À la ronde des muets
En roulant ma boule
La reine à dit
Melchior et Balthazar
En train
de travailler
Au feu les pompiers
La belette
La fille du coupeur de blé
Le facteur n’est pas passé
Scions du bois
Sur le pont d’Avignon
Voulez-vous le ramoneur?
Last updated: 11/29/2015
3:53 PM
The songs below are part of ‘Allons-y!’ The French collection
compiled, adapted, translated and illustrated by Dany Rosevear
To watch the
author sing a song click on the title at:
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À la ronde des muets O A traditional dance that
originates from the In this game initially only
the leader or ‘king’ sings. The king holds a stick or mace. As the ‘guilty
ones’ turn round they also join in with the singing and give orders.
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En roulant ma boule O This French Canadian canoe paddling
song dates back to the 15th century. Popular among French fur
traders, this and similar songs such as ‘Allouette’
encouraged regular paddling in unison, passed the time and made the work seem
lighter. The full version of thirteen and sometimes more verses, expresses
anti royalist sentiments of the time; the son of the king depicted as a
figure of fun who shoots a young lady’s pet duck. Listen at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gf9puOwdaYg&feature=related
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La reine à dit O Form a line led by ‘la reine’ or’le roi’. Each time a verse and its music is finished the
leader retires to the back so a new monarch is heading the line. In the translated version
add the new leader’s name to each verse.
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Melchior et Balthazar O Sung as a round in the
Languedoc but here adapted as a clapping and circle game. A song for ‘Noel’. Choose
three kings to mime actions in the centre of the circle. Watch at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8gAO56kRw0 Encourage children to
develop their own clapping patterns.
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Include this song with a
topic on ‘People who help us’ or ‘Safety in the home’. Invite the fire
service in with a fire engine if possible. Dress up in a firefighter’s
costumes and set aside a role play area outside for fire fighting. Have different buildings
burning: l’école, l’eglise
etc. Vary the miscreant: C’est mon petit frère, C’est mon souer ainé, C’est mon oncle Jules, whoever you wish to blame! Listen at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWyo5kcgIg0&feature=related
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La belette O Here is a French version of
‘Pop goes the weasel’. Play this game in two, three
or four sets of three. Two in each set make a circle, the third, the weasel, stands
in the middle. The little circles form a larger one.
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La fille du coupeur
de blé O There are several variations
of this song and dance from Brittany. In groups of eight make two
lines of four facing each other. Hold hands with partner opposite.
Chassé c |
Le facteur n’est
pas passé O Has the postman got a letter
for you? Play this game in a similar way to Lucy Locket. Watch at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vh0eaD_d4_o
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Scions du bois O A game for strong vigorous sawing
action. Find the same refrain in the needle threading song ‘Enfilons aiguilles de bois’. Watch at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIljwsMIb3o and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFeqzB5U_3E
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Sur le pont d’Avignon
O ‘Sur le Pont’ was written by
an anonymous composer in 1853. At this time dancing occurred under rather
than on the bridge The initial wooden bridge spanned the River Rhone dividing
Watch at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ya8EZ5092RU Make a circle with boys and
girls alternating.
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Voulez-vous le ramoneur
O The children should be very
familiar with this tune, ‘Have you seen the muffin man?’, but in this French version
it is a chimney sweep that takes centre stage. It is far more enjoyable and
effective for young children to build up a vocabulary of verbs by acting them
out rather than by way of rote learning, Provide the sweep with a brush or
suitable clothing. Place a chair in the centre. Children make a circle
holding hands. The chimney sweep stands outside.
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