Opie collection of children's games & songs

Recording of children demonstrating songs and discussing playground games with Iona Opie (part 1 of 3)

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  • Type

    sound

  • Duration

    00:21:21

  • Shelf mark

    C898/19

  • Subjects

    Children's games; Children's songs

  • Recording date

    1978-06

  • Is part of (Collection)

    Opie collection of children's games and songs

  • Recording locations

    Lilliput, Dorset, England

  • Interviewers

    Opie, Iona (speaker, female)

  • Speakers

    unidentified (children)

  • Abstract

    Part 1 of 3. [00:00:00 - 00:21:21]. This recording, from Lilliput, Dorset, 1978, contains discussions between Iona Opie and seven schoolgirls aged seven and eight. All seven girls attend Lilliput First School.  The girls begin by telling Iona that their favourite game is 'Tug of War' and this game tends to be played on sports day at school. The schoolgirls then perform a number of skipping songs for Iona Opie. They sing 'Cowboy Joe of Mexico' [00:02:44 - 0:03:13]; 'Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor' [00:02:30 - 00:03:49] and 'I'm a Little Girl Guide Dressed in Blue' [00:03:51 - 00:04:15]. Having sung these, the schoolgirls begin to sing a series of singing games. These are 'Here We Go Gathering Nuts in May' [00:04:40 - 00:07:03]; 'Cat's Got the Measles' [00:16:00 - 00:17:28]; 'Here Comes Sally Down the Alley' [00:17:30 - 00:18:50]; 'There's a Little Sandy Girl' [00:19:40 - 00:20:14] and 'The Farmer's in his Den' [00:20:15 - 00:21:20]. Throughout the recording a number of clapping songs are performed by the girls. They begin by performing 'A Sailor Went to Sea, Sea, Sea' [00:07:04 - 00:10:14] and include in this song elements of the song 'Kum Ba Ya'. This is a song that they sing regularly in assemblies. The other clapping songs performed by the girls are 'I Had a Baby Brother' [00:10:15 - 00:13:08] and 'When Susie Was a Baby' [00:13:10 - 00:15:05]. The recording ends with one schoolgirl performing a short rhyme entitled 'What's Your Name, Mary Jane?' [00:18:50 - 00:19:34].

  • Description

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

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