Opie collection of children's games & songs

Recording of children demonstrating songs with Graham Stephen (part 1 of 2)

  • Add a note
    Log in to add a note at the bottom of this page.
  • All notes
  • My notes
  • Hide notes
Please click to leave a note

The British Library Board acknowledges the intellectual property rights of those named as contributors to this recording and the rights of those not identified.
Legal and ethical usage »

Tags (top 25):
(No tags found for this item)

What is this? Log in to add a term that describes this item and help make it easier to find.

  • Type

    sound

  • Duration

    00:11:18

  • Shelf mark

    C898/70

  • Subjects

    Children's games; Children's songs

  • Recording date

    1975-01

  • Is part of (Collection)

    Opie collection of children's games and songs

  • Recording locations

    Montrose, Angus and Maud, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

  • Interviewers

    Stephen, Graham (spreaker, male)

  • Speakers

    unidentified (children)

  • Abstract

    Part 1 of 2. [00:00:00 - 00:11:18]. This is a re-recording, made by Iona Opie, of an original recording made by Graham Stephen in Montrose, Angus and Maud, Aberdeenshire in January 1975. Throughout the recording Iona can be heard fast-forwarding and rewinding the tape. The tape contains Aberdeenshire children performing singing games, skipping songs and ball game rhymes. The sound is of poor quality. The recording begins with children performing the singing game 'I Was Going to the Country, I Was Going to the Fair' (a variation of 'We're Going to Kentucky') [00:00:00 - 00:00:33]. They then go on to sing 'I'm Shirley Temple' [00:00:35 - 00:01:24]; 'Down By the River' [00:03:27 - 00:03:44]; 'Down in the Meadow' [00:03:48 - 00:04:18]; 'In and Out the Dusty Bluebells' [00:07:59 - 00:08:09]; 'When I Was One' [00:05:41 - 00:05:56] and 'When I Was One I Ate a Bun' [00:08:10 - 00:08:45]. Â  A number of skipping songs are performed throughout the recording. These are: 'Cowboy Joe of Mexico' [00:02:03 - 00:02:21]; 'Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear' [00:02:23 - 00:02:31];' I'm a Little Brownie' [00:02:36 - 00:02:50]; 'Jelly on a Plate' [00:04:20 - 00:04:29]; I'm a Little Highlander' [00:05:17 - 00:05:24]; 'I'm a Little Girl Guide' [00:05:25 - 00:05:40]; 'Anything You Like' [00:09:05 - 00:09:12]; 'I Like Coffee, I Like Tea' [00:10:31 - 00:10:42]; 'I'm a Little Bumper Car' [00:11:10 - 00:11:18] and 'High, Low, Dolly, Pepper' [00:10:43 - 00:10:48]. Ball bouncing rhymes regularly feature on the recording. The children recite the rhymes 'Mrs Dunlop' [00:02:58 - 00:03:09]; 'Plainsy Mother Brown' [00:03:10 - 00:03:26]; 'Have a Cigarette, Sir' [00:06:46 - 00:07:10]; 'Kathy, Kathy, Katharine' [00:17:14 - 00:07:27]; 'Matthew, Mark, Luke and John' [00:07:29 - 00:07:38]; 'Over the Garden Wall' [00:07:40 - 00:07:57] and 'Oliver Twist' [00:09:56 - 00:10:13]. The clapping game 'When Susie Was a Baby' is sung [00:04:30 - 00:04:54].  A recitation of the rhyme 'There Was a Man Called Michael Finnegan' can also be heard on the recording [00:10:17 - 00:10:30].

  • Description

    Item notes: Recording of children demonstrating songs with Graham Stephen. Speakers' notes: Group of Angus and Aberdeenshire schoolchildren. Recording notes: Cassette dub, presumed recorded with a microphone. Slight L/R imbalance. Otherwise good throughout.

  • Metadata record:

    View full metadata for this item

Recording of children demonstrating songs with Graham Stephen (part 1 of 2)

Please log in to update your playlists.

Can you tell us more about the context of the recording? Or can you share information on its content - timings of key sections or important details? Please add your notes. Uninformative entries may not be retained.

Please log in to leave notes.