands within our community, it could be a big unifying force. Mind you the folksingers entrusted with the job would need a passsion to communicate with children, rather than looking inwardly to some tradition that not too many people have had handed down to them.

Come to think of it - it wouldn't be all that bad an idea outside the classroom also.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Purple Foxx
Date: 11 Apr 06 - 02:40 AM

What weelittledrummer said.
Whilst Singing Together was not the only source of Folk Music I came across in my formative years it was an important one.
I know more than one person who,whilst not a folkie,still retain affection for the songs they learnt that way.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: BusyBee Paul
Date: 11 Apr 06 - 04:05 AM

I'm sure we did a song "Calling all Martians to take a stand".

As was said earlier, I can't remember what I had for lunch yesterday but think I can remember at least a couple of verses of this!.

And then there were the calypsos and what I still think of as traditional English folksongs - Johnny Todd, One misty moisty morning etc. I always enjoyed these sessions, but then I alsways enjoyed singing. Music and Movement was fine, compared to English Country Dancing - where the dancing was fine but the teacher was a racist wotsit. It's funny, having spoken to half a dozen old school pals from my primary school, the one thing we all remember is her rascist comments and actions in the class.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Dave Roberts
Date: 12 Apr 06 - 01:16 AM

My friend and colleague Bob Webb has a pretty large collection of the Singing Together books ('pamphlets', we called them) and we were looking through them recently.
The memories, as they say, came flooding back when we came to songs like 'Riding On A Donkey', 'Dashing Away With A Smoothing Iron' and, especially, an extraordinary song called 'Old Zip Coon'.
'Old Zip Coon he played all day, until the neighbours ran away; he played all night by the light of the moon, but he wouldn't play anything but Old Zip Coon'. What was that all about?
Actually my primary education, in a little country school in Cheshire, had quite an element of folk tradition to it and perhaps it is no coincidence that I later went on to become one of the founders of Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival. As well as 'Singing Together' (and the dreaded 'Music & Movement')on the BBC Home Service we also had 'country dancing' to the accompaniment of ancient Jimmy Shand Records.Not only that, we also had our own Maypole, and I was a member of a small elite able to do 'plaiting' as well as ordinary dancing.
And, in an uncanny foreshadowing of 'Don't Sit On My Jimmy Shands', our Headmistress, Miss Mason, did exactly that and broke several of them.
Thanks for the memories, folks.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: DMcG
Date: 12 Apr 06 - 02:54 AM

It may be you have some I don't, Dave. If so, I'd be glad of photocopies, scans or any other form of copy.

Here's my list:

Autumn: 60,65,66,68,69,70,71,72,73,74,77,78,84,85
Spring: 67,68,69,70,72,73,74,75,76,77,78,81,82,85,86
Summer: 61,67,68,70,71,75,75,76,79

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: DMcG
Date: 12 Apr 06 - 02:55 AM

Typical. The first Summer 75 should be summer 74.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Dave Roberts
Date: 12 Apr 06 - 03:43 AM

As it happens I'm at Bob's today (Wed 12th) so I'll have a look.

DGR

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 12 Apr 06 - 03:49 AM

In our school Park Junior in Boston, Lincs. Two classes came together. The programme was repeated in the week. cos we had the nature programme, and we sometimes caught the fag end of the repeat, and started singing spontaneously to it.

two classes came together. us and the B class.
for notes and a song(Grammar School Puppy Dog) about the class system in schools in those days see my website

http://bigalwhittle.co.uk/id4.html

The big old wooden radio was kept on a special high shelf (out of our reach) in the corner of the room. The teacher's pet was entrusted with the great honour of turning the radio on an d off every week, when the order came.

the pamphlets were given out at athe start of every singing lesson. the lessons weren't popular as we we squashed three in a desk that was designed for two..... someone always got introuble for pushing someone else so they landed on the floor. I remember also the smug smiles of satisfaction from some girls at being squashed in a desk next to lad that was generally fancied by the other girls. There were enough pamphlets for two between three - although when one or two kids were standing in the corner, for larking about and squabbling - you sometimes got your own book.

The worse was when you got stuck sitting next to slow reader, who tried following the words with his finger. Non readers were better than this as they tended not to give a shit, and let you have the book - however proximity to them frequently carried the risk of infestation. Also as the lesson came straight after playtime, you could be stuck next to some idiot who had been running round in the rain playing football, and he would be dripping all over you for half an hour. A footballl playing slow reader dripping all over the book, just about put the tin hat on it.

quite often, these were the kids from poorer backgrounds who ended up taking these booklets home. The teacher would be looking for some little present he could give the poorer kids for Christmas and he would give them last years book.

I wonder if these memories are shared by anyone else?

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Mo the caller
Date: 12 Apr 06 - 06:22 AM

I remember the big wooden radio being brought round to our class. And sometimes we were allowed to listen to the next programme too.
Some of the pamphlets had things to fill in but we couldn't as they were saving them for next year, this may have been the Nature Study programmes.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Mo the caller
Date: 12 Apr 06 - 06:35 AM

I have summer 61 (must havee been my little sister's last term at Junior school.
Also some Time and Tune from my cousin Spring 53,Summer 58, and a pink one with Yankee Doodle on p3.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,ruth fletcher
Date: 19 Jan 07 - 01:16 PM

I loved Singing Together. Attending, very unhappily, a prep school in the late fifties, the release of singing was wonderful. For some reason 'Westering Home' sticks in my mind.I also seem to remember someone called Gladys Whitred (or something similar) being associated with the programme.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Leadfingers
Date: 19 Jan 07 - 01:22 PM

On the Today programme (BBC Radio 4 5pm) they played a recording of Singing together using the Chorus of Brennan om the Moor !

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 19 Jan 07 - 02:20 PM

For Today read PM.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: danensis
Date: 19 Jan 07 - 04:17 PM

Well you've inspired me to dig out my stack of "Singing Together" booklets I inherited from my wife. Apart from Summer 1951, which is an oddity we found in a charity shop, I seem to have most of them from Autumn 1960 to Summer 1967 including a couple of duplicates.

There were three booklets a year for the spring, summer and autumn terms, and in autumn 1963 coloured covers appeared. The 1951 one has Rhythm & Melody on the cover, but it is not mentioned in the 1960s pamphlets.

John

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: DMcG
Date: 19 Jan 07 - 05:02 PM

I've finished transcribed a lot of the "Singing Together" booklets over at Folkinfo ,which I mentioned I was busy with earlier in this thread.

I'd be happy to recieve scans or similar of any other booklets people have. PM me for the email address to send them to.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: DMcG
Date: 19 Jan 07 - 05:04 PM

In answer to original post, by the way, they said on the radio today that it started in 1948, so there's a good chance the Autumn 1948 booklet of IanC's was the earliest issued.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: bubblyrat
Date: 19 Jan 07 - 06:47 PM

The arrival of the big wooden radio, considered modern at the time compared the those great big bakelite ones, must have heralded the arrival of electricity in my old primary school. I had to think about this when recalling the joys of Singing Together and Rythm and Melody (which I think included more classical music). Up until that point we had gas lamps, which the caretaker used to come round and turn on with a hook on the end of a long pole, and coke stoves which he came round and tipped fresh coke onto during the dark days of winter. This was in the fifties too! Yes - we did learn to write with black slates and chalk - wasn't it fun!!
Whoops - forgot to log him off and log me on - Anniecat x

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: An Buachaill Caol Dubh
Date: 20 Jan 07 - 11:17 AM

Didn't Willaim Cole have something to do with "Singing Together"?

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Dave Roberts
Date: 20 Jan 07 - 07:04 PM

It's strange how the memory plays tricks. I listened to the 'PM'item on 'Singing Together' and was amazed to hear William Appleby's strong Yorkshire accent.
It all makes sense of course, as I believe Mr Appleby was a Yorkshire schoolteacher.
But I could have sworn that he had a hearty upper-class BBC type accent. Obviously not.
As I say, the memory plays tricks and I could be confusing Mr A with any number of 'received pronunciation' types which the BBC used to broadcast into our little country classroom all those years ago.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Jim Martin
Date: 20 Jan 07 - 09:25 PM

It's great to hear these reminiscences, I can smell the chalk dust and plasticene now!

It took 30 odd years to re-awaken my interest in folk music and when it did, I was blown away by the extent, variety and availability of it.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 21 Jan 07 - 05:07 AM

Limpit's class still sing a song called 'Mango Walk'.

The smell of plasticine reminds me of my fifth birthday, which was also my first day at school. I was dragged along by my mother who callously abandoned me at the front door, hauled into a classroom from which I could see my house and given a seat at the front next to the Romany girl no-one else would sit near. I was then coerced into coming to the teacher's desk, where she had 5 candles on a piece of hardboard that had plasticine blobs on it. Someone sang Happy Birthday and the teacher pulled my hair 5 times. All this before first playtime!

Is it any wonder I hated school from then on.

LTS

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Alun
Date: 08 Feb 07 - 02:00 PM

Excellent stuff on here - keep it going folks

I was at a tiny primary school in S Wales in the late 60s/early 70s and the school took in 'Singing Together' broadcasts as part of the curriculum.

No-one so far seems to have mentioned that at the end of the term, the show would encourage schools to let the kids vote for their favourite song, and then send in the votes cast for each song in the pamphlet. Our school always participated in this. As I recall we were allowed to vote for 3 songs.

The last 'Singing Together' of each term then involved a 'Pick of the Pops' or 'Eurovision Song Contest' style show with a rundown of the songs. The songs with the lowest votes were broadcast first, and with the tension mounting we then got to the winning song.

I've tried to work out which were the winning songs from the various terms, and I've come up with the list below. Someone with a better memory than me will hopefully correct me on any errors.

Spring 68 - Men Of Harlech (from personal experience I can advise listeners a lot of vote-rigging went on in Welsh schools. My lips are sealed though on the identity of the man responsible).

Summer 68 - the awesome 'Marianina'

Autumn 68 - Football Crazy

Spring 69 - Oh Marlborough's Gone To War Sir

Autumn 69 - Charlie Is My Darling ???

Spring 70 - Mango Walk or Old Zip Coon

Summer 70 - Linstead Market (overwhelming winner in our school, despite my attempts to get The Yellow Sheepskin as the winner)

Autumn 70 - The Twelve Days of Christmas or This Old Man

Summer 71 - The Meadowlands (a total shock winner as I recall)   

Hopefully someone has a better memory than me.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Jan
Date: 14 Aug 07 - 03:12 PM

Have just returned from a holiday in Switzerland and caught the boat from Weggis to Lucerne. The ancient cogs of my memory have been trying to remember the words of a song we sang in Singing together in the late 50s. Can anyone help,please?

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 14 Aug 07 - 03:29 PM

Guest, Jan - I think we need a bit more of a clue as to what the song was about. "Late 50s" isn't really sufficient.

Kitty

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Penny S.
Date: 14 Aug 07 - 03:54 PM

I think the Martians were in Time and Tune, which was for younger children, and was often of made up songs. Sometimes to existing tunes, as in "I see a little man standing in the wood" A dratted earworm.

Penny

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Betsy
Date: 14 Aug 07 - 06:20 PM

Hi Alun,
Marianina " come oh come and turn us into foam ....." won the vote around 1955 /6 I would have been about 8 or 9 years old.
Perhaps they relaunched or repeated the whole thing for a different "wave " of kids. Perhaps it was the first time the BBC fixed the voting Eh ?

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Splott Man
Date: 15 Aug 07 - 04:17 AM

I've still got some of the books filed away in my posterity/oblivion cupboard. I'll look them up.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Llanfair
Date: 15 Aug 07 - 04:30 AM

Oh, I am enjoying this thread!!! "Singing together" was always my favourite lesson. We'd go into the hall and sit cross legged on the floor, and Miss Prime would turn the radio on. I loved the songs, but it was 10 years later I discovered they were folk songs.
"The Keeper" sticks in my memory. Cleaned up for us children, though!!

I was at junior school from '53 to '59.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,edthefolkie
Date: 15 Aug 07 - 05:05 AM

This thread, combined with scanning in my 1957 & 1958 class 11 photos recently, has reduced me to a blubbering wreck.

You lot were LUCKY to 'ave a radio which could be carried around. Our school were so poor we only 'ad gret big wooden loudspeakers in each classroom and a wooden radio in't 'Ead's office. And when I started in t'infants in 1952 they still used SLATES. And you try telling the kids that terday, they'll laugh in yer face.

Seriously, the speakers didn't really matter as the Schools broadcasts were only on one station (anybody remember which? I can't)and there were no tape recorders available. So there must have been some sort of cunning plan as to who listened where, to what and when.

I just associate the whole Singing Together/Rhythm and Melody thing with sitting in the school hall instead of working.

Oh God, then there was Maypole dancing.........

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Aug 07 - 06:25 AM

I have two "Singing Together" pamphlets which were my late father's (he was a primary school teacher) they are Autumn Term 1973 and Spring 1978, if they can add to the collection. How does one PM, I can't seem to manage it...

I was at the Abbey Primary School in St Albans from 1956-63 and remember Music and Movement, (having to be a daffodil to "Morning" from "Peer Gynt" and a clock to Rossini's "Thieving Magpie") Time and Tune, and Singing Together, as others do....I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was better than having to do "sums"....

---

You have to be a registered member to be able to send PMs - personal messages. Membership is free - you can sign up here (click), or through the "Membership" link at the top of most Mudcat pages.
-Joe Offer, Forum Moderator-
[e-mail]

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Anne Lister
Date: 15 Aug 07 - 09:08 AM

As to Weggis .. there was a song I remember which started "We are off to Weggis now" and then a nonsense line, supposedly yodelling. Would that be the one? I might have that in a Girl Guide songbook somewhere if so.

Anne

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: LindsayInWales
Date: 15 Aug 07 - 09:20 AM

thanks Joe I'm in!! (I was in before but have changed my ID now) - as to Weggis I have it in a music book if wanted. I also have it as a music-box tune in a little revolving sweet-dish brought back from Switzerland by my late Aunt in the 1950s!

Lindsay

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Jan
Date: 15 Aug 07 - 01:33 PM

Thanks for help with Weggis song. I now know it is known as Das Rigilied ( Rigi being the mountain above Weggis) and the 1st line in German is: Von Luzern auf Weggis zu....then ho-la-hi,etc. I am not sure how this translated-could be :From Lucerne to Weggis go...

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Dave Roberts
Date: 15 Aug 07 - 02:30 PM

Guest Edthefolkie,

The schools programmes were on the BBC Home Service (renamed Radio 4 in 1967.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Penny S.
Date: 15 Aug 07 - 06:10 PM

The timetabling of radio and TV programs was a complex and secret art, especially in Kent. At half term, the BBC would broadcast repeats in successive weeks, so that whenever a school had its half term, they would not miss an episode. Except that Kent, possibly because of hopping or some such local variation, always had its half term in one of the non repeating weeks. What joy when tape recording became possible! Except for the poor teacher who had to ensure all the recording happened. I wonder what happened to our plug in timer.

Kent still runs out of synch with everyone else. Especially with the six term year scheme.

