Opie collection of children's games & songs

Recording of children demonstrating songs

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  • Type

    sound

  • Duration

    00:08:16

  • Shelf mark

    C898/13

  • Subjects

    Children's games; Children's songs

  • Recording date

    1974-11

  • Is part of (Collection)

    Opie collection of children's games and songs

  • Recording locations

    Glasgow, England

  • Speakers

    unidentified (children)

  • Abstract

    Part 1 of 1. [00:00:00 - 00:08:16]. This recording, from Glasgow, 1974, contains continuous and uninterrupted performances of singing games, rhymes, traditIonal songs and skipping songs, performed by one schoolboy. The recording is of poor quality and many of the songs are distorted. The boy begins by reciting a number of singing games and traditIonal songs. These are: 'Please Get Off the Grass' which then becomes the song 'She Wears Red Feathers' [00:00:00 - 00:00:45]; 'I'm Shirley Temple' [00:01:22 - 00:02:15]; 'Two Little Sandy Girls' [00:02:40 - 00:03:00]; 'The Old Grey Mare' [00:03:05 - 00:03:32]; 'In the School and Out the School' [00:03:52 - 00:04:08]; 'The Wind Blows High' [00:04:11 - 00:04:43]; 'Away Down Upon the Swanee River' [00:04:45 - 00:04:56] and 'You Jump on the Trolleybus' [00:04:58 - 00:05:43]. Selections of skipping songs are also sung by the schoolboy. He sings 'Policeman, Policeman' [00:01:05 - 00:01:21]; 'Horsie, Horsie' [00:02:20 - 00:02:37]; 'Old Mother Riley' [00:03:33 - 00:03:51]; 'You Naughty Boy' [00:05:45 - 00:06:05]; 'I'm a Texas Girl' [00:06:07 - 00:06:23]; 'I'm a Girl Guide Dressed in Blue' [00:06:25 - 00:06:40] and 'I'm a Boy Scout All Dressed in Blue' [00:06:40 - 00:07:0]. Lastly, the recording contains a few short rhymes. These are: 'Five Little Sausages' [00:07:12 - 00:07:42], 'If my Mother and your Mother' [00:08:02 - 00:08:16] and the counting out rhyme, 'Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Mo' [00:07:02 - 00:07:11].

  • Description

    Item notes: Recording of children demonstrating songs. Speakers' notes: Group of Glasgow schoolchildren. Recording notes: Relatively high-level recording, distorted throughout. Appears to be a tape dub or similar, possibly made via microphone. Poor quality throughout.

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