To Thread - Forum Home

The Mudcat Café TM
https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=173644
2 messages

Poor Jenny

04 Nov 24 - 03:36 PM (#4210983)
Subject: Poor Jenny
From: SRD

Listening to Shostakovich's concerto for piano, trumpet & strings I recall asking Gerard McBurney how it was that Shostakovich was quoting from the playground song "Poor Jenny is a'weeping" He told me that one of the professors at the university Shostakovich was working at was investigating English folksongs. But I also find that the tune is part of "La Bourrée des Galvachers" a composition of French folk dance tunes. Does anyone have any further info on how this tune came to be used in English playgrounds?


06 Nov 24 - 05:53 PM (#4211158)
Subject: RE: Poor Jenny
From: GUEST,Steve Shaw

I can't answer your question directly, but I'm glad you brought this up, as this was one of Mrs Steve's piano pieces when she was trying to learn the piano about forty years ago. She never made it, sadly, but this is the one tune of hers that has stuck in my head for all these years. So cheers for that!