Penny

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 15 Aug 07 - 07:15 PM

My memory's far too hazy to be of much use on this thread, but I recall singing lustily, at least some from the BBC booklet, "What's in There? (Gold and money...)," "Charlie is me Darling," "Oh No John" (not the rude verses I'm sure!) and "Bonnie Dundee."   There was also a round that our teacher would torment us with by making a randomly-selected four of us sing it "solo," called something like "Morning is Come."   That's when I first learned the art of not getting volunteered by dint of avoiding eye contact. This was all around 1960-ish or before. Thanks for making me dredge my memory banks so pleasurably!

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Betsy
Date: 16 Aug 07 - 03:36 AM

A song we had to sing from that era, had a chorus "With her one eye on the pot and the other up the chimney with a Bow ,wow, wow,...."
it fascinated me, the storyline had me rivetted - Jeez ! they don't write em like that anymore.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 16 Aug 07 - 09:25 AM

yes I remember the Lucerne one - there was a picture of a man's head with one of those alpine hats, with a bit of rope round the brim, and a mountain in the background

From Lucerne to Weggis town
Hol da he! Hol da ho!
with no shoes or stockings on
Hol da he! da ho!

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 16 Aug 07 - 01:00 PM

Betsy - that was the Drummer and the Cook, I think? ("Pot" had a different meaning in those days!)

Kitty

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Fliss
Date: 16 Aug 07 - 04:50 PM

Brings back memories of primary school in Shrewsbury '54-'60. In the 3rd year juniors our singing teacher formed us into a little choir and trotted us round the church fetes and we sang all sorts of folk songs.

I taught infants in the early '70s and did Time & Tune with them. I have a collection of old booklets somewhere in the loft. I liked the term we did about snow and russian folk songs... something about The Great Bear...

Its really where my playing and singing started... entertaining children.
fliss

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Edmond
Date: 21 Aug 07 - 10:40 AM

I remember "Darby Kelly" and the "Uist Tramping Song" - that must habe been 1953 or 1954. This was my first introduction to "The Keeper" and "Sweet Nightingale".

I never realised until much later, when I heard Cyril Twwney singing "Sweet Nightingale" on some poxy TV programme, that it was a Folk Song.

It was always my ambition to record a disc of bawdry entitled "Songs Miss Pringle didn't teach us".

Chance'd be a fine thing . . .

Bryn Pugh

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,voxchops
Date: 29 Aug 07 - 02:11 PM

hello, I have just found this site after searching for my old books to find the lyrics for The Marigold "Twas east North East so near the line etc" I know I have them somewhere. Anyway I thought some of you might be interested that I have just recorded 3 songs: Kitty of Coleraine, Moon of Mamaku and Sleep my Little Baby, on my lullaby CD Lullaby Island. You can hear clips of the songs and get complete lyrics for those if you go to www.lullabyisland.com. My brother used to sing me to sleep with Kitty, i had no idea it too was a Singing Together song. My mum learn't The Marigold from me and want to sing it at her folk club in yorkshire. I loved it!!!

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 29 Aug 07 - 03:55 PM

Voxchops - what is this about your being sung to sleep with Kitty?

Edmond - thanks for confirming that there was a list of songs Miss Pringle never taught us! I think I heard once that Fred Hamer had made a recording of them.

Kitty

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: SussexCarole
Date: 29 Aug 07 - 06:41 PM

Magical memories of Singing Together (1950's) in our Victorian built primary school. The wireless was wheeled in on a trolley & ceremoniously plugged in. I've collected many books from Singing Together & Music & Movement. One of the first songs I remember singing was Donkey Riding.. no one ever thought to tell me when I was 10 that a donkey was a work engine......I always pictured a lion and a unicorn standing on the back of a donkey! We've just put Donkey Riding into our songs...shades of the past!

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 29 Aug 07 - 08:31 PM

Not Fred Hamer, but Frank Purslow and John Pearse. It appeared under several variant titles at different times, starting out as Rap A Tap Tap: English Folk Songs Miss Pringle Never Taught Us (Folklore Records, 1960); they later re-issued it as Bottoms Up: English Soak Songs for Fools. It was issued under license in the USA, imaginatively (and rather misleadingly, as the content was mild enough) re-titled Unexpurgated Songs of Erotica: Witty Ditties of Passion and Pleasure: A Naughty, Bawdy Songfest of English Erotica (!) Finally, Peter Kennedy put it out as one of his FolkTrax cassettes (later CDRs) as Bottoms Up: Folk Songs Miss Pringle Never Taught Us.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 29 Aug 07 - 08:58 PM

Thank you Malcolm for setting the record straight (as ever) - Kitty

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Edmond
Date: 30 Aug 07 - 05:02 AM

Thank you all for that - I thought my Miss Pringle shtik was original.

An example of the 'collective Folk memory' in action ?

I remember 'Donkey Riding', too. The primary school I attended - St Custard's, Cotton Lane, Withington - put on a concert for Coronation year. The childrens' choir sang 'Donkey Riding' first, and we were commanded to smile whilst singing it. Imagine the lyric being mangled by 40 -odd grimacing bratten.

'Donkey Riding'was followed by 'Greensleeves', that ghastly 'Alas my love' version, where we were exhorted to smile, but not as broadly as we smiled in 'Donkey Riding'. This isn't drift (at least I don't think so :-) - we learned 'Donkey Riding' from 'Singing Together'.

Bryn Pugh

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Santa
Date: 30 Aug 07 - 05:32 AM

I'm with IanC, sitting in the school hall listening to the radio. And I remember Westering Home too. Good songs survive. I recall doing the barn dance, when there still was maypole dancing - this would be at (Old) Hartlepool around 1954, but the radio listening in the hall may have been a little later as well. I think the memory of Westering Home in a songbooklet comes from that (1956?) time.

We didn't do Music and Movement in those days, thank god. What a horribly awful pretentious prospect. If you want to teach dance, teach dance.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: An Buachaill Caol Dubh
Date: 30 Aug 07 - 09:43 AM

Re GUEST Jan and "Lucerne/Weggis"; the first line of the version used in the "Singing Together" booklet was

"From Lucerne to Weggis blue,
Hol-da-hi (or similar "yodel")
You may go without a shoe
(Yodelling sound again)

I liked the melody, but the awkwardness of the rhymes put me right off the song.

Among other winners were something about

"Antonio, Antonio, it's raining, it's raining again"

and another ending

"The shepherd whistled gaily and the dog WAGGED HIS TAIL!", the last words being shouted.

I think another winner was "Football Crazy" ("the football it has taken away the little bit of sense he had"), which was described as "Irish". Hmmmm. Even at the age of seven, I had the first dim beginnings of a distinction between genuine tradition and modern degeneracy.

In these first two cases, as in several others, it was pretty predictable which songs would be most popular.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Nymeria
Date: 09 Sep 07 - 04:37 PM

I'm desperately trying to find out the title to a song which came from either Time and Tune or Singing Together. The only words I recal are: 'when the crescent moon has a single star to guide her through the night' and 'we come, we come, we strange little people come'. It would have featured in one of the books sometime during the 70s. Many thanks to anyone who can help.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Ann-Marie
Date: 08 Dec 07 - 05:51 PM

Guest Jan - I have just been reading the thread about Singing Together, and saw your posting about the Swiss song you were trying to recall. It wasn't The Appenzoller Song by any chance, was it? My earliest recall of exposure to yodelling is probably this song, c 1976-77, but I understand that Singing Together had some 'favourites' that would crop up repeatedly over the years.
The Lincolnshire Poacher was one of my particular favourites

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Les Hutch
Date: 09 Jan 08 - 02:23 AM

Does anyone have any recollection of a late 70's possibly early 80's "Singing Together" with a song titled "Squeaker and Coe" I think it was about two squirells? Any further info would be very welcome.

Regards to all on this most excellent discussion...oh, the memories

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Vic Smith
Date: 15 Jan 08 - 09:52 AM

When my family moved to England when I was ten, my first teacher was Doris Irene Ball - later to become my mother-in-law and as fine a woman as you could ever hope to meet.
She was a fine singer and pianist and she used the Singing Together booklets in her music lessons though I don't remember listening to the programmes. Mind you, such was her musicality that she would not have needed them.

She was an inspired teacher of many things, music in particular, and I am sure that she helped to fire my life-long passion for traditional song. Her husband, Ernie, later in life, made a hard binding of the Singing Together booklets that were still hanging around their house. As far as I remember, they were in the piano stool. This has now been passed on to Tina and I. They seem to be rather earlier than a lot of the ones mentioned in this thread and on the folkinfo website

The ones in the binding are
Summer 54
Spring 56
Autumn 56
Spring 57
Summer 57
Autumn 57
Spring 58
Summer 58

I suppose I'll have to get on to folkinfo with the contents of these as they don't seem to have them listed

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,scott blunt
Date: 17 Jan 08 - 10:18 PM

Dear Nymeria, you asked about a song starting with 'when the crscent moon....' Its called the Strange Little People and its from the Time and Tune cantata called Robin Ddu.
I have loads of Time and Tune, Singing Together, Music Workshop pamphlets and some recordings too ( I sang on the programmes), is there anyone who has recordings of Time and Tune, Singing Together, from 1971-1986? Im also looking for 1974 Twigwidge pamphlets and recordings, can anyone help please?
Scott

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Ralph Bacon MBE
Date: 22 Jan 08 - 01:26 PM

I sang in the choir that performed for the Singing Together broadcasts. In 1947 as a Doncaster Grammar boy of 13, I took part in a pilot recording to see how the programe would be received in schools. From about 1949 three out of 4 programmes were live form London. The odd one was recorded in Leeds on a Saturday afternoon in order that William, Appleby could go into a school on the following Monday morning in order to observe reaction.A special choir,the Danensian Singers made up of girls from Doncaster High School and boys from DGS, sang in all these recordings. I left in 1951 but on my return to teaching in Doncaster in 1957 I was in a second group, the New Danensian Singers, mainly made up of teachers and their wives or husbands plus a doctor and solicitor. The same pattern of monthly recordings followed but they were then done in the Library of DGS. On many occassions they were joined by a choir of boys from the school.
Another of the producers was Gordon Langford but I cannot remember the names of any others.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,fogie
Date: 23 Jan 08 - 06:15 AM

I remember I think from about 1958 - it was more important than I gave it credit for - anyone remember -as I do vividly
A lawyer he rode out one day all for to take his pleasure
Strawberry Fair
In Amsterdam there lived a maid (I vaguely remember the teacher trying to play the words down)
The mermaid ( and 3x round went our gallant ship)

It would be on my list of books to buy if the BBC brought out a collection. Do you remember the drawings that accompanied the words?

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Nymeria
Date: 12 Mar 08 - 05:30 PM

Dear Scott (Blunt)
Thanks for your reply which I've only just got around to reading.
It's given me more to go on now :)

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,flotsamsky
Date: 03 Apr 08 - 07:21 AM

I remember "Old Zip Coon". Times were certainly different then..I have an old 78 c.1916 of Harry C. Brown singing the same tune but with words that I can't repeat here.
Aunt Hessie's White Horse was in Rhythm and Melody I think and was included as an example of syncopation (much was made of this). I think the words may have gone SOMETHING like this:

Can't you see Aunt Hessie's White Horse
Aunt Hessie's White Horse
Aunt Hessie's White Horse
Why don't you ride Aunt Hessie's White Horse
And gee up a trot for me.
Don't you call him slow
Aunt Hessie will make him go
He'll gallop along so fine
He'll make the whole world mine.

Oh..(once more with feeling).

and from Time and Tune

I'm from our village, our village
I'm my father's son (bis)

Over there three houses fine
When I've bought them they'll be mine

I'm from our village, our village
I'm my father's son.

(Time and Tune was for the youngest listeners who might have had trouble reading the word "rhythm")

I also remember Patapan which I was forced to whistle in front of the class.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Peter Adamson
Date: 16 Apr 08 - 04:03 AM

Can anyone here tell me when Schubert's song 'A Son of the Muses' (in English) appeared in Singing Together? I was quite entranced by the dramatic key modulations between E major and A flat major.

I know that it was some time during the school year 1956-1957, but I'd like to know which term it was.

As an aside, my father (George Adamson) illustrated one of these booklets (?1959, I think).

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Charles Cooke
Date: 09 May 08 - 05:12 AM

i was a primary school, pupil in Doncaster in the 1960s+ and listened to Singing Together at 11.00 on   Monday morning. i loved it. My elder brother was for a time in the choir that recorded the programmes and i joined a spin off "The Danensian Choir" as soon as i was old enough. The Choir was formed by William "Pip" Appleby, who was Doncaster Schools Music Co-ordinator and Organist at the Parish Church. I knew him well and grew up in the Choir to be one of his "Elder and betters". he retired in about 1971 and died not long afterwards. i still have a little thank you present he gave me for looking after younger boys in the choir on one of our trips to Ely cathedral.
An earlier poster on this thread, Ralph Bacon, who was also in the recording Choir, was my Form master at the Grammar School.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Aug 08 - 09:41 PM

Looking for BBC Schools Time and Tune Twigwidge programmes. Aut 1974
Can anyone help?
email [e-mail]

Thank you
Scott

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Midzone
Date: 12 Sep 08 - 10:53 AM

I've managed to sort through my collection of radio broadcasts from my teaching days - I have the following:

I have ALL Singing Together Broadcasts from Autumn Term 1984 to Summer 1991.

I also have separate Singing Together Broadcasts from:

Spring Term 1977 –Programme 20 (Requests)

Autumn Term 1983 – Broadcast 9 - featuring Tinga Layo

Spring 1983 – Broadcasts 19 & 20 - Featuring Casey Jones

Summer 1984 – Broadcast 24 - Featuring Jamaica Farewell

In addition I have the following:

All Time and Tune Broadcasts from Autumn Term 1984 – Summer 1991

The Song Tree – All Broadcasts from Autumn 1984 – Summer 1988

Music Workshop:

1981 – Will Wanderers Win? – All 10 Broadcasts
1989 – The Enchanted Horse – All 6 Broadcasts
1987 – The Man in the White Hat – All 6 Broadcasts
1989 – Aladdin – All 10 Broadcasts
1989 – Pimlico Drudge – Various Broadcasts
1986 – Pipers Mountain – All 10 Broadcasts
1987 – Up the Beanstalk – All 10 Broadcasts
1988 – Bowter Merryweather – Various Broadcasts
1986 – An Odd Odyssey – Various Broadcasts
1986 – Cinderella – All 10 Broadcasts
1985 – Ol Brer Rabbit Again – Various Broadcasts


Music Makers:

Rumpelstiltskin – All 10 Broadcasts
Pedro's Revenge – All 10 Broadcasts
The Saga of Erik Nobeard – All 10 Broadcasts
The Horrors – All 10 Broadcasts
The Park Keeper – Various Broadcasts

I also have various other snippets of programmes including Music Workshop – Return to BadlyDreamt

Various Broadcast of Country Dancing.

The majority of the broadcasts are still in excellent quality.

I was thinking of uploading some snippets to a website - would anyone be interested in hearing some of the old broadcasts?


Steve

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Steve
Date: 19 Sep 08 - 03:31 PM

A Friday treat! Some Singing Together Memories for you from across the years.

