Songs from Primary School

Gingster
‘With her... one eye on the pot and the other up the chimney, with a bow wow wow, fah, lah the dow-a-dilly bow,wow, wow’
How come we remember these things from over 60 years ago, but nothing actually useful? Wasn’t there a schools’ music broadcast... Time and Tune or something?

Yes Greenfinch, I remember Marianina. I was maybe 6 or 7 when we sang that at school and I still remember every word of it; it was a lovely song. Thanks for reminding me of it.

Oh yes, Donkey Riding, had forgotten that gem.
Hey Ho! Away we go, donkey riding, donkey riding, hey ho! Away we go riding on a donkey.
Strange one isn’t it?
?

Not sure if these are the right words but I loved

“Glad that I live am I ... that the sky is blue.”

“Glad for the country lanes and the fall of dew ...”

I also loved ( probably no longer politically correct )

Over the the sea are some little brown children, father and mother and baby dear

And

Lord of all hopefulness..... ( reminds me of primary school ) and still brings tears to my eyes .

Oh, paddyanne, these were all my favourites. I can still shed a tear at memories of the holiday hymn, and bringing flowers of the rarest to crown the statue at the May Procession!

Oh witch oh witch she lives in a ditch and combs her hair with a hickory switch ????

From around 1968- 1970 ?

My record brought tears to my eyes when I played it on my stepfather’s record player. The sweetness of children’s voices, earnestly singing ... slightly younger than my grandson is now, a year or two older than my granddaughter..

Gosh, 60y ago.

We used to go to the Falkirk festival for primary school choirs, and I can still remember Grasshopper Green and Oh Can Ye Sew Cushions?

I don’t know any of your songs Bradfordlass in fact I can’t remember many except hymns at school and repetitive songs in the playground

Can anyone remember, Green Grow the Rushed O?
Also someone mentioned the song with the chorus: Hey down, ho down, Derry Derry down.
I seem to remember it started: The Keeper did a hunting go and under his cloak, he carried a bow.

Rushes

I sang most of these songs, though we didn’t do Marianina. Perhaps I’m too old (born 1940). I loved singing at school, and was affected for my whole life by those early songs and hymns. I have always sung in choirs, some very good ones.

The words mattered a lot to me as well as the tunes. I used to love the verse in When a Knight Won his Spurs, “Though back into Storyland giants have fled/And the knights are no more and the dragons are dead.” So dramatic and sad!

All those lovely folk songs from The National Song Book - they are part of our heritage and the history of our country. I find it very sad that my children learnt none of them. The Ash Grove is one of the loveliest - Llwyn On, Anniebach? Is that right? Strawberry Fair is another I remember with affection - “As I went down to Strawberry Fair, Singing, singing, buttercups and daisies.” Could anything be more joyful? I remember them all.

I loved most hymns, especially My Song is Love Unknown and St Patrick’s Breastplate. As for carols.....where to start?

Yes Buffy we sang Green Grow The Rushes O, I really liked that one.
What was the hymn called ( Catholic ) that had the words,
‘Star of the sea, pray for the wanderer, pray for me’ in it?
Sung in May or June, lots of flowers etc.

Marianina:

O'er the ocean flies a merry fay,
Soft her wings are as a cloud of day,
As she passes all the blue waves say:
"Marianina, do not roam,
Whither, whither is your home,
Come and turn us into foam,
Marianina, Marianina,
Come, O come and turn us into foam!"

Those words still conjure up a warm crowded school hall with the heady scents of the flowers in it.

Thanks Chewbacca. That really takes me back. Lovely words.

I could remember the tune but not the words. Now I can sing it again

^ “As I went down to Strawberry Fair, Singing, singing, buttercups and daisies.” Could anything be more joyful?^

Spot on Granny70s

Won’t it be sad when these sweet songs are sung no more? Our grandchildren don’t know them for sure.
?

Oh gosh, I remember nearly all these songs, but then I have always loved singing. I have been in choirs since I was about 9 and today I spent a very enjoyable day at a Come and Sing event.

Time and Tune!. That's the one Granulation.
I've been trying to think of the name. We had the words to the songs printed in a booklet and sang along to the music on the radio. I can't remember what any of the songs were though.

You can listen here Greenfinch

youtu.be/NJdH5MczsXs

LEMONGROVE Hail Queen of Heaven ,The Ocean Star

I admit I had to go find my old school hymn book to get it

Thanks Chewbacca. I will listen to it.

And the skipping songs, one I remember:
On a mountain stands a lady
who she is I do not know
all she wants is gold and silver
all she wants is a nice young beau
I wish I could remember the rest!

I remember that skipping song and
The Big Ship Sails on the Ally Ally Oh