Term 3, Week 4: I've Been Working on the Railroad

This week is Rail Safety Week, so it's a good time to learn a song about railways. We are learning "I've Been Working on the Railroad" 

Here's a more 'rocky' version - with some images of railways being built.

Here's another upbeat version. 

You can sing and dance to this version.

Here's a barber shop quartet singing I've been working on the railroad. These boys are from Aorere College in Papatoetoe (2011).

And a fun animated reggae and rock version 

And, of course, the air guitar version.

Here's some images of railways being built in USA.

Following on from last week's Stomp in the Kitchen video, we listened to this Stomp video, and tried to work out what was being used to make the sound. Who ever thought that basket balls could be used as musical instruments.  We also tried to copy the rhythms or make up our own ones to fit the beat.

Here is a seven year old boy conducting the overture to "The Bat" by Johann Strauss. 

Term 3, Weeks 2 and 3 - Songs that tell a story - Molly Malone

Classes will be a bit muddled over the next two weeks while we lose time to assembly, cross country and Intermediate activities, so it will take two weeks to cover this week's lesson.

Continuing our "Songs for Special Occasions" theme (God of Nations in Maori, English and NZ Sign Language; Happy Birthday, and God Save the Queen).

It is not known for certain who wrote the words (lyrics) or the music (melody) of God Save the Queen.  The first known time the music was published was in 1745  in a magazine as God Save the King, because  England was ruled by King George II - not a queen.  It became very popular to sing God Save the King at the end of theatre performances.   The melody became popular overseas  in places like Germany, Scandinavia, Switzerland and even USA where it is still known as national song.   It is called the royal anthem,  as well as the National Anthem of the United Kingdom.

Here are the words to God the Queen.

God save our gracious Queen
Long live our noble Queen
God save our Queen
Send her victorious 
Happy and glorious
Long to reign over us
God save the Queen

Vocab:
gracious - kind and courteous, "ladylike" (from the word grace)
noble -  high-born, honourable, royal
victorious - triumphant, winning, conquering (from the word victor - winner, and victory - a win)
glorious - famous, successful, celebrated, outstanding
reign - to rule

God Save the Queen is played in New Zealand when the Queen, or a member of the Royal Family is visiting New Zealand - such as the visit of Duke and Duchess of Cambridge earlier this year.  Here's a video clip of  the Queen visiting NZ with the music and lyrics of God Save the Queen being played.


Last term we started to learn to sing in harmony by singing rounds. This term we are learning to sing songs in counterpoint which means singing two or more different songs which sound good together when they are sung at the same time.  So far we have tried combinations of Frere Jacques; Row, Row, Row Your Boat, and Three Blind Mice - all at the same time!


Cockles and Mussels - Molly Malone 

This  photo is of a statue of Molly Malone and her wheelbarrow 

in Dublin.

Our new song for this week is about a girl in Dublin, Ireland, who sold cockles and mussels from her wheelbarrow. A person who sold fish and shellfish was called a fishmonger.

In Dublin's fair city, where the girls are so pretty
I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone
As she wheeled her wheelbarrow

through streets broad and narrow
Crying cockles and mussels alive a-live O!

A-live a-live O! A-live a-live O!
Crying cockles and mussels alive a-live O!

She was a fishmonger and sure‘twas no wonder
For so were her father and mother before
And they both wheeled their barrows

through streets broad and narrow
Crying cockles and mussels alive a-live O!

She died of a fever and no one could save her
And that was the end of sweet Molly Malone
Now her ghost wheels her barrow

through streets broad and narrow
Crying cockles and mussels alive a-live O!

Have a go at playing this on the glockenspiel or piano.



Here's a group of children from Thailand having a great time singing Molly Malone.

Here's a rock version  of Molly Malone - in Polish!

Here's a kids' sing-along version of Molly Malone.

We are practising rhythm patterns using clave sticks, and then we choose some of these as a rhythm background for some of the songs and music we listen to.   We tried some of these  rhythm patterns with The Gypsy Rover.

 
 Here's a really clever hand clap rhythm performed by a group of girls.

Here's a video by a percussion and rhythm group called "Stomp".  How many things found in the kitchen can you see them use as percussion instruments?