Something from the master William Appleby - then a touch of Casey Jones, The Wreck of the Sloop John B, Waltzing Matilda and The Yellow Rose of Texas.

Apologies for the audio quality - the bit rate for uploading was heavily compressed - all snippets apart from William Appleby are taken from my own collection of broadcasts where the quality is still excellent after all the years :)

Link below - just copy and paste into browser.

http://w1.uploadmb.com/dw.php?id=1221771042&/Singing Together Trip (2).mp3


Steve

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,cardboard cutout
Date: 19 Sep 08 - 05:04 PM

Guest "Midzone", the really iconic schools' music programme from the mid 1980s was on television - "Music Time". the one with the listening gnome, and Jonathan Cohen and I can't remember the other male and the female presenter. Do have or remember any of those?

Singing Together? Hey-day for me was round about spring term 1962 ("Boney was a warrior", "The Golden Vanity", and "Robin Adair")!

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Midzone
Date: 19 Sep 08 - 05:27 PM

Music Time - Ah Yes!

Originally Presented in black and white by Ian Humphris and Mari Griffith.

Then Kathryn Harries and Peter Coombe took over around 1977 in colour.

In the 80's Jonathon Cohen and Helen Speirs were the hosts.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,cardboard cutout
Date: 20 Sep 08 - 11:53 AM

But wasn't there another male presenter, besides Jonathan Cohen? My children would probably remember.

I think these schools music programmes have had quite a formative influence on their audience, down the decades.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Nymeria
Date: 26 Oct 08 - 05:49 PM

For the person looking for Time and Tune 'Twigwidge'. It's for sale on Ebay at the moment.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST, Sminky
Date: 30 Oct 08 - 09:38 AM

Just found a copy of Autumn 1961 on a second-hand book stall. Cost me 50p!

Saucy Sailor
Dashing Away with the Smoothing Iron
Fisherman's Night Song
This Old Man
Aiken Drum
The Fox and the Hare (Icelandic song)
On This Day (Welsh song)
The Holly and the Ivy
The Holy Son
Down in yon Forest
Wassail Song
Rejoice and Be Merry

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST, Sminky
Date: 30 Oct 08 - 09:48 AM

Never done this before, so

* 100 *

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,John from Elsie`s Band
Date: 30 Oct 08 - 11:27 AM

I found ,in a Norwich bookshop, a copy of "The Daily Express" Community Songbook published in 1927. Rather than try to explain it let me give you the foreword.

    "On the night of November 20th, 1926 ten thousand people assembled in the Albert Hall to launch "The Daily Express Community Singing Movement.
    There were a few minutes of shyness and timidity. Then suddenly, the spirit of song took complete command of the enormous audience. The chorus of "John Peel" swelled and volleyed round the great hall, and in that moment was born the astounding social movement that has since swept over the country like a prairie fire.
    The story of delight and inspiration of Community Singing flashed from suburb to suburb, from town to town. Wireless had already brought the cheeriness and friendliness of it all to millions of listeners who caught the infection as they sat at their receiving sets.
    From north, south, east and west there poured in requests that other centres should be given the opportunity of enjoying at first hand the wonderful thing that London had so successfully inaugurated.
      It was not a question of capturing communities, they had capitulated joyously and eagerly. Within a month the people of the Midlands were singing as they had never sung before. Wales, with her traditional genius for song, both found and gave inspiration in full measure. Northern cities and southern towns joined in the movement with irresistible enthusiasm.
    Then came another and more dramatic development. The packed grounds of famous football clubswere turned into gigantic concert centres. Twenty, thirty, forty, fifty thousand men and women provided unforgettable spectacles as they stood in wintry sunshine or biting wind to sing sea shanties, old well known choruses and the National Anthem.
    Villages and hamlets began to organise their own Community Singing. Churches, clubs, instsitutes, workshops, schools - practically every place where men and women gather - joined in.
      Three months saw Great Britain turned into a land of song, and the whole country in the grip of a new force the social consequence of which, even now, are incalculable."

The book contains in excess of 200 songs, trad., shanties, childrens songs, etc., every one relevant to the Mudcat site.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 30 Oct 08 - 12:34 PM

Thankyou John. One sensed there was SOMETHING - some popularising agent.

Something between the gypsy's singing songs in caravans to the Hammonds, and Ewan and Bert lloyd and the skiffle cellars.

A sort of cultural Piltdown man of folksong - something I and my family could relate to. because god knows my parents couldn't get a handle on folksong as it appeared in the 1960's - particularly the folksong of their own country.

the disocciation of sensibility suffered by the English from their own folksongs, which for example Show of hands write about in their song, Roots - must have some sensible explanantion. And you don't hear much attempt to understand the phenomenon on Mudcat - only sneering at the majority of the population, who find that they are more sympatico with Americanana.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST, Sminky
Date: 30 Oct 08 - 01:25 PM

The singing of 'Abide with Me' on FA Cup Final day is an echo from the past.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Snuffy
Date: 31 Oct 08 - 05:19 AM

I remember the community singing at the Cup Final - "the next song is number 16 on your Daily Express songsheet." They must have given one out to everybody as they entered.

It lasted into the 60s I think but people by then wanted to do their own thing and it succumbed to the D-I-Y efforts like Spurs go marching on and E-I-Addio

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST, Sminky
Date: 31 Oct 08 - 06:29 AM

The Daily Express also sponsored the 'Empire Day' festival in Hyde Park. You'd see Sir Edward Elgar or Sir Malcolm Sargent conducting the massed bands of the Coldstream, Irish and Welsh Guards whilst the people sang "genuine folk-songs, sea shanties, hymns, music-hall songs, American minstrel songs, anything with a catchy tune and simple chorus."

It all went pear-shaped in 1932 when thousands gate-crashed the event and it had to be cancelled. It was never resurrected.

Apparently, some of the football ground singing was recorded on vinyl.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,John from Elsie`s Band
Date: 31 Oct 08 - 06:31 AM

Unfortunately Snuffy, nowadays some of the renditions to be heard at matches are certainly not the material to be aired here. It`s such a shame when innocent activities go the way of much we see about us. Public vulgarity, coarseness, insulting and derogatory language.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Nov 08 - 05:39 PM

I would love to get hold of a copy of "Will Wanderers win?" if this is the same one I'm thinking of, I did it at school. some of the songs I remember were: The Manager's Lament, the Saboteurs Song. Lyrics to one of them went " ihave studied many a year, in great circumstances drear, and the secrets of the mystic east are mine" "how they work I've no idea, but they do that much is clear, pay attention and my method I'll outline" I have not seen this book since I was about ten or eleven years old, 1982 or 1983ish, but the lyrics and melody will stick in my mind forever, it drives me mad that I often get these songs in my head, but don't seem to have any reference point up until seeing this on the internet. Please put me out of my misery and till me I'm not imagining this! I also remember "The Bearded Bride" and "Sir Spence and a Dragon Called Horace"

Thank you
Rachel

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Nov 08 - 05:42 PM

Sorry my e-mail address is [e-mail]

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Nov 08 - 05:45 PM

Please post a reply to [e-mail], thanks so much

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Nov 08 - 04:16 PM

I too remember so many of the 'Will Wanderers Win?' songs!! ("Saturday afternoons we go to the game..."etc!) and even have the percussion parts in my head. They must have been so catchy to last in memory for this long eh? The other one I can recite nearly all of was the waxworks one - 'Kings and Things'. Also remember doing 'Mrs Noah's Missing' and 'The Magic Tinderbox'.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 23 Nov 08 - 04:29 PM

Rachel Have you searched digitrad for will wanderers and for the songs you mentioned above?

For your own protection, you really shouldn't post your email anywhere publicly, even on Mudcat.

Better to join the Mudcat. Then you can PM members your email if they need to share stuff with you. And you can track your questions and the replies.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Midzone
Date: 30 Dec 08 - 06:43 PM

I did some sorting through boxes in the loft the other day and managed to find all 10 broadcasts of Will Wanderers Win - I might upload something for Rachel over the weekend :)

I also found a copies of two Singing Together Broadcasts in full they are:

Spring Term 1977 - Request Programme featuring performances of:

Streets of Laredo
Leaving of Liverpool
I Wander
Kitty of Coleraine
Cosher Bailey
Pay Me My Money Down


Summer Term 1979 - Request Programme featuring performances of:

La Pique
The Crocodile
Pretty Penya

To name but a few!

I am interested in increasing the Singing Together broadcasts I have so if you have from the seventies or early eighties in particular please let me know - willing to swap/copy material.


Steve

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Weasel
Date: 30 Dec 08 - 07:10 PM

Reading through the posts I spotted a reference to the cantata Robin Ddu.

If I remember correctly, the lyrics to this (and to a lot of other songs in the series) were written by Emlyn Edwards who was a lecturer at Bretton Hall College at the time.

He was an interesting chap who, it is said, disappeared from college one day, never to be seen there again. Stories of his lectures are legion and who knows, some of them may be true.

As a student I re-set one of the songs from Robin Ddu which began "My home is in a valley green".

I remember Em telling us the tale of how moved he had been when visiting a school in some industrial area on hearing a class singing this particular song (not my version I should add).

Cheers,

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,donQ
Date: 02 Feb 09 - 01:18 PM

Hi GuestMidzone,

Don't know if you will get this message, but I am trying to get a copy of the music from the Music Workshop programme Cinderella from 1986. Our school was hoping to do the play.

Hoping you or someone can help.

Thanks,

don

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Penny S.
Date: 02 Feb 09 - 01:42 PM

John - our family have a copy of the Daily Express book which we have had time out of mind. Odd, since no-one in the family was of an Express reading type. We later acquired a copy of the News Chronicle similar book. There are subtle differences. I might analyse them sometime. One that sticks in my mind is that the NC has more spirituals, and the DE more plantation songs in inappropriate "dialect".

Midzone - do you by any chance have the final performance version of the Odd Odyssey? I thought I had squirrelled it away from the throwers outers at school, but it has gone. I tried to get a script from the Beeb, but they have regarded these things as ephemeral, and not worth keeping. They were so clever that it seems a great shame for them to be lost.

Penny

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,John
Date: 04 Feb 09 - 05:28 AM

Hi Steve,
I would be extremely interested in hearing Pimlico Drudge again. I don't suppose anybody out there has the illustrated music book - I'd be prepared to pay a fair price.
Regards,
John Campbell

[e-mail]

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Gerry Ogilvie
Date: 18 Feb 09 - 06:57 AM

Does anyone remember "Twanky Dillo" ? or "Lisa Llan" (a welsh folk song) I always thought I would love to meet Lisa Llan as she seemed a lovely gentle girl and beautiful too.
And remember "Old Farmer Buck" .........does anyone have any favourites ?

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Scott
Date: 26 Feb 09 - 05:05 PM

Hi Penny, about the script for an Odd Odyssey, I contacted Peter Hutchings on several occasions and he was delighted to help! Im sure he would have the script for it. I know he also has copies of the final broadcast of most, if not all,of the Music Workshop and Music Makers progs on tape. he has made copies for me several times!

Scott

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: DMcG
Date: 26 Feb 09 - 05:21 PM

Over at folkinfo we have "Twankydillo", "Lisa llan" and "Old Farmer Buck", Gerry. We have now put up all the issues we have, though there are still the earliest and latest issues missing. See the Singing Together Master Index for what we have. All additions welcome.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: DMcG
Date: 26 Feb 09 - 05:25 PM

I've just seen a post way back in Jan 08 by Vic Smith with some of the issues we are missing. Vic, if you are there, please PM me if you still have them.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Midzone
Date: 06 Mar 09 - 12:01 PM

Hi

Sorry for not being around for a few weeks bit of a manic month or so.

The sorting of my old broadcasts continues and is certainly work in progress - I've managed to find several bundles of pamphlets and teachers notes from various music broadcast from over the years - so Don I will have a closer look for the Piano Score for Cinderella.

As for Pimlico Drudge - haven't come across any of those broadcasts 'yet' but never say never :)

Still on the look out for Singing Together broadcasts from across the years particularly the seventies and early eighties.

If you can help please email me direct - [e-mail]

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,jorra
Date: 18 Mar 09 - 10:24 PM

I have just stumbled across this thread. What a treat. We were listening to a record of Vaughan Williams' "The Bees" and I said..doesn't this remind you of..what was that music in schools program called that we all had in the primary school? I dredged in my memory and came up with "Mr. Appleby at the piano". Then I had to Google it to see whether there was anything about the BBC's schools music programs. And bingo..there you all are, with my memories! We both remember..the radio on a high shelf above the teacher's desk in the corner at the front of the room. The pamphlets. I remember a bunch of the songs still...and sometimes the songs from new-to-me folk bands rekindle memories. "Soldier Soldier won't you marry me?" "The Mermaid". SOmething about a valley. I now realise that many of those songs were censored...the verses about Polly's apron hanging down low, or Polly finally giving in to the soldier's charms and going into the sentry box and wrapping herself in his cloak, and then...and then the 9 month consequences...all deleted! But I remember enjoying these lessons hugely. I didn't even mind the Music and Movement in the gym. I try not to be a crusty middle aged grump, but I do wonder whether we play down to children a bit these days. We did Maypole dances for May Day and we all did the plaiting...in the INFANTS' school. I have pictures! 1955. East Sussex. I remember learning the Valeta, and the Sir Roger De Coverley, and looking back I think how on earth did the teachers get all of us to do that. We had over 40 to a class, as well. And I don't remember noise in the Singing Together classes, until we were older. I think that my sense of the importance of these is heightened because we have lived in the US for over 20 years, and we raised our two children here...quite bereft of this casually acquired background of shared songs and harmonies. (Americans don't even sing nursery rhymes that aren't commercial.) I can go to the piano and bang out a tune to sound like any of the styles of English folksongs, and I'm sure it's because our neurones ended up being hardwired to Pretty Polly going for a soldier to meet her love, or The Ash Grove, while our children are primed for jazz chords and rock. One last thing. What was the lady's name who did the Music and Movement? Irene something? Ilene?

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Jim Martin
Date: 19 Mar 09 - 06:21 AM

You're right about playing down to children and they are worse off because of it. They say it's 'progress' and 'people have greater expectations' but kids have lost connectivity with nature, the land and culture! This is why the world of tradional music, song and dance is so vital.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,drivers
Date: 20 Mar 09 - 06:24 AM

I only remember Time and Tune, and I don't have any of the books, but the Martians taking a stand were definitely Zartians

Calling all Zartians to take a stand
Earthmen invaders approach our land
Up and attack before they draw near us
We are all set and our spaceships manned

I have a wonderful memory for ancient things!

