2015 Term 1 Week 5: Sing a Song of Sixpence

Sing a Song of Sixpence 

As with most nursery rhymes, the real story behind this song is not known.  Some think the words could have come from plays in the early 1600s.  It's definitely been around for  at least 270 years because the first verse was published in London in Tommy Thumb's Pretty Song Book in some time around 1744: 

What do you think children from the 1700s might think about the picture books we read today?

Sing a Song of Sixpence,

A bag full of Rye,

Four and twenty Naughty Boys,

Bak'd in a Pye

 In the next known printed version (about 1780) has two verses, and the boys have been replaced by  birds.  Other verses were added later on for a happier ending for the maid - with the bird returning her nose. 

It is also believed that the song started out as a coded message used to recruit new crew on pirate ships in the 1700s. 

Here's a fun version of Sing a Song of Sixpence, with several different parts. You can see the four different singing parts - and follow the music here.  The four different singing parts are called soprano, alto, tenor and bass. Listen for the crescendo and decrescendo. 

This is a Wiggles version. How do you think they fitted all those blackbirds in the pie?  

And a Teddy Rock version.  

This is an animated version made by a group of young children in Belfast, Ireland.  

Here is an early record of Sing a Song of Sixpence from 1927.

This is a possible explanation of the origin of Sing a Song of Sixpence. 

You can sing along with this version. 

Here's a version for adults to sing. 

From Beth's Notes blog

 

Vocabulary: 

This is what a New Zealand sixpence looks like. It used to be the similar value to five cents. (Jelly Tips used to be sixpence.) his is what a British sixpence looked like in the 1700s - about the time the rhyme was first known to be published.  

 Rye is a type of grain - like wheat. It's a bit like grass with seeds, and it is used in cereals, bread,  and even some drinks.

Here's some revision on piano and forte. Can you remember which one means loud and which one means play soft? 

And this one reminds us about the crotchet rest for one beat. In this video it's called a quarter rest - for a quarter note, which is another name for crotchet. 

We have already learned about crotchets and quavers. Today we are learning about minims - also known as half notes in the US and some other countries. A minim has the same value as 2 crotchets. You hold the note for 2 counts. 

This is a short video which explains half notes or minims.  

 

Practise clapping or beating these crotchets, crotchet rests, and quavers from last week:

Can you keep up with this rhythm? You may need to practise  several times.  
Here's another crotchet and quaver rhythm with no rests.  Keep practising! 
Here's a real test of keeping up -  a Star Wars  crotchet, crotchet rest and quaver rhythm pattern

Now try the rhythm pattern of quavers, crotchets, crotchet rests and minims (below).