Do you have a " party piece"?

Oh, I remember My Brother Sylvest, as my Grandfather used to sing that....
My brother Sylvest, has a row of shiny medals on his chest , big chest, it takes all the army and the navy ......something or another, can't think of the end of the line.My Grandfather's brother was called Sylvester, and I thought the song was about him!

I took my harp to a party was one of my Uncles party piece. He cleared a room in seconds.

I'm looking forward to the Gransnet Gang Show. I'd be happy to sell the tickets at the door. For an encore I can only offer a song by John Dowland that I learned for a singing exam.

None myself but my much loved late aunt, who was the favourite of all her nephews and nieces as she was 'quite a gal', would invariably do a handstand at any party, invited to or not. If my uncle had had enough to drink he would also try.

Oh yes, my Mum used to sing"Daddy wouldn't buy me a bowbow"; also "Down on the railroad early in the morning"and "Oh the chirruping of the birdies on the sycamore tree" - and I sang them to my children and latterly, the grandchildren.

My own party piece as a child was"when I was at the party", said Betty aged just four "a little girl fell off her chair right down upon the floor. And all the other little girls began to laugh, but me. I didn't laugh a single bit", said Betty seriously. "Why not?" her mother asked her, full of delight to find that Betty, bless her little heart, had been so sweetly kind. "Why didn't you laugh my Darling, or don't you like to tell?" "I didn't laugh" said Betty, "cos it was me that fell".

Not a party piece but sung to my DGC when drying them after a bath. It's "The Mother's Lament aka "Oh, yer baby 'as gorn dahn the plug-'ole", as sung - believe it or not - by Cream on their album "Disraeli Gears."

Once stood in a pub and sang Any Dream Will Do. I was 6 at the time though.

I love that one, Bluecat - 'twas nought but a skellington covered in skin!'

I love all these.

My mum used to sing The Spinning Wheel song by Deirdre Murphy. Mum's Irish accent was very similar to Deirdre's.

Dad used to recite a poem about a glass of water and a glass of wine, but I can't remember the title. He also used to recite "Oh to be in England now that April's there."

Such fond memories.

Mine was "The burial of Sir John Moore after Coruna"
"Not a sound was heard not a funeral note, as his corpse from the rampsrts we carried " etc

My father used to pretend to propose to someone with a Victorian poem which went

it is my intention with certain convention
To crave your attention a moment or two
To state my ambition, condition, position
In clear definition, dear lady,to you.

Have no perturbation regarding my station
For my situation is one of the best
It is with a relation who sells embrocation
Which on my recommendation will stand any test!

You've gained my affection,I think you perfection
You are my selection of partner divine
My hearts locomotion is well beyond notion
Accept my devotion - be mine!

Forgive the presumption if I make the assumption
That if in conjunction the knot we can tie
Then there'll be elation, ovation, adulation
And no man in creation will be happier than I!

I've no idea how I know all the words (some might be a bit wrong) but I heard it so many times I think!

I myself have performed a comic song, also Victorian, that my grandmother used to sing called 'Maggie, the cows are in the clover!'

granma47 I knew an old lady who swallowed a fly was always being sung on 'Sing Something Simple' at Sunday lunchtime (on the Light Programme I think). I used to hate it probably because my father one of the few people whose singing was worse than mine, used to insist on singing along.
My sister and I always used to try to finish Sunday dinner quickly enough to disappear before Sing Something Simple came on.

I could have sworn Sing Something Simple was on on Sunday evening - it always made me feel depressed.

At 6 pm and we had boiled eggs for tea.

"With the Mike Samms singers"

I just wish I could sing

My dear dad used to say 'Don't bother love you can fart in tune better than you can sing".

Ana It may have been in the evening as well or they may have changed it but I definitely remember feeling imprisoned as we had to eat Sunday lunch while listening to it. There were good programmes as well like the Clitheroe Kid.

I know all the words to On Ilkley Moor Bah Tat. The last time I sang it was on a bus in New Zealand. We were coming back from Mauri evening and the driver would not let anyone off the bus until we had entertained everyone else with a song from our country!! I was the only person who had to explain what my rendition was all about. Can't think why.

I love your father's poem pollyperkins

No one could refuse such a proposal

Sign me up for that Gang Show! Then I can do my other party piece, "Burlington Bertie".

And I too think that Sing Something Simple was on a Sunday evening, and I seem to recall it was the Cliff Adams Singers .... long ago and far away (and that's another one of my favourite "car" songs).

I love 'The Spinning Wheel '
And the Big Rockandy Mountain ( chirping of the bees in the sycamore trees !)

Yup, Sing Something Simple was on a Sunday teatime, and as soon as the dreary introductory song came on, instant depression set in like a big black cloud ( same as you Ana) Maybe because it was Monday and school the next day, not sure, but Mum loved it and sang along with all the songs......mares eat oats and does eat oats and little lambs eat ivy tra la.

I couldn't stand Sing Something Simple when I was a teenager. It was so boring and to my teenage mind pointless and dull. Loved The Top 40 on Sunday afternoon with Alan Freeman I think it was called Top of the Pops but I could be wrong. Quite liked The Clithero Kid but couldn't stand The Billy Cotton Band Show. I think all these programmes were on a Sunday afternoon. I sing the old favourites to my grandchildren, "How Much is that Doggy in the Window, I'm a pink toothbrush, you're a blue toothbrush" and they are very unimpressed.

I too hated Sing Something Simple made me want to puke. Glad to see others disliked it, I thought I was the only one.