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Traditional Songs we sang at school

I loved singing at school and remember most of the songs that have already been mentioned. I went to Arthur Terry School in Sutton and in 1966 being in the school choir we were asked to appear on Songs Of Praise. We had to attend rehearsals at Bishop Vesey School for six weeks and it was on a SUNDAY!! I often scan U tube to see if anyone has posted it.
 
I have looked through the thread and can find no mention of the BBC Radio Schools music program. I cannot remember its name but do remember the bossy man and woman presenters. Not only did they tell you what to sing, how to sing it but also when to stand up and sit down and like little robots we did.
As someone said previously most of the songs would not be acceptable now. When did you last here the " Camptown Races" sung ? Even then there were alternative lines which could be sung. Many of the songs I remember being of success over Britains enemies or contained references to people in the colonies. That should upset 95% of the worlds population. "Down Upon The Swanny River" was another. Who was picking the song list ? Alfred Mosely perhaps ?
Another BBC Radio Schools program was "Music and Movement". It had us kids chasing around the school hall pretending to be leaves in a storm or riders in a foxhunt. Something else they would not have today.
 
Arkrite said:
I have looked through the thread and can find no mention of the BBC Radio Schools music program. I cannot remember its name but do remember the bossy man and woman presenters. Not only did they tell you what to sing, how to sing it but also when to stand up and sit down and like little robots we did.
As someone said previously most of the songs would not be acceptable now. When did you last here the " Camptown Races" sung ? Even then there were alternative lines which could be sung. Many of the songs I remember being of success over Britains enemies or contained references to people in the colonies. That should upset 95% of the worlds population. "Down Upon The Swanny River" was another. Who was picking the song list ? Alfred Mosely perhaps ?
Another BBC Radio Schools program was "Music and Movement". It had us kids chasing around the school hall pretending to be leaves in a storm or riders in a foxhunt. Something else they would not have today.
Click to expand...
Musical movements,how i dreaded that,never was i able to look like a tree blowing in the wind,or a steam rippling/gushing depending on the music,but i suppose it was all good fun
 
arkrite you don't mention the years this was being done, don't remember that but do remember "Tuby the Tuba" which we had at school through the BBC I think.
 
Arkrite said:
I have looked through the thread and can find no mention of the BBC Radio Schools music program. I cannot remember its name but do remember the bossy man and woman presenters. Not only did they tell you what to sing, how to sing it but also when to stand up and sit down and like little robots we did.
As someone said previously most of the songs would not be acceptable now. When did you last here the " Camptown Races" sung ? Even then there were alternative lines which could be sung. Many of the songs I remember being of success over Britains enemies or contained references to people in the colonies. That should upset 95% of the worlds population. "Down Upon The Swanny River" was another. Who was picking the song list ? Alfred Mosely perhaps ?
Another BBC Radio Schools program was "Music and Movement". It had us kids chasing around the school hall pretending to be leaves in a storm or riders in a foxhunt. Something else they would not have today.
Click to expand...

Try this, BBC Music and movement;

https://www.turnipnet.com/radio/schools_mandm.wav
 
Hi Arkrite: I remember the BBC Music programmes at my school in the mid l950's. We had a speaker or two which were set in wood surrounds. Most of us got bored liistening to these programmes I remember.

Alan Titchmarsh has one of my brother's favourites from his school singing classes and choir on his programme this Sunday.
"The Yeomen of England", very stirring. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cD_QYJoGJdU I remember hearing this at one of those school concerts at the Town Hall in the 1950's.
 
The programmes were in the mid-late 50s. We also had the big wooden speaker.It was a C.E. School at Walsall Wood ,the only school I attended with no main hall. We had no Music teacher or piano at that school , maybe thats why the radio was used. Singing was a very popular pastime in the 50s both in and out of school. Each school sent a small choir to attended the Central Hall, Walsall for a festival of song. My sister had a great voice and joined a choral society, while I was a chorister at St.Pauls, Walsall . My aunts and uncles were in amateur dramatics where they all met their partners.

Sorry about the strange underlining but I have had an early morning tiff with the spell checker and it won.
 
