Dance
around Europe 1
16. The more we get together
17. Spring song
18. Cousin Peter
19. Ah, my little Augustine
20. Snail, snail
21. Dancing ladybirds
22. Sarasponda
23. Ritsch
ratsch
24. Little frogs
25. Bear sleeps
Last updated: 06/06/2013 20:59
The songs below are part of ‘Away we
go’ Round and about
compiled, adapted, translated and illustrated by Dany Rosevear
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To listen to music from these songs click on title at O
To
watch the author sing a song click on the title at:
© Dany Rosevear 2008 All rights reserved
You
are free to copy, distribute, display and perform these works under the
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you must give the original author credit
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you may not use this work for commercial purposes
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any of these can be waived if you get permission from the copyright
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Your
fair use and other rights are no way affected by the above.
16. The more we get together O This cheerful little song is
sung to the old German tune ‘‘Ach, du lieber Augustin’. The lyrics remind us of the
value of friendship and teamwork. Children love singing each other’s names,
use the names of each group in the third line: ‘There’s Lois and Georgia and
William and Dylan’. Try singing this song in
different languages, here it is in Spanish: Lo mas que nos
reunimos, reunimos, reunimos Lo mas que nos
reunimos, seremos felices Tus amigos son mis amigos y mis amigos son tus amigos. Lo mas que nos reunimos, seremos felices Watch a dance at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Wa3mNgaLeE&feature=related
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17. Spring song O The melody of
this famous German song;
‘Alle Vögel sind schon
da’ written by Hoffmann von Fallersleben can
be traced back to the 15th century Listen in German at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TED-O8qSr4c&feature=related The arrival
of migrating birds tells us spring has arrived however many such as those
below have overwintered ready to burst into morning song as the first rays of
warming spring sunshine appear. Stand in a
space.
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18. Cousin Peter O Anything goes when Cousin
Peter comes a-calling. Copy the actions of everyone’s favourite relative in
this miming game sung to a traditional German tune. Listen at: http://music.napster.com/album/songs.htm?albumid=12290772
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19. Ah, my little Augustine O The tune is an old German
waltz melody from 1770, ‘Ach, du lieber Augustin’. It has been used for many other
songs such as ‘Did you ever see a lassie?’ ‘The more we get together’ and ‘ I’m a Little Dutch Girl’ among others. Listen to the German version
at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzqJmPGoIW0&feature=related
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20. Snail, snail O A child encouragingly addresses
a snail in this song; similar verses are heard throughout Europe. The Polish
version below refers to a culinary favourite ‘pierogi’,
little Slavic pasta parcels filled with potatoes, onions, cabbage and cheese
and often served with vodka! Listen at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLKFXZirODI Find more Polish songs in Karuzela: The Polish collection at the ‘Singing
games for children’ home page.
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21. Dancing ladybirds O This Polish game ‘Tańczące Biedronki’
is possibly based on ‘Małe czerwone jabłuszko’ a song written by Dorota
Jagiełło. Watch at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hv0twoeRe6s Children stand in pairs
holding hands in a large circle.
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22. Sarasponda O Music has been used for
hundreds of years to ease the boredom of work and to make time go faster. Sarasponda is thought to be a Dutch folk song that
mothers sang to their daughters as they learnt to spin yarn, imitating the
sound of the spinning wheel. Sarasponda might
translate as ‘Sara spun the’. However some words suggest a possible French
origin as the Netherlands were under French rule at the end of the 18th
century and the beginning of the 19th. Watch at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNhexZKY0NQ&feature=related Children sit in a circle
with legs crossed. Label children B or S alternately round the circle. B’s
keep up a low drone of ‘Boom-da, boom-da’ all the way through the first part, slapping the lap
as they chant. On ‘Adoray-oh!’ they join in with S.
The S’s slap and clap as below. At the end of each singing each group swap roles
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23. Ritsch ratsch O This traditional Swedish song
is sometimes sung at Christmas time for the St. Lucia festival of light but
more often for the Midsummer festivities in June. A number song can be sung to this tune: 1, 2, 75 6 7, 75 6 7, 75 6 7,
75 6 7,
1, 2, 75 6
7, 75 6 7, 73 etc.
Listen at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mb6vDEwJKig&feature=more_related
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24. Little frogs O Originally a military march
from the French Revolution ‘Au pas camara’/ ‘In
step comrade’ was mockingly corrupted by the British to ‘Au pas grenouilles’ / ‘In step little frogs’. It is said that you cannot be a culturally literate Swede unless you
are familiar with this nursery rhyme. Young children traditionally bend their
knees frog fashion to dance, not a requirement for older participants with
stiff joints! It is a fantastic sight to see a whole village performing this,
often around a maypole, for the Midsummer festivities. At Christmas it is
danced around the Christmas tree. Try singing in the Swedish language: Små grodorna,
små grodorna är lustiga att
se. Små grodorna,
små grodorna är lustiga att
se. Ej öron,
ej öron, ej svansar hava
de Ej öron,
ej öron, ej svansar hava
de Watch
at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=on9PLzlY0Ww&NR=1
Dance in one circle or two (one inside the other).
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25. Bear sleeps O ‘Björnen sover’, a ‘don’t wake
the sleeping bear’ song is sung in Norway, Denmark and Sweden, another
midsummer favourite to dance around the garlanded pole. Sing it in one of the
traditional languages above which can quickly be discovered on line. The
translation below is a loose one. The circle
holding hands walk quietly round one or more sleeping bears. At the end the
bears in the centre give a hearty roar as they chase those fleeing the ring.
Those caught become the new bears sleeping in the middle of the circle. Watch at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8ENXCpKqFc
Bear is sleeping, bear is sleeping, in his cosy den. There will be no danger, if you pass by quietly, But you must never, never ever, trust that bear at all! |
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