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Scott
Date: 20 Mar 09 - 10:00 PM

Hi, I notice you say you have recordings of various Singing Togethers and Music Workshops. I still work as a music teacher in primaries and would be hugely keen to acquire copies if at all possible of some of these broadcasts, especially Music Makers - The Park Keeper. I've got a few radio programmes from the 80s (you've probably got most of them) and lots of schools TV programmes from the 70s and 80s, especially programmes like Music Time. Any chance of contacting me at [e-mail]
so we could work something out. If anyone else can help with these types of radio programmes from the 80s, I'd really appreciate if you could get in touch too. Many thanks in advance

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Jim Ritchie
Date: 22 Mar 09 - 12:40 PM

I was quite excited to find these posts mentioning Music Workshop. I used the programmes quite a lot and kept personal copies of most of the earlier ones I worked on. I have also made scans of many of the booklets, teachers' books and acting scripts that went along with them. These are in pdf format if anyone wants them. I would love to get my hands on mp3 copies of the actual radio programmes. [e-mail]

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 23 Mar 09 - 12:04 PM

I've still got a copy of a Singing Together booklet from the summer term 1947. "Broadcasts to Schools - provided by the BBC for the Central Council for Schools Broadcasting.

Contents:

"I saw three ships a-sailing" - welsh folk-song (St Athan) arranged and translated by Grace Williams
"The Jolly Carter" - folk-song from Suffolk, collected and arranged by E.J.Moeran
"Soldier Soldier" - Appalachian folk-song, collected and arranged by Cecil J.Sharp
"Ca' the ewes" - lowland Scots traditional melody, words by Robert Burns
"Whip Jamboree" - Somerset folk-song, collected and arranged by Cecil J. Sharp
"Silver and Gold" - music by Schubert, English words by Albert G.Latham
"Meg Merrilies" - music by Robin Milford, words by John Keats
"The Drummer Boy" - French folk-song, arranged and translated by Herbert Wiseman, English version by John Wishart
"Lord Willoughby" - Tudor ballad
"Contentment" - music by Mozart, English words by Rev.J Troutbeck
"Annie Laurie" - Lowland Scots traditional song
"Dear Lord and Father" - music by Hubert Parry, words by J.G.Whittier
"The Mocking Bird" - Appalachian song, collected by Cecil Sharp, piano accompaniment by Imogen Holst
"My Johnny was a shoemaker" - English traditional song from Northumberland
"Annie the Miller's Daughter" - Slovak folk-song fro the collection of Jan Malat. English paraphrase by Anna Mathewson
"Dance Song" - Portuguese folk-song, collected and arranged by Rodney Gallop
"The Feng-Yang Drum" - Chinese folk-song, collected by Dr Tz-Zeung Koo, and arranged by Reginald Redman. English words by Irene Gass
"The cockle gatherer" - Hebridean folk-song, arranged by M.Kennedy Fraser
"The Musician" - French folk-song, words paraphrased by John Horton
"My Horses Ain't Hungry" - Kentucky song, collected and arranged by John Jacob Niles

And all for sixpence, words and music.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: IanC
Date: 23 Mar 09 - 12:16 PM

Thanks Kevin ... that's the earliest I've seen yet!

:-)

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,rosiet
Date: 17 Apr 09 - 03:01 PM

We are the masters of all the sky
Out into space let our rockets fly!

As you come nearer, into our orbit,
Earthmen invaders, prepare to die!

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Roy
Date: 03 Jun 09 - 10:37 AM

Ah yes I remember this little gem from my primary school days broadcast on a Friday afternoons back in 1982-84, or we would at least listen to them on a Friday afternoon after going to the local swimming baths for our weekly swimming lesson. I can only recall listening to two series of it and can see the paper booklets we used to sing from in my minds eye like it was yesterday.
Like many others, titles and snatches of the songs stick in my mind or haunt me to this day. Here's a few from memory:

Patrick on the railroad
A frog he would a wooing go
Bold Gendarmes
Casy Jones
Bill Bones and his faithful cat(?)
Soldier Soldier won't you marry me?

Yes those were high tech days at school VCR's were the size of a breeze block and usually were the target of a break in during the school holidays. A mono radio/casette recorder player would provide the class with audio entertainment and every piece of electrical equipment deemed valuable by the staff was daubed with lemon coloured emulsion for identification purposes. LOL

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Tug the Cox
Date: 03 Jun 09 - 10:57 AM

In the Special School in Leicester I worked at, Singing together was a regular, with the deputy head on the piano, the rest of us got a free lesson, bless you Dereck. Circa 1980 a christmas favourite was

Wrapped in swaddling clothes, the baby's lying
In his mother's arms, there'll be no crying
Shepherd's from afar, they do come [nigh?] him
Rocky Road-um, heyyy, a Rocky Road-um.

Rocky Rocky Road, a Rocky Road-um
Rocky Rocky Road, a Rocky Road-um
Rocky Rocky Road, a Rocky Road-um
Rocky Road-um, heyyy, a Rocky Road-um.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Jul 09 - 04:52 PM

Gossip Joan - why on earth did this come into my mind today?

Do they call them 'ear-worms' now?

Whatever, i couldn't shake it off so I Googled her! And here we are! Yes!! The big speaker in the hall and all sitting cross-legged until we had to stand up to sing! And Mr Appleby on the piano I now see - I knew it was Mr someone but my neurones didn't fire bright enough. But I do remember these interludes so well. And then on to the nature walks and the pond-dipping and the poetry and the art in the afternoon. Where has it all gone? SATS???!! Yechhh!!! Back in the 1950s, that was what schooling was all about - oh deeeear, am I a grumby old 'person'.

Good evening Gossip Joan - I guess you had more fun at school than we do these days! But I guess you'd like Twitter??

Cheers

Dave J

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Chris
Date: 22 Sep 09 - 09:02 AM

At school in '82, our class did a (recorded using reel to reel) Singing Together programme. I remember the (first?) song that began "My father bought at great expense...", but can anyone recall a song called Miggaldy Maggaldy? I believe it was the same set, and that is from Autumn '73 (curiously the time when myself & my school year were born)

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Croaker
Date: 26 Sep 09 - 11:08 AM

Hi,
I was just wondering if you could possibly tell me the songs that were in the autumn 1983 singing together booklet please as I cannot obtain a booklet and I have some copies of the singing together but not many.Any help you could give I would be most grateful.Many thanks
                         Kind regards
                            Gwen

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: DMcG
Date: 26 Sep 09 - 11:35 AM

As it happens, 1983 is one of the years we are missing at Folkinfo. Sorry I can't help.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Paul Davenport
Date: 26 Sep 09 - 12:30 PM

Clearin up a bit in my stock room I have three 'Singing Together's' non sequential and all from 1970 to 73 (I'm relying on memory not being in my classroom currently. Anyone want's them let me know. They certainly bring back memories and beg the question as to when many of us learned what a folk song was.
Paul

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: DMcG
Date: 26 Sep 09 - 12:34 PM

If there are some of the missing ones from those listed at that folkinfo page (in the post just above yours), I'd certainly be interested.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Willa
Date: 26 Sep 09 - 05:30 PM

Just bought a copy of 'Songs for Singing Together' Pupil's Book BBC Publications 1974 for 39p in a local charity shop!Back cover reads 'All the songs have been taken from recent programmes of 'Singing Together.....
Each term pupils from all around the British Isles send in their votes for their favourite songs and this volume contains a selection of the most popular.'

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Paul Davenport
Date: 27 Sep 09 - 12:28 PM

DMcG I'll check them out tomorrow
Paul

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Dec 09 - 07:16 AM

Does anyone know where I can get hold of the wonderful production "Sir Spence and a Dragon called Horace" which my class performed at school in (I think) the early 1980's? Many of its songs have been stuck in my head for nearly 30 years and I am now singing them to my children who want to know more! All suggestions welcome please.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,margaret in Chile
Date: 09 Jan 10 - 01:09 PM

It's a hot summer afternoon here and I have been humming 'Have not you heard my Lady' all morning. In my search for the words and music I came across this thread and what a delight to read the comments. I remember when Singing Together began it was a huge innovation. It was I believe 1948 and we'd never had a radio in the classroom before. What fun it all was.   I have to concur with the writers who feel the programme gave them a lasting interest in folk music ... it certainly did for me. And your comments about your classrooms - oh my the years float away and I'm back in Scotland!   Thank you so much everyone for sharing your memories.   Margaret

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: gnomad
Date: 10 Jan 10 - 09:03 AM

I confess to having also been thoroughly influenced by these programmes, including the stack of several previous year collections which made up the textbooks for school music lessons.

Just for Guest Margaret in Chile, the lyrics she was hunting can be found here. Stay a while longer, there's lots to enjoy here.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 10 Jan 10 - 09:21 AM

Did You Not Hear My Lady? is actually entitled Silent Worship and is an aria from the G F Handel opera Tolomeo. The most beautiful version I have ever heard was arranged and recorded by Barry Dransfield on Unruly.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Adam Carew
Date: 16 Feb 10 - 07:16 PM

What a thread to stumble over! Too many shared memories here, but I might add that I never quite fell for William Appleby's programme after he did "Football Crazy" but the words were different from the song sung by Robin Hall and Jim MacGregor. I sensed even then that this was kid's stuff, and for a 10 year old at the end of the swinging sixties that was not cool.

I would love to see a list o hte songs. Someone said "Kernow John" is producing a CD. If you read this, KJ, please let me know how to get hold of it.

PS Like someone else I (mis)remembered Wm Appleby's booming "Hello Schools!" coming out of the speaker with rather a plummy accent, so hearing a soft but definite Doncaster accent a few moments ago came as a surprise; but perhaps for people in Chester, Doncaster was rather posh - it's all relative you know...

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Adam Carew again
Date: 16 Feb 10 - 07:38 PM

It's probably bad form to reply to your own posts, but I have now come across a list of the songs here, and anyone following my footsteps in the future might like to know:

http://www.folkinfo.org/forum/topic.php?topicid=1188

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Cath
Date: 15 Mar 10 - 06:56 PM

@drivers, @rosiet Great to track down others who remember the Zartians! From 1965ish??

Calling all Zartians to take a stand
Earthmen invaders approach our land
Come and attack and make them draw back
We are all set and our spaceships manned

[I'd forgotten this last line...]

And from the same time - I used to love singing 'Streets of Laredo' - I always thought it was most sad...

Cath

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Robert
Date: 21 Apr 10 - 03:13 PM

I've just noticed that someone is selling Singing Together / Time & Tune, Music Workshop, Music Time pamphlets and teachers notes on e-bay.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Edthefolkie
Date: 21 Apr 10 - 05:27 PM

On a point of information Borchester, the words of "Silent Worship" appear to have been written by Sir Arthur Somervell but were certainly set to his adaptation of the aria by Handel.

I knew the song from primary school and the BBC, and I bet Barry Dransfield did too - I was so blown away by his rendering on "Unruly" a couple of years ago that I did a bit of Googling and found at least some of the song's origins. Obviously the lyric is meant to evoke the 18th century but to me it's redolent of the 1890s/early 1900s - I can imagine Walter Crane or Arthur Rackham illustrating it.

It's very true, as several people said, that unfortunately children don't casually acquire gems like these any more - I believe it was called education wasn't it?

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Weasel
Date: 21 Apr 10 - 06:21 PM

It's certainly true that the kids don't "casually pick up" the things we picked up, but they're not thick! - they pick up different things.

I don't suppose we picked up the things our grandparents thought were essential.

I'm always impressed by how important children's tv programmes are to us and to them - how can they live without having known The Woodentops? - but to them, Postman Pat is just as wonderful, the Clangers are as vital to their history as Rag Tag and Bobtail or Bill and Ben were to ours.

I remember singing "For she is the flower of Killarny" from "Singing Together" when I was about 9 years old, most of us were in love with her in fact, well, with the pen drawing of the Irish beauty that headed the page, and we all identified with Black Sir Harry and that last knight who declared, "my bride, my queen, thou must with me" in "the Red the Green and the Yellow". The kids would laugh at such songs now, just at their grandchildren will laugh at their songs.

We can try to pass on to our children the things we think are important, but the tradition is, and should be, a living one that grows.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Alban
Date: 22 Apr 10 - 07:35 PM

Ive just seen that somone is selling Singing Together, Time & Tune, Music Workshop, Music Makers & Music time pamphlets and Teachers Notes on ebay, they look a bargain!!!!

Alban

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Robert
Date: 24 Apr 10 - 06:54 AM

I can remember the Singing Together broadcasts in the 1970s. I was at Castlehill Primary School in Bearsden and we got Singing Together from P5 through to P7. The songbooks that accompanied the broadcasts were always beautifully illustrated. The broadcasts were entertaining although I wasn't too keen on the old ballads. I think it's fair to say that the words "fair maid" and "love" occurred in a Singing Together broadcast like the word "minister" in an episode of Yes Minister. At the end of each series there was a vote on the most popular songs that had featured in that series. The winners of the vote were always bouncy upbeat non-romantic songs like Pay Me My Money Down and The Banana Boat Song. The teacher I had in P7, a woman who seemed to think kids should only like the things that elderly ladies in the 1970s liked, complained about the ballads being at the bottom of the poll or not included at all. She had no empathy with kids. On the subject of the vote, can you tell me the name of the presenter. I know one was Johnny Morris but who was the other one? If I can speak freely, he was a bit of a drip. The week before the results of the vote, he finished the programme by saying "Next week we're going to find out the results of your votes. Oh I can hardly wait". When the programme with the vote was broadcast he started with the words "At last the great day has arrived!". My words to him, 35 years on, are "Get a life". He was on another schools radio programme, the title of which I can't remember, and he said "You know, at school people used to call me "Rosie, Rosebud" and there's nothing really rosy about me at all". But it's fair to say he sounded a bit camp. Anyway, part of my not too fondly remembered years at Castlehill Primary but Singing Together was a good programme which definitely did stimulate my interest in music.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Ruthie Two Shoes
Date: 03 May 10 - 06:56 AM

Would love to find the words to Antonion, it's raining again ready for our camping holiday this year with the grandchildren - how do I find them?

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Robin Carmody
Date: 12 May 10 - 09:16 PM

Gwen/Croaker upthread: I've got the Autumn 1983 pupil's book. The songs were:

Patrick on the Railroad (Ireland, aka "...to work upon the railway")
Tinga Layo (West Indies)
Skye Boat Song (Scotland - obviously!)
The Blue-Tail Fly (USA)
Guy Fawkes (England - a prime example of a song that wouldn't be taken seriously today: best/worst line "that is, he would have used the gas, but solely was prevented, 'cause gas, you know, in James's time, it wasn't then invented")
Sleep my Baby (Wales)
Christmas Day in the Morning (England)
Calypso Carol (Canada)
Song of the Crib (Germany)
Now in Bethlem (Mexico)
Hey Little Bull (Brazil)

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Lynn Breeze
Date: 11 Jun 10 - 08:18 AM

I illustrated a few of the song books for the BBC during the seventies/ eighties. They were great fun to do... simple two colour jobs and I probably still have them in my files somewhere. It's good to hear they may still be going.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Midzone
Date: 11 Jun 10 - 09:26 AM

In reply to Robert the Singing Together presenters for those years are talking about are:

Autumn Term 1976 - Johnny Morris
Spring Term 1977 - John Camburn
Summer Term 1978 - John Amis

Subject: ADD: The Rain Song (Perry & Coombes)
From: GUEST,Xi Hymn
Date: 30 Jun 10 - 03:32 PM

Ruthie Two Shoes, the words are....

THE RAIN SONG
(John Perry and Douglas Coombes)

On Monday morning he got up.
"It's raining, it's raining again!"
"I can't go to school today," he said
"It's raining, it's raining again!"