When I went to Harry Lucas we used to get a small 'ensemble' come to the school and play music. We were more interested in Terry Dene and Adam Faith, etc and found it boring.

We sang Hiawatha and Spring sends her greeting winter is fleeting see where the sun is shining again at the Town Hall
 
Another one I remember us singing at school was "How beautiful they are", the faery song from Rutland Boughton's opera "The Immortal Hour". A little bit of research tells me that it was first performed in the fairly macho year of 1914, yet the words were written by Fiona MacLeod who was none other than William Sharp! Oh what a gay day! :-)

Maurice
 
Oh I had forgotten about musical movement my Mom came to watch one day with other parents. She said I was like a fairy on a gob of lard.........I had to laugh because she was right!!
 
I remember all these school song's too. But the one that stand's out as the biggest laugh of all was 'Nymphs and Shepherd's. Gosh what a noise from a screeching all girls school.
 
Don't tell me Ray... it has a lot of rhyming possibilites. Did you actually sing it in class though?
 
Maggs....Yip !...Our music teacher was odd,he used to play on the piano a popular song of the time called "Bella Margareta".so we put our own words to everything.
Funny how we had so many Welsh teachers,who tried to teach us to sing,must have been very frustrating for them.
 
We had a Scottish music teacher, and she alway's expected us to pronounce the word's in the Scottish way, I mean was that fair to a load of Brummie kid's? After all we could only just speak English, let alone sing in Scottish. When I say a load, there were 48 children in our class. I remember Bella Margarita. It was Margarita picking grapes with me wasn't it?
 
What about school hymns. All things bright and beautiful, Onward Christian Soldiers, Fight the good fight (and we did)
 
I loved hymns at school,we used to have hymn practise every week,and of course assembly ever morning,i dont think they do that at school now.Was it just the teachers i met or were all the teachers who taught music a little eccentric,certainly very passionate about
their work which is great,i am trying to think of favourites but i could fill the page, In the bleak mid winter,Old rugged cross,
 
At school in the 50's we sang a hymn about a pilgrim living in a tent, never did figure it out.
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Hello jennyann, thank you very much for the youtube, with Bella Marguerita. It will be just great to hear that song again, the dancing sequences will be magic. Lucky you going to see 'Bless the Bride'.
 
OUr traditional song taught to us by the head mistriss and class teacher at
upper thomas street infants was poor old michael finningan
head mistriss was a mrs tyler
best wishes Astonian ;;
 
Liz, I have to tell you that 'There is a greenhill far away, and 'In the bleak mid winter' were my favourites. I agree that music teacher's were a bit eccentric. Our's played second fiddle in the Birmingham Syphony Orchestra, she used to bring the violin to school and play to us, that was nice.
 
badger said:
That's the way I learned "fatfingers" and between the lines "FACE".....I also remember all the songs mentioned.

Does anyone remember the "massed school bands" concert at the town hall?, must have been around 1959/60, quite an event.
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Yes badger lad, I was there with my little recorder from Albert Rd Stechford Primary in 1952! First heard a bloke in a white suit sing 'The Floral Dance', could have been Peter Dawson?. Still brings tears to my eyes when I play it sixty years on...incredible nostalgic hit.

My First school : Lass of Richmond Hill, Barbara Allen, The Ashgrove, Bobby Shafto, The British Grenadiers, Men of Harlech, Nymphs and Shepherds, plus silly dancing music...

Later School Song:

Where the iron heart of England throbs
Beneath her sombre robe.
Stands a school whose sons have made her
Great and famous round the globe;
These have plucked the bays of battle,
Those have won the scholars crown;
Old Edwardians, Young Edwardians
Forward for the School's renown.

Chorus
Forward where the knocks are hardest,
Some to failure, some to fame,
Never mind the cheers or hooting,
Keep your head and play the game.

Here no classic grove secludes us,
Here abides no sheltered calm;
Not the titled, not the stranger,
Wrestles here to gain the palm;
Round our smoke-encrusted precincts
Labour's turbid river runs,
Builders of a burly city
Temper here their strenuous sons.

