Party pieces

Yes, we did, mine was Disobedience by AA Milne. My brother who is the youngest, used to recite with great joy and actions ‘Quick, quick the cat’s been sick!’

henetha

I used to have to sing at parties, even though I was terrified.
My party piece was The Bells of St.Mary's. There was a film starring Bing Crosby at the time.

That is one of my favourite films. No matter how many times I watch it, I start filling up. 😢

Wow, Marydoll. Id love to see it again.
Is it available somewhere?
I seem remember it was lovely.

DH found it for me last Christmas. I will ask and get back to Henetha, you.

As soon as those boys start singing, I start crying. By the end, I am in floods of tears. Old fool that I am. 😊

Marydoll

DH found it for me last Christmas. I will ask and get back to Henetha, you.

As soon as those boys start singing, I start crying. By the end, I am in floods of tears. Old fool that I am. 😊

What is the one where Bing Crosby is the priest and they bring in his ould mammy to ‘ Toora loora loora’? I remember greetin’ at that.

Sorry, I digress, back to party pieces!

I've just found a clip on YouTube of Bing Crosby singing it, surrounded by nuns, of one whom was Ingrid Bergman.
I'd forgotten what a lovely voice Bing had.
Thanks, if you can find any info of how to see the film.

henetha, DH says it was a DVD he bought from Amazon.

Going My Way is is the film, where the old mammy comes from Ireland. I was greetin' a that one too!
She looked exactly like my old Irish granny, who always wore black!

Growing up, every Christmas my Gran made a tape recording of the family which she sent to my aunt in Australia, my party piece was I’m nobody’s child.

Mine was Morningtown Ride, with my brother.
I cannot sing, I just think I can! 🤣

I recently met up with some cousins I hadn’t seen for years. We were reminiscing the Christmas and New Year parties are family had and songs we used to sing. We were a mixture of Welsh and Scottish, lots of Welsh - Sospan Fach, Land of our Fathers and lots of very long Scottish dirges. An Uncle used to sing My Brother Sylveste.
Us children did nursery rhymes or pop songs of the time. My cousin and I particularly remember doing You were made for me by Freddie and the Dreamers with all the actions.

Oh yes. My sister and I would sing and recite in Welsh It stood me in good stead as I have always been confident. Also, we were chapel goers. Mum would give us verses from the Bible or a hymn (or both) to learn. The children in the Chapel would stand in a pew at the front Chapel facing the congregation, before the sermon to recite the verses (or hymns) we had learned. I add that we grew up in a Welsh bubble in Liverpool back in the day.

No parties were ever held in our family growing up so party pieces were never necessary

Yes a verse about a little girl at a party falling off her chair. I can still remember it seventy years later but not what I did yesterday🤣

Yes. I used to sing Ye banks and Braes. I have Scottish connections you see and it was the only song which I knew all the words to.

No I most definitely did not. I would have been terrified.

I used to know all the words to ‘She Wears Red Feathers and a Huly Huly skirt’ and i have sung it in public (not recently). It’s very un-PC these days…
Adult DS’s party trick is to state the capital city of any country you can name. I think he’s working on the state capitals of all 50 US states now

She lives on just coconuts, and fish from the sea.
A rose in her hair, a gleam in her eye, and love in her heart for me!

Oh yes - Stanley Holloway 'The Battle of Hastings'

mabon1

Oh yes. My sister and I would sing and recite in Welsh It stood me in good stead as I have always been confident. Also, we were chapel goers. Mum would give us verses from the Bible or a hymn (or both) to learn. The children in the Chapel would stand in a pew at the front Chapel facing the congregation, before the sermon to recite the verses (or hymns) we had learned. I add that we grew up in a Welsh bubble in Liverpool back in the day.

Since acquiring a Welsh daughter-in-law I have added Calon Lân to my repertoire, but can only manage the chorus in bad Welsh!

This thread is really interesting, thanks Aveline - such a variety of pieces we performed - I’ve looked some up, as I hadn’t heard of them before, much less performed them or seen anybody else do so.

Goodess no, such a thing wouldn’t have happened in my family. I’m the only one who could do anything anyway. I did sing and recite, but only at school and in music festivals.

My older sister and I had to sing 'Sisters, Sisters' by the Beverley Sisters.

I cringed even then but even more so now at the memory just awakened by the OP!

I was brought up by Grandparents and yes, family members were expected to have some form of “Party Piece” (not always strictly limited to parties - but any form of visit by friends and/or family. I recited a small piece of poetry, which I still remember today!

I did an impersonation of Frank Spencer every year at our neighbours Christmas party when I was young, I quite enjoyed making them laugh! I love Albert and the Lion. I can recite The Night Before Christmas which I'll treat the grandchildren to this Christmas!

In our family, 'The farmer's boy' for grandad, we'd all sing 'knees up mother brown' & gran would dance, aunty always sang "all locked up in me little bottom drawer" , 'When Irish eyes are smiling', & 'little bitty tear let me down' were others that friends sung. & "Lambeth walk" from an in-law.