Music

During our Victorian Day one of the lessons will be Singing, just like Alice and Arthur!

Here is a song about Victorian school days.

Sing along!

Activity 1

Before television, radio or computers people entertained themselves with telling stories and singing songs

Nursery Rhymes were an important part of Victorian children's lives. They sang them at school and while they played.

 

Do you know 'Sing a Song of Sixpence'?

Here are the words. You can sing along to the video!

 

Sing a song of sixpence a pocket full of rye,
Four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie.
When the pie was opened the birds began to sing,
Oh wasn't that a dainty dish to set before the king?
The king was in his counting house counting out his money,
The queen was in the parlour eating bread and honey
The maid was in the garden hanging out the clothes,
When down came a blackbird and pecked off her nose!

 

 

 

Here we go round the Mulberry Bush

Here we go 'round the mulberry bush
The mulberry bush
The mulberry bush
Here we go 'round the mulberry bush
On a cold and frosty morning

 

This is the way we wash our face
Wash our face
Wash our face
This is the way we wash our face
On a cold and frosty morning

 

Here we go 'round the mulberry bush
The mulberry bush
The mulberry bush
Here we go 'round the mulberry bush
On a cold and frosty morning

 

This is the way we brush our teeth
Brush our teeth
Brush our teeth
This is the way we brush our teeth
On a cold and frosty morning

 

Here we go 'round the mulberry bush
The mulberry bush
The mulberry bush
Here we go 'round the mulberry bush
On a cold and frosty morning

 

This is the way we comb our hair
Comb our hair
Comb our hair
This is the way we comb our hair
On a cold and…

Lyrics to “In And Out The Dusty Bluebells”

In and out those dusty bluebells,
In and out those dusty bluebells,
In and out those dusty bluebells,
You shall be my partner.

 

Tippy Tippy Tap Tap on your shoulder,
Tippy Tippy Tap Tap on your shoulder,
Tippy Tippy Tap Tap on your shoulder,
You shall be my partner.

 

In and out those dusty bluebells,
In and out those dusty bluebells,
In and out those dusty bluebells,
You will be my partner?

Daisy Daisy

A Bicycle Built For Two Song
Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer do,
I'm half crazy, All for the love of you,
It won't be a stylish marriage,
I haven't got a carriage,
But you'll look sweet, up on the seat
Of a bicycle built for two!

These are all nursery rhymes from the Victorian era. How many can you say?

 

Little Polly Flinders sat among the cinders.             Little Jack Horner

              

 

• Little Bo-peep has lost her sheep.                    Jack and Jill went up the hill

              

 

Doctor Foster                                                           Wee Willie Winkie

               

Activity 2

In the Victorian era street sellers sold their wears by walking up and streets, People would come out of their houses and buy what they needed. They would need to attract the attention of people so they sang or shouted about their goods.

 

Watch this scene from the film 'Oliver'. The film is based on a book written by Charles Dickens. He was and still is a famous Victorian Author who wanted to make life better for poor Victorian families.

Here is the link:-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJcH1bj53aE

 

Discuss what a street cry is and the different street cries from the clip –

what are they selling? Have you been to a market? What would we be selling/ shouting nowadays in our markets?

 

We’re going to be making up our own street cries but let’s look at how they’re made up.

• Introduce Pitch – this is whether the note is high or low. Hum high sounds/ low sounds. In all songs there will be notes that are higher/lower
• 'Sing baa baa black sheep'- follow the notes with your hand moving it up and down with the words.

 

Chose one of the street sellers calls. Can you sing it?

Change the words to sell something else. What might Victorian's street sellers sell?

Here are some ideas:-

• pies
• brushes
• peaches
• raspberries
• hats
• repairs for shoes
• apples
• chimneys to sweep
• pastries

You could even make up your own tune and words!

Have fun!