Here's no place for fop or idler;
They who made our City great
Feared no hardship, shirked no labour,
Smiled at death and conquered fate;
They who gave our school it's laurels
Laid on us a sacred trust;
Forward, therefore, live your hardest,
Die of service, not of rust.

Forward where the scrimmage thickens
Never stop to rub your shin;
Cowards count the kicks and ha'pence,
Only care to save their skin.
Oftentimes defeat is splendid,
Victory may still be shame,
Luck is good, the prize is pleasant,
But the glory's in the game.

Always sung at beginning and end of a Term, and always followed by the prefects leaping on to the stage with rolled up school cap exhorting “School, three cheers for the Masters” Hip Rah, Hip, Rah, Hip Rah. “School, three cheers for the Headmaster” Hip Rah, Hip Rah, Hip, Rah, and finally the Head Boy with “SCHOOL, THREE CHEERS FOR THE SCHOOL!” The last one obviously getting the loudest cheers. Except the occasion when some besotted fool got carried away and called for “SCHOOL, THREE CHEERS FOR THE GIRLS SCHOOL” last up. Got the best result ever…but was never seen again.
 
maggs said:
Liz, I have to tell you that 'There is a greenhill far away, and 'In the bleak mid winter' were my favourites. I agree that music teacher's were a bit eccentric. Our's played second fiddle in the Birmingham Syphony Orchestra, she used to bring the violin to school and play to us, that was nice.
Click to expand...
Its difficult to pick a favourite because there are so many beautiful songs/hymns to choose from.My music teacher was lovely if a little eccentric
 
badger said:
That's the way I learned "fatfingers" and between the lines "FACE".....I also remember all the songs mentioned.

Does anyone remember the "massed school bands" concert at the town hall?, must have been around 1959/60, quite an event.
Click to expand...

Badger,
Is this what you mean post 3,I went about 1949.(I think)
 
I never attended a school with a band but remember two lads ( different schools ) both Scots who really could play the accordion. Those big , Italian made ones . Jimmy Shand was popular then and The White Heather Club was on the TV.
Last night on BBCi player I watched a program about sea shanties. Those were popular at school because you could belt out the chorus.
 
have a thing in my mind about being in the choir at Station road school getting on a bus
and going to another school i think and one of the songs we sang was WHO IS SYLVIA any body who
went to Station road schooL Witton REMEMBER the day ?
robb128
 
The Minstral Boy to the war is gone oh how sad that was. The children of today dont sing in school like we did. I loved it.
 
a s wood said:
The Minstral Boy to the war is gone oh how sad that was. The children of today dont sing in school like we did. I loved it.
Click to expand...

THE MINSTREL BOY
by Thomas Moore

The Minstrel Boy to the war is gone
In the ranks of death you will find him;
His father's sword he hath girded on,
And his wild harp slung behind him;"
Land of Song!" said the warrior bard,
"Tho' all the world betrays thee,
One sword, at least, thy rights shall guard,
One faithful harp shall praise thee!"

The Minstrel fell! But the foeman's chain
Could not bring that proud soul under;
The harp he lov'd ne'er spoke again,
For he tore its chords asunder;
And said "No chains shall sully thee,
Thou soul of love and brav'ry!
Thy songs were made for the pure and free,
They shall never sound in slavery!"

An emotionally stirring and inspirational song, The Minstrel Boy was written by Thomas Moore (1779-1852) who set it to the melody of The Moreen, and old Irish aire. It is believed by many that Moore composed the song as a memorial to several of his friends he had met while a student at Trinity College and who had participated in the 1798 rebellion of the United Irishmen. One died in prison, another was wounded, and a third captured and hung. The song originally consisted of two verses. Due to its popularity, the song was a favorite of the many Irishmen who fought during the U.S. Civil War, primarily on the Union side. It was at this time that a third verse was added by unknown authors:

The Minstrel Boy will return we pray
When we hear the news we all will cheer it,
The minstrel boy will return one day,
Torn perhaps in body, not in spirit.
Then may he play on his harp in peace,
In a world such as Heaven intended,
For all the bitterness of man must cease,
And ev'ry battle must be ended.

All together now....

One of my all time memories too...Thanks for reminding me.


Den
 
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