Chorus: Antonio! Antonio!
it's raining, it's raining again!"

On Tuesday morning he got up.
"It's raining, it's raining again!"
"I can't play football today," he said.
"It's raining, it's raining again!"

On Wednesday morning he got up.
"It's raining, it's raining again!"
"I can't go shopping today," he said,
"It's raining, it's raining again!"

On Thursday morning he got up.
"It's raining, it's raining again!"
"I can't go swimming today," he said,
"It's raining, it's raining again!"

On Friday morning he got up.
"It's raining, it's raining again!"
"I can't paint the house today," he said,
"It's raining, it's raining again!"

On Saturday morning he got up.
"It's raining, it's raining again!"
"I can't sweep the floor today," he said,
"It's raining, it's raining again!"

On Sunday morning he got up.
"It's raining, it's raining again!"
"I can't cook the dinner today," he said,
"It's raining, it's raining again!"

I have found these lyrics because I'm desperate to rediscover the song but can only recall a fragment of the tune. So if you have the melody or sheet music or a recording of it or knowledge of where I can find them... or even just a willingness to sing/hum it, then please let me know.

---

Note from Joe Offer: This page says the songwriters are John Perry and Douglas Coombes.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Ronan
Date: 07 Jul 10 - 08:19 AM

Hi

Wonderful to discover this long-running thread. Strange how so many people have the same kind of memories. The wooden speaker plugged into some kind of socket that ran to the headmasters's office. Two classes squeezed into one classroom, etc.

We grew up in an urban setting in South London and the lyrics were sometimes like a kind of cultural education. Places like Wales, Yorkshire, Scotland were like another universe. I remember things like Men of Harlech and Lisa Llan particularly.

At the time (in the sixties) I was also buying the Record Song Book which had the lyrics of chart music. I remember experiencing a conflict between the way I sang those songs, and the way we were expected to sing in "Singing Together". I guess there were kind of blue-note slurs in all the pop songs, whereas the "folk" songs as delivered by William Appleby were squarely on the notes.

The folk songs I later came to appreciate are usually spiced with ornamental lead-in notes and jumps (can't remember what to call them - in guitar playing I would call them hammers and pull-offs). The Singing Together style must have been somehow cleaned up or simplified - or was it because they weren't being sung by folk singers as such?

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Robin Carmody
Date: 07 Jul 10 - 05:43 PM

A bit of both, I think.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Yvonne Jackman
Date: 23 Jul 10 - 11:54 AM

I have just found this incredibly nostalgic site. I was a Doncaster school pupil during the fifties and sixties and had the privilege of knowing 'Pip' Appleby personally. He was a great friend of my secondary school Headmistress, Miss Woollett and together they ran a Thursday lunchtime 'Listeners Club' where we heard recordings of the great classics and followed the music on miniature scores. Thanks to 'Pip' I was invited to join the Danensian Singers group and went to Leeds to record Singing Together programmes. He also used us to record hymns for the BBC Daily service for which we were paid the princely sum of £9.... a small fortune to a 16 year old in those days. Pip also encouraged me to play the 'cello'and arranged for me to have free lessons and the loan of an instrument for the remainder of my school days.
I noticed an earlier post from Ralph Bacon MBE - He and his family lived next door to us in Finch Road, so the poor man had to endure the sound of my practising - it must have been excruciating.
I still have my singing together pamplets from the 1950s - I was given them at primary school to use for tunes to play on my recorder.I owe my enduring love of classical music to William Appleby and his involvement with the Doncaster schools music service.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: mikesamwild
Date: 23 Jul 10 - 12:01 PM

My teacher at Birchfields Primary Schhol Manchester, Miss Hedgewick, taught us songs in 1948 when I was about 9. She would reward you with Cherry Lips sweets from a tin if you sang well!
My love of a lot of folk songs stems from her.

She did explain that New York gals was a bit riskier than she taught us , not a prude I think!

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST
Date: 10 Aug 10 - 09:51 AM

I remember the tune :-)

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Simon Breadbin
Date: 13 Aug 10 - 06:23 AM

RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'

Hey Xi Hymn, did you find your music? I know the tune and often sing it at top volume, to annoy my girlfriend. It was one of my favourite songs at school. I'll happily sing it for you as I'd forgotten the words and your post was very useful.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Xi Hymn
Date: 18 Aug 10 - 05:54 PM

NO! Simon Breadbin I didn't! I can't tell you how exciting your offer is!!!!!

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Aug 10 - 12:15 PM

HI Ian
read your interest re Willam Appleby Singing Together Luckly I have a braodcast on tape autum term 1967 my last year at school we used to follow his radio programmes and I worked as a music teacher myself if you are keen I can et you have a copy on cassette its worth a listen emial me [e-mail] if interested

Dec

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Aug 10 - 12:26 PM

hello there
Read with interest you knowing William Appleby he was a fantasic example and it a great shame hes not around today. I used to teach music we also listend to his Home Service radio broadcasts to schools in late primary and early secondry. I trined to be a music teacher and I have a whole braodcast still on tape would you like a cassette of it would love to be in contact with you. My email address is [e-mail]

Hope to hear from you

dec

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Xi Hymn
Date: 25 Aug 10 - 04:49 PM

Please email me, [e-mail], if you can sing/hum/whistle it for me!

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Joe Offer
Date: 25 Aug 10 - 05:54 PM

Which song are you looking for, Xi Hymn? - "The Rain Song"???

-Joe-

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Joe Offer
Date: 26 Aug 10 - 02:43 AM

I would like to actually see some of the Singing Together booklets and hear the BBC productions. Are samples of either available online?
In this thread, Kernow John said he had posted copies of the booklets online, but the link he gave now leads to an unsafe site, so I deleted his link. Anybody have contact with John, so he can lead us to the new home for his stuff? Maybe I saw Johns stuff when he posted it back in 2003, but I'm much older now and can't remember seeing them....

-Joe-

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Xi Hymn
Date: 26 Aug 10 - 05:48 AM

Joe, yes, it is the tune to The Rain Song I'm after.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,ratsmat
Date: 03 Sep 10 - 07:39 PM

1965 ish?? Zartians.. I remember it as
Calling all Zartians to take a stand
Earthmen invaders approach our Land
Up and Attack to make them draw back
We are all set and our spaceships manned.

Calling all Zartians Out
Calling all Zartians Out

Though we are small we are brave and Strong
Our two Antenna are extra long
We can transmit every thought as we think it
We can transmit every Zartian Song

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Midzone1
Date: 06 Sep 10 - 03:28 PM

Hi

My search for old recordings of Singing Together continues - especially from the seventies and early eighties. I have many sets of School Radio Broadcasts but would love to get more from Singing Together!

My oldest broadcast is the request programme from Spring Term 1977 - the winning song was Pay Me My Money Down - copy the link below for a sample from the broadcast! The presenter was John Camburn and Soloist Stephen Varcoe.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/jcop0v


If you can help with any broadcasts please email me direct - [e-mail]


Regards


Steve

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,SRD
Date: 06 Sep 10 - 06:09 PM

My mother was a primary school teacher at various schools in NW Kent including our village school, St Pauls, in Swanley Village. One of the 'extra skills' she bought to the job was the ability to play the piano and accompany the songs in 'Singing Together', to provide the music for 'Music and Movement' and the later equivalents. Somewhere or other I still have some of the booklets (between 1955 and 1971). Those songs, although more than a little edited and bowdlerised, helped fix the idea of folk music in me.
I particularly remember 'Westering Home', 'No John', 'Garden Where the Praties Grow' as well as later stuff; a song about Newfoundland the chorus of which went something like:
'Hip your partner, Sally Thibeau,
Hip your partner Sally Brown,
Fogo, Twillingate, Moreton's Harbour,
All around the circle.'

And my younger siblings still sing
'Oh Dagobert half dachsund, half basset hound
had ears and a stomach that trailed to the ground.
And four legs so short that they did not make sense.
With such legs he'll never see over the fence.'

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Ralph Bacon MBE
Date: 27 Sep 10 - 11:11 AM

This thread has confirmed the wide influence of Singing Togethern broadcasts and also the influence of 'Pip' Appleby whose idea it was. It has even brought an apology for the sound of cello practice from Yvonne Jackman my neighbour of years ago.
E mail: rbaconmbe@aol .com for anybody else who remembers me.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Jonah
Date: 05 Oct 10 - 12:45 PM

Does anyone remember an Hungarian folk song on Singing Together It would be about 1959 or 1960 I believe.   What was its title?

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Ray
Date: 05 Oct 10 - 03:08 PM

I was thrilled to discover this thread. These class singing activities were a weekly event when I was a pupil at Willowbank Primary in Glasgow from autumn 77 to summer 81. It is so long ago that I couldn't even remember whether it was a BBC or ITV service. I am specifically searching for books and songs from this period and I would really love to hear these old songs again. In the fog of my memory the following songs stand out...

Rocky Rocky Road
Ling ling and the Chinese Dragon
A Wassail, A Wassail
Here come the Navvies
The Football Song (?)
The Gypsy Rover

I know there is a website mentioned somewhere on theses threads that has what i am looking for but I cannot find it. Could anyone email me with any details at [e-mail] ?
It Seemed like a different world then. Although it was just 30 years ago it seems like 3 million years ago to me. I also found a great DVD set called "Charley Says" which includes loads of public information films from the era. It's also worth looking at wwww.sub-tv.co.uk and www.tv-ark.org.uk if you want to hear the continuation music that was played whilst the onscreen clock ticked towards the next programme. Does anyone remember "Theme from Justine" by Bruno Nicolai or "Bart" by the obscure US band "Ruby"? Happy memories indeed! Cheers Ray

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: puck
Date: 05 Oct 10 - 03:12 PM

I have very fond memories of Singing Together in 1956 onwards 'till I left primary school near Brecon S Wales to go to grammar school. It introduced me to folk music at an impressionable age! THANK GOD!!
P

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,destiny
Date: 09 Oct 10 - 02:33 PM

Wow what a site, I remember singing together with fond memories. We would listen to it on the radio in class, I was about 8. I would even listen to it at the half terms.
The songs I remember are from 1979 - 81
Peanuts ( or a song about peanuts)may have had a different title
Here come the navvies
Also I remember my older sister singing one called Yellow bird.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Jane of 'ull
Date: 09 Oct 10 - 08:40 PM

Yes the ones I remember are from that era too.

I remember the 'Peanuts' song - though we sang a ruder version in the playground!!

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Karen
Date: 26 Oct 10 - 05:57 AM

I clearly remember the tune for Antonio, Antonio its Raining its raining again!

Subject: ADD: The Cricket's Wedding
From: GUEST,Murpholly
Date: 26 Oct 10 - 10:45 AM

As a headteacher my father saved copies of most of Singing Together Books which I still possess and so Autumn Term 1959 has The Cricket's Wedding (which was actually Rhythm and Melody Section). Is this the one you are searching

THE CRICKET'S WEDDING

O the cricket weds today, the mosquitto's daughter
Shufling comes the little louse, best man to the bridegroom
Hopping comes the nimble flea for to be the bridesmaid
Animals both great and small come as guests invited

Second fiddler is the stork with the turkey leading
Hornets play the double bass froggy is the flautist
Merrily the monkey jumps dancing to the polka
While that rogue the old screech owl plays upon the bagpipe

And the wolf the butcher man brought six big fat oxen
And not satisfied with that also fifty piglets
Then the goat she capered in cooked a tasty goulash
But before the meal was served lo the cricket vanished

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Robin Carmody
Date: 05 Nov 10 - 10:34 PM

Midzone1 upthread - very pleased to hear that clip; how much else (if anything) have you managed to digitise?

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Sarah Hoare
Date: 18 Nov 10 - 05:26 PM

I definitely remember something with Douglas Coombes and a book about Mozart. Song went
"In Salzburg, Austria one winter's night
Saw a birth by candle light
......."


Chorus
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Oh the world to hear such joy, music of the wonderboy"

Or something like that
That was in the 80s in North Humberside. Happy days!

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Xi Hymn
Date: 02 Dec 10 - 05:50 PM

Please, if you do know the tune to The Rain Song, email me at [e-mail]!

---

I found the song in the Spring 1972 issue of Singing Together and e-mailed it to the requester.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Recorderer
Date: 12 Dec 10 - 02:15 PM

Hi Ray and Destiny and co,

I have the booklets for Autumn 1980, Spring 1981, Summer 1981 (and Spring 1983 which is after I left primary school - probably from a bookshop.)with some of your songs in. I also have the Rumpelstiltskin Music Workshop booklet from 1978 and 1980. Email me at [e-mail] if you would like more info, scans etc assuming it isn't a copyright issue punishable by death.

Autumn 1980

Farewell to Funery
The Hopak
Reap the Flax
Captain Nipper
Who Did?
Kelly the Pirate
The Friendly Beasts
The Virgin Mary Had a Baby Boy
O Sleep my Pretty Baby
Rise Up, Shepherd
The Gower Wassail

Spring 1981

Song of a Country Girl
Mountain Dancer
The Tortilla Vendor
La Cucuracha
Here Come the Navvies
The Piper o' Dundee
Greek Shepherd Song
Alnwick Football Song
The Mountains I love
The Mountain Skier
Troika

Summer 1981

The Ship that Never Returned
The Fireman's Song
My White Horse
Lewis Bridal Song
The Spinning Wheel
Angelico
The Peanut Vendor
Lisa Lan

Spring 1983

The Tinker's Wedding
Waltzing Matilda
Kalinka
Cockles and Muscles
Swansea Town
The Derby Ram
Oh, 'twas in the broad Atlantic
The Candlelight Fisherman
Island in the Sun
Marianina
My Grandfather's Clock

Rumpelstiltskin

Words R D Ward, music Peter Hutchings

Miller's Song
Echo Song sung by Ethel("Verse One: Locked up in this emptiness all alone, Life's become as grey as these walls of stone. Oh, how unkind my fortune seems! Nothing left to comfort me but my dreams. Verse Two: Just myself for company, only me. Words I speak come back to me constantly. I hear the echoes of each sigh. All alone with me, myself and I.")
Spinning Song
Two-as-One Song
Name-Guessing Song
Interlude
Gloating Song
Wedding March
Let the Bells Ring

I actually found reason to sing some of 'Here Come the Navvies' to my 6th form class of General Studies students during a discussion about migration last week, so you never know when these things will come in handy! What a fantastic legacy for all of us who listened to Singing Together as a starter for folk history and music here and around the world. So glad I didn't return the booklets when my teacher wanted them back - I'm paying back my debt to society many times over now by teaching teenagers and running a recorder club.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Ruth
Date: 31 Dec 10 - 05:59 AM

Herbert Wiseman originated the series and it was first broadcast on September 25th 1939, according to the BBC Sound Archives.

"Listening figures far outstripped those of other school music broadcasts for example in 1941, Autumn Term, 4100 schools were tuning in."
Gordon Cox 2002. Living music in schools 1923-1999 Studies in the History of music education in England. Ashgate Publishing Limited, Adlershot.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Robin Carmody
Date: 18 Jan 11 - 08:46 AM

Sarah Hoare - the Mozart programme you're referring to would be the Time & Tune series 'The Young Mozart' from Summer 1987, one of the last things Douglas Coombes did for the BBC - he left the following year, and the whole ethos and style of schools music programmes changed considerably (and of course didn't last too long after that).

