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

    00:36:48

  • Shelf mark

    C898/63

  • Subjects

    Children's games; Children's songs

  • Recording date

    1980-06

  • Is part of (Collection)

    Opie collection of children's games and songs

  • Recording locations

    Liss, Hampshire, England

  • Interviewers

    Opie, Iona (speaker, female)

  • Speakers

    unidentified (children)

  • Abstract

    Part 1 of 1. [00:00:00 - 00:36:48]. This recording, from Liss, Hampshire, was made over the 13th and 14th June, 1980. The recording contains Iona Opie's discussion with a group of schoolgirls aged ten and eleven and their performances of clapping games. The children perform one pop song that they have adapted into a clapping game. The recording begins with Iona asking the schoolgirls if they are playing clapping games because there is a particular 'craze' for it at that moment. One girl replies: 'not really'. These games are 'very old' and if they are 'bored' then they will play them. The girls explain that clapping became harder as it progressed from 'straight clapping' to 'horizontal' clapping. They then demonstrate this clapping action for Iona. Following this, the schoolgirls perform a number of clapping games. They sing: 'Have You Ever, Ever, Ever?' [00:01:57 - 00:03:23], [00:05:023] and [00:06:50 - 00:09:27];' See, See, My Baby' (a variation of 'See, See, My Playmate') [00:03:56 - 00:04:23] and [00:04:27 - 00:05:00]; 'Ging Gang Gooly' [00:09:35 - 00:10:21]; 'I Went to a Chinese Restaurant' [00:10:33 - 00:11:55]; 'Em Pom Pee' [00:12:00 - 00:14:35]; 'Popeye the Sailor Man' [00:15:40 - 00:18:50]; 'Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree' [00:19:00 - 00:19:29], [00:22:25 - 00:22:46], [00:30:10 - 00:30:44] and [00:31:25 - 00:31:44]; 'Under the Bram Bush' [00:23:40 - 00:25:54]; 'When I Was One' [00:26:29 - 00:29:52] and 'Who Stole the Bread From the Baker's Shop?' [00:32:30 - 00:36:47]. The schoolgirls also perform the song 'Tzena, Tzena, Tzena', a song that was released in 1946 by 'The Weavers' and Gordon Jenkins' Orchestra. The children have adapted this song into a clapping game [00:19:52 - 00:22:02].

  • Description

    Item notes: Recording of children demonstrating songs and discussing playground games with Iona Opie. Speakers' notes: Group of Liss Schoolchildren. Recording notes: Slight L/R imbalance, variable throughout. Otherwise good throughout.

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