Apusski Dusky

[ThomasinaJones]

How many people remember singing this song as kids? And Lily the Pink? Bananas in Pyjamas?

DH doesn't remember any of these, and it's making me sad.

Anyone joining me a little sing-along (cross-legged on the carpet, hoping the person next to you doesn't wet themselves today)?

@Mochudubh - not rural but yes, Scotland

Reading all these reminders is making my tummy feel quite funny 😭:)

Ok, I’m older than all this stuff…anyone remember Time and Tune, radio for schools in the 1960s? ‘Calling all Zartians to take a stand….’

Yes that was when I was at school. Appuskidu etc were from when I was a teacher.

Little boxes, on a hillside
Little boxes made of ticky tacky
Little boxes, on a hillside
And they all look just the same

@Wazzzzzuuuuuuup I remember Samson and Delilah! It had the memorable (slightly iffy) lines:
"She was witty, she was pretty, she had big brown eyes,
And other features quite remarkable in shape and size"

Yep, them was the days. Delilah shames Samson for being a bit 'dad bod' and having a pony tail. He's looking at her tits....

I remember many of these songs. I went to an international (but British curriculum) school abroad and I’m pretty sure every week we had an assembly where one class in turn put on a little play or sang some songs. Because of that we spent a lot of time learning and singing songs. I remember lots of teachers could play the piano in the big assembly hall. We learnt so many songs that went with plays about the Victorians or the Egyptians (a song called King Tut) and also we sometimes learnt about a decade and did songs from that decade.

my children have an assembly once a week but they don’t seem to sing anything. It makes me feel sad in a way and wonder why it’s not such a part of learning these days. Singing makes people happy!

We had all of those!

Also, I know a man called Michael Finnegan, he grew whiskers on his chinnegan, the wind came out and blew them in again, poor old Michael Finnegan, beginagain...

Underneath the spreading chestnut tree, where I often like to be, we're as happy as can be, underneath the chestnut tree.

Here's a story all policemen tell, to keep you safe and keep you well...

There was an old woman who swallowed a fly...

There's a hole in my bucket, dear Eliza, dear Eliza

What do you do with a drunken sailor.

Most of those would be insufficiency pc today.

I'll also just pop this here....

Music Time!!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05g2pk8

Don't forget to watch out for the gnomes!!

Ooh, I forgot all about 'when father papered the parlor'! I loved that song!

Ah. Memories of my infant teaching years. I was the only pianist in every school I worked in, so my Appuskidusky, Ta rara boom de ay, Harlequin, etc books all moved with me. Towards the end of my career Sing up was bought by lots of schools - song words and music on the interactive white board.
In the 90’s and early 2000’s my school,over watching “ Jack and the beanstalk “ in December. It was a schools programme, channel 4 I think, anyone remember watching it? I think it was in the Watch series and was panto style.

I grew up with Music time and a bit later Time and Tune, with little pamphlets of words. Some of the songs were written by a man called Douglas Coombes, who I was lucky enough to go to a music conference led by him in the 90’s. Wrote loads of stuff for children to sing and play, including some of the songs in “Come and Praise”.

If I had to choose one song which children loved the best it would be “ cauliflowers fluffy”

"Ye canny push yer grannie aff the bus"

@Saz12 The Singing Kettle?

I'd forgotten that one. Was it called The Battle Song of the Zartians or something.

Calling all Zartians to take a Stand.
Earthling invaders approach our land.

It was one of my favourites in about P2 but can't remember any more now.

That’s the one!

@Saz12

Oh ye cannae fling pieces oot a 20 storey flat.
Seven hundred hungry weans'll testify tae that
If it's butter, cheese or jeely,
If the breid is plain or pan.
The odds against it reachin' earth are 99 tae wan.

Oh soldier soldier won't you marry me
With your musket, Fife and drum
Oh no sweet maid I cannot marry thee
For I have no coat to put on
Then off she went to her grandfathers chest
And brought him a coat of the very very best
And the soldier put it on

@NooNakedJacuzziness
I loved that song. I sing it all the time.

Are there fewer teachers who can play the piano now, or is there just not enough time for singing? I go into mainstream primaries as part of my job, and rarely ever hear anyone leading the children in a rousing singsong.
I loved all those songs as a child in the 70s and then as a young teacher. We had a great teacher at my primary school who was a fabulous pianist and the HT also loved singing.
And as a young teacher I was lucky to be in schools with one or more teachers who could and did play well, much to the children’s enjoyment.

I know they can singalong with YouTube now, but it’s not quite the same.

At my school there was a TA (who wasn't very confident and only played for Early Years) and a KS2 teacher (who was a music specialist ) who rarely came down to KS1 or Early Years. In the days of Teacher Training colleges there were probably more teachers who learnt to play piano.

In the days of teacher training in the 50’s and early 60’s, it was part of the training, basic piano playing.

A lot of these were chart hits in their time. All no doubt on YouTube.

Hole in the Ground - Bernard Cribbins
Leaving on a Jet Plane - Peter, Paul and Mary
Sloop John B - the Beach Boys, but I think it was a traditional song revamped by them
Little Boxes - Pete Seeger, I think - well known folk singer in his day
Streets of London - Ralph McTell. Saw him performing live a couple of times.

I remember Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep and Windmill in Old Amsterdam but can't remember the artists.

Chirpy chirpy cheep cheep was Middle of the Road.