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,maud
Date: 31 Jan 11 - 09:56 AM

I know this song very well, if you want me to hum the melody you can e-mail me: [e-mail]

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,dunelmian
Date: 31 Jan 11 - 10:31 AM

I remember fondly Singing Together at Junior School in the 50s. There was a big, four-legged radio with an aerial which went into the rafters. We had the famous little books and I remember in particular singing 'Polly Oliver' which popped into my head a while ago and which forms one of my repertoire now. Happy days!

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 31 Jan 11 - 12:54 PM

I used to 'do' Singing Together with my pupils in Glasgow in the 1970's. We listened to it on the radio, then a couple of days later had a practice. I had to physically wheel a heavy old, out-of-tune piano along the corridor into my classroom with the help of two lads. The teacher next door used to groan, but the pupils adored the songs. I like to think that, as middle-aged adults, they still have them in their heads and developed a liking for folk songs. Just WHAT do the children learn nowadays I wonder?? The songs were traditional, musically very sound and even instructive. Looking at the lists in these postings, I can remember nearly every one, they must be on my hard disk!

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 31 Jan 11 - 12:55 PM

I mean the hard disk in my brain!

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Midzone 1
Date: 09 Feb 11 - 06:13 PM

Just managed to get my hands on an old Singing Together broadcast - it's the final request programme from Spring Term 1979 presented by John Amis. The musical delights include:-

Charlie is M'Darling
Sir Eglamore
The Marigold
The Shepherd and His Dog
Water Come a Me Eye
Auld John Bradleum
Chiapenecas

It's on an old reel to reel tape but the quality is excellent as my trusty Tandberg revealed.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Newnham Croft
Date: 13 Feb 11 - 03:14 AM

I was at primary school in Cambridge in the early 70s and still sing many of the songs today, although many are just fragments and snatches. I remember well the Rain Song and the Zartian one, and Mango Walk which Mr Brooks loved to bash out on the piano, but here are a few verses which may jog memories.
The books tended to have themes. There was a sequence about a violin maker in Naples, one song went

You can just hear a shout
As a boat goes about
And goes off on its glittering way
Oh look at the sun
It's shining all day
Something something buying and selling
For Naples is busy and gay.

Then from the Zartians book there was

Where have you been to Peter
Over the stars by the Milky Way
I caught the moon just waning
At the break of day.

Finaly there was a great one called The Railway Boggart, written in the wake of Beeching, with overtones of 60s activism (Green Man earth spirit awakes from timeless sleep to save branch line) and the ominous chant

They're Closing Down the Bluebell Line . . .

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Feb 11 - 06:36 AM

"Ian, I don't know who started it, or anything about the stages etc, but do remember William Appleby, whose name appears on the book of songs published under the title of Singing Together and was certainly obtainable three years ago. I've just googled his name, and found out that there is a music centre named after him in Doncaster, and there is information printed about him at www.doncastermusicservice.org.uk/dms.htm (sorry - no matter how many times I've tried I just don't seem to be able to negotiate the blue clicky thing!)

All I recall is fond memories of sitting down at school in the fifties and singing along to the programme. Thanks to you, I'm probably going to be googling for a bit longer tonight!! (:-)"

Yes, I rember William Appleby on the school radio in the 50's so he & the programme must have made quite an impression on me - one of the songs which sticks in the memory was the one about the cook 'with one eye on the pot & the other up the chimney'!

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Chris Murray
Date: 13 Feb 11 - 06:43 AM

I bought a book of some of the songs a few years ago but can't find it. However, if you go onto Amazon, they seem to have several of the original booklets for sale.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,John Street
Date: 24 Feb 11 - 12:09 PM

Ah, what pleasant distant memories! I'm 67 now but still fondly recall both Singing Together and Rhythm and Melody. My primary school headmaster distributed to us the booklets accompanying these programmes long before the broadcasts were due and had already taught us the words and music by the time the first broadcast occurred. And it was because the songs still keep going through my head even now that I googled the names of the programmes to see what I could find.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Rijk Griffioen
Date: 05 Mar 11 - 08:35 PM

I have the booklets of Singing Together from Term Autumn 1958 to Spring 1962. Anyone interested?

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Rijk Griffioen
Date: 05 Mar 11 - 08:42 PM

I'forgotten to mention how you can reach me: [e-mail]

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Mar 11 - 05:37 PM

Are you selling 'em, Rijk?

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: DMcG
Date: 06 Mar 11 - 05:42 PM

I've emailed Rijk becuase I'd certainly be interested

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 06 Mar 11 - 06:34 PM

Sorry, I am that guest. Put 'em up on eBay, Rjik, and I'll enter into a bidding war with DMcG! ;-)

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Pat McCarron
Date: 19 Mar 11 - 05:26 PM

I remember " Singing Together " from primary school in the early sixties. The song I remember best is "Cargoes" by John Masefield.I can still sing part of it. "Blow the wind Southerly" is another one.I think I remember a woman with a big operatic voice singing some of the songs.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: DMcG
Date: 20 Mar 11 - 05:08 PM

Sorry, Steve but I've bought them! However, no need to worry because my intention is to transcribe them all and host them at www.folkinfo.com along with all the others we have there. Of course, it will take some time ...

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,scott
Date: 24 Mar 11 - 10:37 PM

Just to let you know that im selling a lot of BBC Schools music pamphlets on ebay, if anyone is interested. If you want anything specific please feel free to email me and we could work something out.

[e-mail]

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Matt Price
Date: 25 Mar 11 - 05:59 PM

Hi

Just to add to Guest Ruth's post:

Singing together was, according to Gordon Cox's article 'School music broadcasts and the BBC 1924-;47', published in 1996 in the journal 'History of Education' (25: 4), dreamed up by one Herbert Wiseman in 1939. This is a quote from Wiseman in 1969 (taken from the same article) discussing how the programme started:

The date was September 1939, the BBC had all its preparations made for the autumn term's broadcasts - pamphlets were printed for all subjects, including the music lessons.. . . Then came the war, and mass evacuation of children from their homes and schools. They were scattered about the country in small detached groups. The issue of pamphlets was stopped, no systematic class instruction was possible, education had to become an affair of hasty improvisation to meet the new enforced conditions. Then somebody had a brainwave. The children were scattered but even when only two or three were gathered together they could still sing. What about broadcasting a few songs and encouraging all, no matter where they were, to take part. A title for such a series? Oh, easy! Singing Together. And on the 25th of September, a few days after the war had begun, we started the series which has gone on till today.

Hope that helps!

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,glueman
Date: 25 Mar 11 - 06:15 PM

My memories of '68, the summer of love when everyone was tuning in, turning on and dropping out was our teacher turning the dial to Singing Together with people who sounded uncannily like Peter Piers and Kathleen Ferrier. That and a 16mm film of the joy of chocolate by Cadbury - complete with free samples - was as far onto the magic bus as my ten year old self ever got.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,scott
Date: 26 Apr 11 - 10:09 PM

check out ebay for many Singing Together books along with Time and Tune, Music Workshop, Music Makers and Music Time(BBC Schools TV)

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Nicnic
Date: 02 May 11 - 06:14 PM

The Rain Song - Someone said they want the tune. I remember the tune after all these years!! I hum it if you want to listen...

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Tony Orman
Date: 23 May 11 - 01:30 PM

I am writing this in May 2011. A couple of nights ago I woke up and suddenly asked myself "Are there any mentions on the Internet for William Appleby?" I checked and found this site. I figured you might be interested in my memories of this man who was so much to me in my childhood.

I am now 76 and went to Doncaster Grammar School (as it was then called) in 1946 at age 11, leaving in the summer of 1953 at age 18. In 1946 William ("Pip") Appleby was the school's music teacher. He always auditioned new students to check their musical skills. I didn't play an instrument but I had a fairly good soprano singing voice, and he put me in the school choir. I served in the choir the whole time I was at the school, naturally changing in due course from soprano to baritone.

While I was still a soprano, Pip asked me to join the Doncaster Schools Choir, which drew from a number of schools in the town (girls and boys schools) and I remained in that until I went to University. We rehearsed every Monday evening during term time, and Pip organized a number of concerts for us to perform each year, some of them outside Doncaster and a number of them in churches. Then he asked me if I would join his small choir which he used for broadcasts on the BBC in the Educational programme "Singing Together". He put out this show every week during term-time, often with soloists. But one week in three we would be shipped to Leeds in a coach to the BBC Studios in Leeds. There he would lecture on the various songs that he wanted to teach the listeners. The latter, of course, were schoolchildren all over the country who would hear it in their classrooms. We would demonstrate singing a few bars at a time of each song, then we would perform the whole song. The BBC studio was a large two-storey room which I think must have been converted from an old Methodist church. Naturally we had rehearsed all these songs back in Doncaster, maybe a couple of times. So I spent a good deal of time in Pip's company over the whole seven years of my secondary education.

We sang near a grand piano on the ground floor with Pip conducting from the piano. On the upper floor of the Studio the BBC operatives could see and hear us through a glass window. The programme was broadcast through Post Office landlines to the BBC in London where the show was actually recorded. The big event of the day for us, of course, was not just the singing but the huge tea party with large sugary cakes afterwards, courtesy of the BBC.

Some time during these years Pip left the employment of DGS to take up the post of Doncaster Schools Music Advisor — a post that was specially created for him so that he could impart his charismatic talents throughout the whole community.

Pip lived in a large three-storey townhouse in Christchurch Road immediately across from the main school entrance. He was a single man. It was not until I was in my 20s that I found out that he personally funded one boy's living expenses so that he was able to attend the school. That student eventually became Head Boy of DGS. Alas his name now escapes me.

And what was Pip like? He was small of stature, relatively slim and quite neat to look at. He was a very kindly man whom boys took to as soon as they met him. He was a genius at retaining the interest of children in music of all kinds. A bit of a pied piper you might say. He might seem shy and retiring, but he commanded huge respect from all who knew him. I remember that on three or four occasions at the BBC shows, we worked together with a man who was very handsome and had a fabulous high baritone voice. This man (name forgotten I'm afraid) was clearly a well-known soloist whom Pip had persuaded to sing some songs along with us. This man was almost as much in awe of Pip as we always were as kids.

This is not to say that we didn't have other great schoolmasters at DGS, but Pip was a great mentor and we always felt he was a great friend to have in the older generation.

I was always proud to be counted among the chosen few whom he took under his wing as a singer. He also created a very small select group, male and female singers, whom he thought worthy not only to sing in programmes with the rest of us, but whom he pushed to go for choral scholarships in Oxford and Cambridge. I was always sad that my voice did not have that degree of quality but it was thrilling to be a small cog in his musical scheme of things. It felt — and still does — like being a member of a very exclusive club: there were never more than about thirteen of us in the BBC choir, for instance, and during my seven years of participation there were very few changes in personnel.

I still miss him.

Tony Orman
Florida, USA

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Waddon Pete
Date: 24 May 11 - 04:01 AM

Hello Tony,

Thank you for sharing your memories with us! Fascinating to read some of the background.

Best wishes,

Peter

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,scott
Date: 11 Jun 11 - 05:54 PM

just to let people know im selling singing together, time and tune, music workshop, music makers and music time, books and recordings on ebay at the moment, just search for BBC Schools on ebay. If there is something you want but cant see on there, just email me as I do have a large collection!
[e-mail]

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 16 Jun 11 - 04:19 PM

Can anyone recall a song about that Admiral Benbow - with lyrics that differ from that which can be found elsewhere.
I particularly recall a line that went ' he taught his sone John, a tanner to be'

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,GG
Date: 04 Jul 11 - 04:03 AM

Hi
Has anybody got a list of songs that were in the Singing Together booklets from Summer 1986 Spring and Summer 1987 And Spring and Summer 1988 please as these are the years I am having trouble with finding.Hope somebody can help?

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Jul 11 - 12:14 AM

Hi Fliss I just read your post, I would be interested in what bbc books u have in your loft!!LOL, perhaps u can email me
[e-mail]

thanks

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,scott
Date: 08 Jul 11 - 12:37 AM

selling broadcasts on cd of music workshop stage 1 and music makers, time and tune broadcasts from 70's and some singing together, music time on video, on ebay!! look under 'BBC Schools' im [e-mail]

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,scott
Date: 20 Jul 11 - 01:45 PM

Im selling singing together, time and tune, music workshop, music makers and music time pamphlets and recordings from 70's,8o's and 90's on ebay now! look under bbc schools, im magiscot666

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Lindsay
Date: 12 Aug 11 - 10:53 AM

Has anyone, other than I, ever thought of forming a singing together group/choir? Perhaps I'm just a sad fifty four year old but I remember many of the songs and frequently find myself singing them. Are there other like minded people, in London, who would like to get together and have fun singing these songs?

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Alan
Date: 13 Sep 11 - 04:00 PM

I would love to find a copy of Will Wanderers Win from Spring 1982, I left a message on the Amazon page about the songbook: Amazon "Will Wanderers Win" Spring 1982 Send me a message via Amazon if you can help. Thanks!

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,IainC
Date: 18 Nov 11 - 08:50 PM

In my 7 years at Primary, my 6 years at High School, my 4 years at University, nothing impacted on me more than Singing Together: Rhythm and Melody. My years were 1950 to 1952. I would pay good money for a copy of the pupils' book for any of these years. Does anyone remember the lovely Hebridean songs "Dream Island" and "O Ro Marie Dubh, Turn Ye to Me"?(sp?), and The Minstrel Boy, The Golden Vanity,Men of Harlech etc., etc.What a delight. They've been an enduring and delightful presence in my memory to this my 71st year.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,xihymn
Date: 29 Jan 12 - 07:02 AM

A million thanks to the people who emailed me about The Rain Song.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,flotsamsky
Date: 10 Mar 12 - 02:27 PM

To GUEST.SRD

Yes I remember the "Newfoundland" song. the first two verses went something like:

I's the by that builds the boat
and I's the by that sails her
I's the by that catches the fish
and takes them home to Liza

I don't want your rancid fish
They're no good for winter
I can buy as good as that
Down in Bonavista

Hip your partner etc.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,SylviaH
Date: 10 Mar 12 - 03:43 PM

Doesn't this all bring back memories of a 1950's childhood. I don't think I have any Celtic blood but my favourites were Road to the Isles and a song to the tune of Dashing White Sargent. I, too, still sing bits of them. Thanks for the reminiscences. I must read more of the comments when I have time.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Val Tarrant
Date: 02 Apr 12 - 10:40 AM

I have copies of the pamphlets from Autumn 1963, Spring 1964, Summer 1964, Spring 1965, and spring 1966. Shouuld I list the siongs to help complete the archice?

Regards

Val Tarrant

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: DMcG
Date: 03 Apr 12 - 08:18 AM

I have copies of the pamphlets from Autumn 1963, Spring 1964, Summer 1964, Spring 1965, and spring 1966. Shouuld I list the siongs to help complete the archive?

