Opie collection of children's games & songs

Recording of children demonstrating songs and discussing playground games with Iona Opie

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  • Type

    sound

  • Duration

    00:45:24

  • Shelf mark

    C898/47

  • Subjects

    Children's games; Children's songs

  • Recording date

    1979-1

  • Is part of (Collection)

    Opie collection of children's games and songs

  • Recording locations

    Alton, Hampshire, England

  • Interviewers

    Opie, Iona (speaker, female)

  • Speakers

    unidentified (children)

  • Abstract

    Part 1 of 1. [00:00:00 - 00:45:24]. This recording records the occasion when the magazine 'New Society' visited and took the 'photographs' of Iona Opie and schoolchildren in Alton, Hampshire, 1979. The recording therefore contains much background noise and general discussions as the recordist follows Iona around the school as she talks to a group of 'boys and girls aged eight and nine years old'. The recording begins with Iona asking a small group of schoolgirls what they think about the game of marbles. The girls explain that they think of it as a girls' game and on their playground they just play a version called 'smacksys'. This simply involves one player attempting to hit another's marble [00:00:10 - 00:03:00]. Iona then moves on to the topic of skipping and invites a schoolgirl to skip for her. Although there is much background noise, it is possible to hear the girl skipping to the song 'I Like Coffee, I Like Tea' [00:03:59 - 00:06:04]. Iona and an unidentified male speaker then observe children performing singing games. They sing: 'As I Went to Ratty, to Ratty Tatty Fair' [00:10:10 - 00:13:23], 'The Hoky Koky' [00:13:30 - 00:15:58] and 'I'm Shirley Temple' [00:16:30 - 00:19:17]. The remainder of the recording contains only background noise and the sound of children playing [00:19:20 - 00:45:24].

  • Description

    Item notes: Recording of children demonstrating songs and discussing playground games with Iona Opie. Speakers' notes: Group of Alton schoolchildren

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