I have been slacking terribly getting the archive built over at Folkinfo, but, yes, please let us have the indices from the missing booklets.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: DMcG
Date: 03 Apr 12 - 08:20 AM

Sorry, Folkinfo. One day I will use the preview.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,parallelgirl
Date: 19 Apr 12 - 04:07 AM

I remember this from primary school! I will sing it to you, if you're still looking for the tune!
parallelgirl _at_ hotmail _dot_com

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Looking back in happiness
Date: 29 Apr 12 - 10:13 AM

Was it perhaps....
Calling all Zartians to take a stand
Earthmen invaders approach our land
Up and attack to make them draw back
We are all set and our spaceships manned.

And what about
brontosaurus on the trail looking for his dinner, from the same Time and Tune program?
Or
In the village duckpond standing stagnant by the stepping stones
A toad sings lullabies - but that's all I can remember of those 2!

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Jul 12 - 01:51 PM

Im selling some BBC schools music pamphlets on ebay, just search under BBC schools, im magiscot666

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Old Fogey
Date: 31 Aug 12 - 03:52 PM

I think I remember this slightly differently...

Calling all Zartians to take a stand.
Earthmen, invaders, approach our land.
Up and attack to make them draw back,
we are all set with our spaceships manned.

Calling all Zartians out; calling all Zartians out!

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Jan 13 - 06:29 AM

Hi I have been singing this song since I was in Primary school over 40 years ago lol And I know it word for word and the tune hahah

feel free to contact me [e-mail]
if you do just use Antonio Antonio as the subject then I'll know it's not spam lol

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Duncan 1961
Date: 09 Oct 13 - 06:45 AM

Hi, I'm looking for anything related to a series of songs with the title The Railway Boggart. Can anyone help?

Thanks in Advance

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST
Date: 10 Oct 13 - 03:26 AM

I remember when i worked for british rail, signalmen isolated om the moors actually used to believe in the boggart!

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST
Date: 10 Oct 13 - 03:37 AM

Interestingly through the medium of live radio we were all listening and learning th same songs. i remember clearly learning Mango Walk and Old Zip Coon at the time. they seemed so exotic at the time. As you say, pity folk songs are not taught in primary. Only remember Shenandoah, Boney went to Elba, the Ashgrove and Blow the Wind Southerly.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Eldergirl
Date: 10 Oct 13 - 07:50 AM

Now, is that THE Rod Stewart, or some other rod Stewart..? From Lucern to Weggis on, hol diri di a, hol diri a... Can't recall second line. I've got several of the booklets in a box somewhere, 1957 I think, from my reluctant incarceration at Ide primary, just outside Exeter. Even learning the songs didn't make me contented with my lot. Talk about Billy No-mates... The songs were good tho. Migildi magildi, about a welsh blacksmith? Lieutenant Kije, tune by Prokofiev. Haul away Joe. Shady Grove, not the same as the one Hamish sings, but we know he's a Lone Arranger.. ;) oo, and Eileen aroon.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Larry
Date: 19 Dec 13 - 05:27 PM

Where have you been to,Peter?
To the stars and the Milky Way
I passed the moon just waking
At the end of day.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Joe Offer
Date: 20 Dec 13 - 12:03 AM

Jon Freeman gave me a copy of folkinfo.org for posting before he closed it. It's at this address:
http://www.joe-offer.com/folkinfo/

There are several references above to posts at folkinfo about Singing Together, but the index search brings up only one reference. Anybody know how to find the other things?

If there's anything you'd like to post that can't be posted at Mudcat for some reason, I can offer space.

-Joe-
[e-mail]

Subject: BBC's 'Singing Together' - Lyrics for Old Mr Tucke
From: GUEST,Guest Peter Toth
Date: 19 Jan 14 - 10:22 AM

Please can you help?

I desperately want to do Old Mr Tucker with my class at school where I teach Music in the Czech Republic. I remember the song Old Tucker from either 1968 or 1969. I could buy everything on internet for those years but some pamphlets now cost as much as £15 each online and I don't know exactly which month and year I need. I can't find an index online of the pamphlet contents.

I remember:

Now Old Mr. Tucker was a funny old man
He washed his hair in a frying pan
He combed his hair with the leg of a chair
And all he said was: 'I don't care'!

Now Old Mr. Tucker he wouldn't stay dead
He rose and went to town instead
...

Many many thanks!

Peter Toth
([e-mail])

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,DTM
Date: 19 Jan 14 - 05:55 PM

This is a great thread.
We had 'Singing Together' and 'Rhythm & Melody' at primary school. Tuesdays and Thursdays (I think) but can't remember which one was which. My era was from approx 1953 - 1958.

The wireless was in the headmaster's room and there were extension speakers in the classrooms. We had to remind the head to switch the his wireless on at programme times.

I've jotted down some of the songs I can remember singing from the booklets. I can also remember the excitement at the end of the term/year to find out which song had been voted as the favourite (nationally).
----------------
Begone Dull Care
Barbara Allen
The Drummer & The Cook (One Eye In The Pot, .....Chimney)
Dashing White Sergeant
Charlie Is My Darling
The Lewis Bridal Song (Mairi's Wedding)
Loch Lomond
Ye banks And Braes
Caller Herring
All Though the Night
Men Of Harlech
The Ashgrove
----------------------
It would be great if others could list the songs that they remember, especially (for me) from the era above.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Eldergirl
Date: 20 Jan 14 - 04:37 AM

Vive L'Amour, vive la compagnie
Let the bullgine run

O Kije was a hussar bold
A hussar bold was he
He fought so bravely for the Tsar
The pride of the cavalry!
( to the 'Troika' tune)

Robin Adair
Wales! Wales! Land of the mists and the wild..
Richard of Taunton Dene
Silent Worship, which I can still sing all the way through, much to my surprise..
Kathleen Tyrrell (alias Caitlin Triall )
Ye banks and braes, of course..
Twenty eighteen
The saeter girl's Sunday
Not sure if Alouette was among them, she might have sneaked in from another school in a slightly later year!

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Murpholly
Date: 20 Jan 14 - 03:40 PM

Farewell Manchester; The Farmyard; To the moon; Cockles and mussels;
Ould John Braddlum; Will ye no come back again; Christmas Day in the morning; Poverty; I saw a Maiden; On Christmas Night; Donkey Riding; Ho Ro My Nut Brown Maiden; The Meeting of the Waters; Twankydillo; St. Athan; Golden Slumbers; Linden Lea; Sweet Nightingale; A Virgin Most Pure; The Infant King; The Twelve Days of Christmas; Dear Harp of Erin; The Derby Ram; Billy Barlow; The Lady Bird; The Hundred Pipers; The Song of the Sailor Lad; Joseph and the Angel; Whence Come you Shepherd Maiden; In Nightly Stillness; Tyrolean Cradle Song;   

and many many more. I still have a wadge of booklets from early fifties through to early sixties. Great fun although verses often cut short and even bowdlerised - but still fun.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Sue
Date: 26 Feb 14 - 03:12 PM

I remember the song the Railway Boggart, I think it comes from this BBC publication:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BBC-RADIO-FOR-SCHOOLS-Music-1-BLUEBIRD-LINE-Spring-1970-/161224576760?ru=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fsch%2Fi.html%3F_sacat%3D0%26_from%3DR40%26_nkw%3D161224576760%26_rdc%3D1&nma=true&si=zBf4xr7iX7FHd4zYpe1hou5QnDM%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

I've just bought the item, hopefully The Railway Boggart is contained within!

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Mar 14 - 02:17 PM

Yes, I have a copy of BBC Radio for schools spring term 1970 and it has the Railway Boggart song in it:

Dwarfs live underground, Dryads in trees, there are trolls and goblins and imps and ogres, bogeymen and kelpies but much better than these and very much nicer is such a rogue as the railway boggart. He doesn't clank chains but has lots of fun in railway trains.

He's no long ago fairy, elf or gnome. He is not a fire drake or a pixie. Doesn't haunt the bedrooms in a stately old home, there's only one place to see all his tricks, he's a railway boggart who likes to take pains to do all his tricks in railway trains.

Ghosties and ghouls which go bump in the night, or the mischievous Cornish sprite called a piskie, little outer-space men come and give you a fright and leprechauns sometimes spit in the whisky! A railway boggart from all this refrains and only does tricks in railway trains.

Further in the booklet, page 20:

The Boggart's campaign

When the boggart heard this song he said 'this has gone on too long;to see this family get so poor is something I'll no more endure.'

'O boggart dear, that's kind of you, but what do you propose to do?'   

Well, I shall use my magic powers on those lost passengers of ours. So when in cars those people sit, they'll wish they'd never thought of it. Whereever traffic signs are found I'll turn them all the wrong way round and angry motorists will say,

I can't think how I lost my way but this road can't be right, I know...I came through here an HOUR ago!

I'll haunt their cars. I'll grind and squeak, I'll make a different noise each week. But when they take it for repair the garage will find nothing there. On narrow roads, just where they bend, with queues behind that never end, I'll make their silly tyres go flat.

The spare wheel? O, I've thought of that, for when they get it out of view they'll find that it is punctured too.

O, I'll make traffic jams get worse till cars go slower than a hearse; I'll make those motorists weep and whine,

O give us back our railway line!

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: BBC Researcher
Date: 04 Jun 14 - 10:34 AM

Hello, I am working on a radio documentary about 'Singing Together', and I'm looking for interesting stories about the programme- perhaps you worked it, or were really influenced by it? I am hoping to find people who listened during the war, because it started in 1939 and the BBC hoped it would comfort children - particularly evacuees in unfamiliar schools.

I'm also looking at a song from 1974 called 'Hunting the Hare' which caused a big row at the time- letters from MPs, complaints from Head teachers and so on. Some classes loved the song and others refused to sing it. Can anyone remember this?

Please get in touch with your stories - send me a message on Mudcat or email [e-mail]
Many thanks,
Ruth

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: BBC Researcher
Date: 04 Jun 14 - 12:24 PM

A bit more info in case anyone is interested in the origins of the programme;

It started in 1939, a few days after the outbreak of war. It went out at 11am on Monday mornings, and a Scottish presenter called Herbert Wiseman created the programme, with the help of a few volunteers from the BBC in Glasgow who sang on the recordings. They did 'Billy Boy', 'Golden Slumber' and 'Michael Finnegan' on the first programme. William Appleby, a schools music organiser and choirmaster from Doncaster started presenting around 1947.

Subject: recordings needed - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Felipa
Date: 13 Oct 14 - 01:00 PM

Joe Cocker is working on a BBC radio programme about the Singing Together series. Few of the programmes have been saved in BBC archives, so he made an announcement on BBC Radio 4 asking for people who recorded the programme and have the recordings to contact the Beeb. Apparently it wasnt uncommon for teachers to record the programme.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Bainbo
Date: 13 Oct 14 - 07:35 PM

Jarvis. It's Jarvis Cocker. Both from Sheffield, but it's the Common People guy, rather than the With A Little Help From My Friends chap.

Anyone with recordings, or just memories, of the programme was asked to contact the PM programme.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 13 Oct 14 - 08:00 PM

This is a great thread.
We had 'Singing Together' and 'Rhythm & Melody' at primary school. Tuesdays and Thursdays (I think) but can't remember which one was which. My era was from approx 1953 - 1958.

The wireless was in the headmaster's room and there were extension speakers in the classrooms. We had to remind the head to switch the his wireless on at programme times.

I've jotted down some of the songs I can remember singing from the booklets. I can also remember the excitement at the end of the term/year to find out which song had been voted as the favourite (nationally).
----------------
Begone Dull Care
Barbara Allen
The Drummer & The Cook (One Eye In The Pot, .....Chimney)
Dashing White Sergeant
Charlie Is My Darling
The Lewis Bridal Song (Mairi's Wedding)
Loch Lomond
Ye banks And Braes
Caller Herring
All Though the Night
Men Of Harlech
The Ashgrove
----------------------
It would be great if others could list the songs that they remember, especially (for me) from the era above.

Well I'm of your era, perhaps a couple of years later, and I remember lots of those in your list. I can add Pretty Polly Oliver, Oh No John, Bonnie Dundee, and...I'll keep thinking!

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: KettyRoberto
Date: 14 Oct 14 - 05:19 AM

It is a glimpse from the past. It is a nice post. Business Loan Programs

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: JHW
Date: 24 Nov 14 - 04:49 PM

BBC Radio 4 Sat 29th November 2014.
8 p.m. Archive on 4
Jarvis Cocker remembers Singing Together

Singing Together - 29th Nov 2014

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: JHW
Date: 28 Nov 14 - 09:00 AM

Reminder

BBC Radio 4 Sat 29th November 2014.
8 p.m. Archive on 4
SINGING TOGETHER

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Nov 14 - 04:10 PM

Radio 4 - Jarvis Cocker - Brought me to tears. The memories of our classroom in the 50's, the turtle stove, the medium wave valve wireless with a key and the giant loudspeaker with its dodgy connections being wheeled in by the caretaker. All sitting round the wireless in our grey shirts, cardigans, shorts and plimsolls waiting for it to warm up, then all, yes .... SINGING TOGETHER !!!! Wonderful times.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: JHW
Date: 29 Nov 14 - 05:33 PM

Really enjoyed the programme. I didn't know it continued so long after my school days.

Is a turtle stove the bare cast iron pot thing? Ours I guess was just less than red hot and sizzled your finger if you touched it. (and then smelled of pig?)
We only had the one class from 5 to 11 yrs in a single room at our village school with our one teacher so we all listened to Singing Together on the 3 foot square pale plywood baffle speaker.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Davi Marquis
Date: 01 Dec 14 - 09:41 AM

I remember "singing together" at St Saviours school in Jersey Channel Islands Some of the programs were recorded with a "home made tape recorder" by a senior school teacher and we had to practice some of the songs.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Dec 14 - 10:17 AM

In our school you could always tell which song was going to be number 1 in the end of term hit parade; it was the only one the boys in the class would actually deign to sing along with - normally the comedy or quirky songs, eg Football Crazy, Mango Walk, Linstead Market (in whose chorus I can still remember the gusto with which they belted out the 'OH LORD!' bit!)

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,YorkyT
Date: 13 May 15 - 10:07 AM

Can anyone recall what the lyrics were of the very last Christmassy song/Carol in either the Autumn 1957 or Autumn 1958 booklet? I can "see" it, and remember singing it, but I CAN'T remember what it was!!!

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 28 Oct 15 - 07:49 PM

Guest YorkyT:
I don't have Autumn 57, But Autumn 58 had:
I saw a maiden &
On Christmas night
at the end of the "Singing Together" section.
The second half of the book was for the "Rhythm & Melody" broadcasts, and ended with:
Christ was born on Christmas day,
Unto us a boy is born &
Amahl and the night visitors.

Cheers
Nigel

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: The Sandman
Date: 16 Jan 19 - 05:16 AM

the great thing about singning together ,was that it was a social event all of us children participating together , similiar to maypo;le dancing, the sum was greater than the individual parts

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Senoufou
Date: 16 Jan 19 - 06:11 AM

My primary school pupils loved it Sandman, and so did I. I used to rehearse the songs with my class in between programmes by playing the school piano, which had to be wheeled along to my classroom.
It was a delightful mix of History, Geography, Traditions and Poetry. The children learned such a lot. I even drew from the songs for Creative Writing and Art.

That and Country Dancing (which I also taught) were a real joy.
I can't imagine today's ten year-olds skipping round in pairs performing country dancing!

The Royal Norfolk Show often has Maypole Dancing by local schools, but quite small children take part. (and, once, some visiting Masai in full African dress who spontaneously took a ribbon and joined in! Hilarious!)

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 22 Apr 19 - 10:43 AM

Answering numerous queries above (over the years.Battle Song of the Zartians (Calling all Zartians)
Is transcribed, with music in ABC in This Thread

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 06 Aug 19 - 06:13 PM

Just got hold of quite an early one but no cover hence no year date. It has SINGING TOGETHER
HOME SERVICE
Mondays
11.00 - 11.18 a.m.
19th September - 5 December
on the cover page.
Songs are:
Cock-a-doodle Do
Amid the New Mown hay
The maid and the Mill
The Wandering Miller
The Keeper
Child in the Manger
Gold and Amber
St Distaff's day
Christmas carol
Whence is that Goodly Fragrance
I saw 3 ships
Jesu good above all other
Holy Angels Bright


The comes
Rhythm and Melody 22 September- 8 December

Prince and Princess
Christmas Lullaby
Past three o'clock
The Spinning Wheel
The Bellman's Song
From Bethlem City
Chist is born
Upon Paul's Steeple
I saw three ships
Baa Baa Black Sheep
Oranges and Lemons
Bobby Shaftoe ( The last 5 just the tune)

Anyone got a year for it?

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 07 Aug 19 - 04:38 PM

Autumn 1949, according to This thread (final post)
Not one in my collection, so not in the main thread listing contents

Cheers

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 08 Aug 19 - 06:40 AM

Further:
If you want to create a front cover for it there is an image Here

It might need a little work to stretch/skew it back to being rectangular.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 08 Aug 19 - 02:22 PM

Thanks, Nigel
I suspected it was 40s. I paid a quid for it in a charity shop so I'm quite chuffed to have it. It's the earliest I have now. I have some 50s that bring back memories. Ah, Marianina!!

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Julie
Date: 28 Dec 19 - 04:36 AM

Wow!! Feel as if I have been transported back in a time machine !
I was at a West London junior school between 1964 and 1968 and,like so many others here, I have fond memories of clustering round the huge old radio singing many of the songs mentioned above.
The two that lodged in my memory so strongly that I still occasionally find myself humming them are Calling All Zartians Out and Mariannina but it has been fascinating being reminded of so many others and little snippets have been floatingback. through a .

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Julie
Date: 28 Dec 19 - 04:45 AM

Sorry...got cut off !
It fascinates me that we were all quite happy to accept lyrics that were quite clearly ridiculous and also that,back in the days before the internet, my first suspicions that the rest of the world wasn't exactly like Teddington probably came from these songs.
I loved the lessons but I remember one awful,maudlin song about a dying cowboy really disturbed me. I just remember the lines:

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Julie
Date: 28 Dec 19 - 04:53 AM

(Continued)
' I saw a young cowboy all wrapped in white linen,
Wrapped in white linen and cold as a grave. '
The cowboy goes on to say:
' I'm shot in the breast and I'm dying today.'
Charming subject for children ! In the days before brutal computer games, I found this quite disturbing.
Anyone else haunted by this one ??
I subsequently became a primary teacher for 40 years and still teach 2 days a week.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 30 Dec 19 - 08:43 PM

No I wasn't haunted by The Streets of Laredo.

I think we liked the American songs. One year, I think Billy Barlow was voted the most popular. We were never asked to vote. We learned not to show our feelings in Lincolnshire. even then we knew no one cared what we liked.

You have to remember thatt generation of little boys started choosing their toy gun cap pistols for Christmas from the Wooly's toy counter round about March.

Also we loved TV westerns - Cisco Kid and pancho, the Range Rider, hopalong Cassidy, Hugh O'Brian in Wyatt Earp, Ward Bond and Seth McCullough in Wagon Train.

Any song that mentioned cowboys was onto a bit of a winner.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 31 Dec 19 - 09:52 AM

Hi Julie,
I think it was just the sheer joy of being able to sing something other than hymns in school. I remember it fondly. Having become a folksinger with a lot of pretty rough songs in my repertoire (at one point even including the even worse English relative of Streets of Laredo) it amuses me that I have very fond memories of 'Once there was a wild rose gay' by an operatic female singer, and pieces like Marianina and songs in other languages. Also the very first song I sang in a folk club in about 65 was the version of 'Sally Brown' from ST memories.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 02 Jan 20 - 05:57 AM

Iain C:
Many of these turn up on eBay, often not requiring 'good money'.
Some people try to get high prices for them, but my listings normally start (and often finish) at £3.00 because I'm only selling off spares picked up while trying to complete (or improve the condition of) my collection.
I've started (very slowly) scanning my collection, starting from the earliest. So far I have full page scans of 1950 Summer, 1951 Autumn, 1952 Summer & Autumn, 1953 Spring, Summer, Autumn, 1954 Spring.
As I've offered elsewhere, I am happy to transcribe words for anything which isn't already on Mudcat, and even add the tune in ABC notation.
If anyone needs an email of a scan of a particular song, I'm happy to provide it. A fuller list of contents of the various leaflets is Here on Mudcat
Cheers
Nigel

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 02 Jan 20 - 06:00 AM

Okay,
I just posted a response to a comment which seems to have disappeared into the ether. Never mind.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Mar 20 - 11:20 AM

Hi there. I am looking for any radio recordings of singing together from1989-1992 and any pupil booklets. In particular, I am looking for episodes with Sophie Aldred and Grant Baynham, I remember songs like Cotton Fields and island in the Sun.

There are some episodes on my YouTube channel -


https://youtu.be/B4tmUE6K7ks

https://youtu.be/Mv3VkS5KZuc



Will happily pay for any resources that anyone can offer.

Please email - [e-mail]

Thank you.

Music Teacher
Scotland, UK

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 27 Mar 20 - 04:11 PM

Guest:
A quick look at the thread linked a little earlier, also Here identifies both those songs ("Island in the sun" & "Cotton Fields") as being in the Singing Together programme for Spring 1991.
This is not an issue I've often seen on eBay (looking at my own copy), but I would be happy to transcribe lyrics and melody (ABC format), or to photocopy the relevant pages.

Note to other 'Catters, I've also emailed this response.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 29 Mar 20 - 06:55 AM

Photocopies sent.
Guest is still looking for any recordings from the era, if available.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Apr 20 - 07:43 PM

Looking for the words of it is Spring the daisies are bursting out- can anyone help please? from Singing Together . Chris, Scotland

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 27 Apr 20 - 08:29 PM

Guest: Chris Scotland

Any idea of song title, or approximate year?
Never mind. The title is 'Cowboy Spring' from the Summer 1965 Singing Together.

To save anyone else transcribing I'm on it now.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 27 Apr 20 - 09:04 PM

Correction, 'Time & Tune' Summer '65, not 'Singing Together'.

COWBOY SPRING

It is spring, the daisies are bursting out.
It is spring, the grass is tender.
And now, the breeze is blowing so softly
Over the rolling plains.

Me and my horse go clippety, cloppety.
Me and my horse go jiggety, joggety.
As we go riding clippety, cloppety,
Over the rolling plains

I just left the Double-X ranch,
I got on my horse and rode away,
I know a pretty girl lives in the valley,
Over the rolling plains.

X: 1
T:CowboySpring
M:6/8
L:1/8
S: Time and Tune Summer 1965
Z: NP 28 April 2020
K:D
F3 G3| A3 F3| A2 A B3|A2 A B3| F3 G3| A3 F3 | A3 B3 | A3 B3| E3 E2 F | G3 E3 | E3 E2 F | (E2D) B,3| E3 E2 F| (E2D) B,3 | D6||
w: It is spring, the dai-sies are burst-ing out. It is spring, the grass is ten-der. And now, the breeze is blow-ing so soft-_ly, O-ver the roll-_ing plains.

Transcribed from "Time and Tune" Summer Term 1965. The page is annotated Copyright Elizabeth Poston 1961
The back cover acknowledges permission to reprint: The Bodley Head Ltd "Cowboy Spring" from "The Children's Song Book"
NP
The melody can be viewed by copy/pasting the above (from X: 1 to 'roll-_ing plains') into a converter such as the one at

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 27 Apr 20 - 09:07 PM

. . . ABC Converter such as the one at MandolinTab

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,David Lord
Date: 23 May 20 - 10:49 AM

I chanced upon this fascinating thread, particularily fascinating for me as I dis a lot of work for BBC Schools' Radio in the 1960s and 70. as pianist, script writer, presenter and occasionally contract producer. I have many happy memories od accompanying William Appleby in various programmes, possibly Singing Together though my memory is so bad I'm afraid. I certainly did Time & Tune, Music Session, Music Session One, A Corner For Music, Springboard, Music Club, The Music Box - even Listen with Mother! I'm looking at the Time & Tune pamphlet now with The Song of the Zartians, so I guess I might have been accompanist in that programme. Happy days!

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Sep 20 - 11:16 AM

I still remember those words to 'Dagobert.Do your siblings also remember:
'A clearing deep within the quiet wood
Where with promise of warmth and cheer a log cabin stood
A light from the window illuminates the trees
That echo with a sigh, the soft singing of the breeze'

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: FreddyHeadey
Date: 12 Jan 21 - 07:27 PM

! It's a long thread.

In case you missed it,,,

Worth mentioning that the 2014 programme with Jarvis Cocker is still available to listen to and is fascinating.

^^^^ link here thread.cfm?threadid=79364#3679683

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,Andrew Page
Date: 12 Apr 21 - 04:22 PM

This thread is absolutely fascinating.

I have a number of Singing Together pamphlets from the 60s and 70s, partly because I'm interested in folk music and partly due to enjoying Time and tune/Singing Together in teh school radio broadcasts in the mid-1980s.

I am looking for a song that I learned at school via Singing Together in either 1985 or 1986 (I'd guess the latter). It is Old Raciborski, apparently derived from a Polish folk song about the oldest yew tree in the land.

I have been unable to track down in ebay in over a decade. I have done some research on Polish folk tunes and while I can find quite a bit of information about the Racziborz Yew but I can't find any song directly related to it.

I would love the full lyrics if anyone is able to share them. I'd also pay money for the sheet music - even if just a photogcopy/scan.

The words I remember are:

Famous old yew tree
Thousand years growing
Stands in the forest
Gipsy way showing

Old Raciborski, Old Raciborski
See how the gipsy sings to you!
Turn gipsy caravans down the forest trail
That we seek.

Old Reciborski,
Pathway bestriding.
Always the gipsy
Faithfully guiding.


My e-mail is [e-mail]

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST
Date: 22 Jan 22 - 08:38 PM

Can anyone please help me identify this song? I learnt it through the radio for schools in the 1980s and I cannot think of the title or missing word. Thank you!

I am a king in a world of beauty
Where rivers of Crystal run
Lily and rose are the woodland green
Delight the summer sun
My royal robes are the season
White furred with winter snow
And I will just.......them
Like arrows from a bow
Like arrows from a bow.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 24 Apr 22 - 01:57 PM

The Wildlife King
Not "Singing Together" but "Time & Tune" Summer 1973.
It also appears in a compendium version "Time and tune Songbook" the 'teacher's version' of which includes a more complete accompaniment. The reference for the book: ISBN: is 0 563 13177 2

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST
Date: 16 May 22 - 06:05 AM

Did the BBC TV programme for schools from the 1960s, "Making Music", have accompanying booklets similar to the ones for "Singing Together"?

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 16 May 22 - 10:12 AM

I had both Singing Together and Making Music in primary school. Pamphlets were given out for ST but we had nothing for MM. That would lead me to GUESS no. Even if that is correct, I suppose one could still wonder whether anything was produced for the teachers.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 16 May 22 - 12:00 PM

"Making Music" did have booklets for the pupils I have about a dozen of those, but don't know just how many gaps may be in my collection!
More details Here

I will get around to listing the contents on Mudcat at some stage.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 16 May 22 - 02:23 PM

BBC Making Music: Contents

Okay, this thread gave me the impetus to add the contents.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together': guest 12 S
From: GUEST,Guest Ann Jarvis rec: 12 Sept 20: 11:16 am
Date: 28 Dec 22 - 02:10 PM

I loved that song, can’t remember if it was Singing Together or Time and Tune. The melody is haunting, taken from a classical piece but I don’t know which ??Many years ago now but I never forgot it

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: weerover
Date: 28 Dec 22 - 04:22 PM

Veteran Scottish singer Fraser Bruce has recently published a book titled "The Folk River" about the development of organised folk music in Scotland. In it he credits "Singing Together" as having played a substantial part in his interest in folk. I feel similarly and still remember substantial parts of some of the songs. Watching a recent TV show, one of the characters (a Cornishman) began to sing "Song of the Western Men" and I found myself joining in it with him, although I have never sung it since primary school, best part of sixty years ago.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: FreddyHeadey
Date: 28 Dec 22 - 06:32 PM

There's an accompanying BBC article
Singing Together: The radio show that got schoolchildren singing
28 November 2014
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-30210485



"It petered out, fizzled out," says Barry Gibson, a senior producer in the School Radio Department towards the end. "Ultimately, it was down to audience figures because at that time teachers were under a lot of pressure to make sure that everything they did tied in with the National Curriculum.

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,David Pearce
Date: 19 Nov 23 - 07:12 AM

Hi all,

Just discovered this thread and I thought that some of you might be interested in a Blog Post I wrote about the 1970 - 1976 run of Singing Together from my own personal perspective. I am also doing two Christmas themed articles covering the carols and other festive songs I was introduced to by this lovely programme. If you do take a look, I hope you enjoy it.

Singing Together Blog post

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 19 Nov 23 - 12:33 PM

Guest, David.

If you come back to this discussion I have made scans of my whole Singing Together collection (complete 1951-1985) available Here

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST,David Pearce
Date: 19 Nov 23 - 07:12 AM

Hi all,

Just discovered this thread and I thought that some of you might be interested in a Blog Post I wrote about the 1970 - 1976 run of Singing Together from my own personal perspective. I am also doing two Christmas themed articles covering the carols and other festive songs I was introduced to by this lovely programme. If you do take a look, I hope you enjoy it.

Singing Together Blog post

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 19 Nov 23 - 12:33 PM

Guest, David.

If you come back to this discussion I have made scans of my whole Singing Together collection (complete 1951-1985) available Here

Subject: RE: History - BBC's 'Singing Together'
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Dec 23 - 03:18 PM

Hi Nigel,

I got my collections from you on ebay if you are Nigel42Folk which I think may be the case. It was a real part of my childhood reconstructed thanks to you. In fact, the Blogmas entry I posted today and the one scheduled for tomorrow look at the Christmas Songs from Singing Together from 1970-75. If you'd like to have a look at them, they are on my blog. Here's the link to the first one. Christmas Songs from Singing Together 1970-72