The Cackling Hen

“Songs of a Little Child’s Day”
At the Farm

Introducing tempo and tempo changes.

Description

Grade: First
Origin: Emilie Poulsson, Eleanor Smith
Key: E Flat Major
Time: 2/4
Form: ABCCDE
Rhythm: intermediate: | ti ti ti ti | ta/ ti | ta ti ti |
| ta ta | ta (ti) ti |
Pitches: intermediate: Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do
Intervals: intermediate: So\Mi, Re/Do, Ti\So, So/Do, So\Mi, Fa\Re
Musical Elements: notes: dotted quarter, quarter, eighth; rest: eighth; tempo: allegro moderato, poco ritardando (slow tempo), a tempo (resume tempo); 1st and 2nd endings, repeat, pickup beat
Key Words: farming, raising chickens, biddy hen, animal science, grand air, hen, cackle, queen, egg

**“The Cackling Hen”**

		1.	“Good day, my biddy hen, good day! What does your grand air mean? You step about so proudly, You cackle out so loudly; Have you been made a queen? Have you been made a queen?”

		2.	“Look. look, look, look!” said biddy hen; “Look in my nest, I beg. I step about so proudly, I cackle out so loudly Because I have laid an egg! Because I have laid an egg!”

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Bye, Baby Bunting

Counting eighth notes, syncopation, feeling 2/4. while reading 6/8,
introducing the raised fourth, Fi, and, practicing three perfect fourths.

Description

Grade: Kindergarten
Origin: England – Nursery Rhyme
Key: C Major
Time: 6/8
Form: ABBA
Rhythm: advanced: | ta ti ta ti | syncopation,
| ta ti ta/ | syncopation
Pitches: intermediate: Do Re Mi Fa Fi So La – introducing the raised subdominant (Fi)
Intervals: advanced: Mi/So, So\Re (P4), Re/Fa, Do/Mi, Do/Mi/La ascending submediant arpeggio, Re/So (P4)
Musical Elements: notes: dotted quarter, quarter, eighth; vocal slur, dotted quarter, raised fourth (Fi), accidental (sharp-#), counting eighth notes, syncopation, grouping three eighths into a dotted quarter, feeling duple meter in 6/8 time
Key Words: world geography: England; nursery rhyme, family members, father, mother, sister, brother, hunting, silking, milking rabbit, lamb, baby, bunting (lightweight worsted wool fabric generically known as tammy, made in the 1800’s)

**“Bye, Baby Bunting “**

		1.	Bye, bye, Baby Bunting Father’s gone a-hunting, To buy a little rabbit skin, To wrap the Baby Bunting in.

		2.	Bye, Baby Bunting. Daddy’s gone a hunting, To get a little lambie skin, To wrap his Baby Bunting in.

		3.	Bye, Baby Bunting. Daddy’s gone a hunting, A rosy wisp of cloud to win, To wrap his Baby Bunting in.

			Longer Version
			Bye, baby Bunting, Father’s gone a-hunting, Mother’s gone a-milking, Sister’s gone a-silking, Brother’s gone to buy a skin To wrap the baby Bunting in.

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By’m Bye

Ritardando, syncopation, and reinforcing the descending
tonic octave skip, Do\Do.

Description

Grade: Kindergarten
Origin: USA – Texas, Folk Song
Key: C Major
Time: 4/4
Form: ABCDE
Rhythm: advanced: | ti ti ti ti ta ti ti | ta/a ti ta/ | syncopation, | ta/a/a ta | ta ti ti ta ti ti |
Pitches: intermediate: Do Re Mi Fa So Do
Intervals: advanced: So/Do, Do\So, So\Mi, Do\Do descending octave
Musical Elements: notes: dotted half, half, dotted quarter, eighth; pickup beat, syncopation, ritardando, octave
Key Words: USA geography: Texas, counting 1 to 10, stars, shinning, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

“By’m Bye”

1.

By’m bye, By’m bye.
Stars shinning, number one,
Number two, number three,
Number four, number five.

Refrain

Oh, my! By’m bye, by’m bye,
Oh, my! By’m bye, by’m bye.

2.By’m bye, By’m bye.
Stars shinning, number six,
Number seven, number eight,
Number nine, number ten.

(refrain)

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Button, You Must Wander

Keeping a steady beat and developing the individual voice.

Description

Grade: First
Origin: United States Singing Game
Key: F Major
Time: 2/4
Form: AaBa
Rhythm: beginners: | ti ti ti ti | ta ta | ta/a |
Pitches: beginners: Do Re Mi So La
Intervals: intermediate: Mi/So, So\Re/So, Mi\Do, Re/La, La\Do, So\Do
Musical Elements: notes: half, quarter, eighth, movement with a steady beat, singing alone and with others
Key Words: button, singing games, wander, sharp, ev’rywhere (everywhere)

GAME INSTRUCTIONS:

Using a single button, one student is surrounded by the class in a circle. The center student closes their eyes as the class sings the tune while passing the button to student on their right, using a steady beat.1 At the end of the song all students place their hands behind their backs as if hiding the button. The center student has three chances to pick who has the button. If chosen, the student with the button takes the place of the student in the middle of the circle.

1 Variation: student with the button sings the third (3rd) line alone.

**“Button, You Must Wander”**
Button, you must wander, wander, wander, Button, you must wander, ev’rywhere. Bright eyes will find you, sharp eyes will find you. Button, you must wander ev’rywhere.

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Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier

One for the girls: four note ascending submediant arpeggio, syncopation, and an imperfect ending on the sixth, La.

Description

Grade: Fifth
Origin: USA – Folk Song American Revolutionary War
circa. 1875-1883
Key: C Major
Time: 4/4
Form: through composed
Rhythm: beginners: | ta ta ta ta | ti ti ta ta/a |
| ta/ ti ta/ ti | syncopation, | ta ta ta/ ti | syncopation, | ta ta ta ti ti | ti ti ta ta ti ti |
| ta/a ta/a |
Pitches: intermediate: Do Re Mi So La Ti Do
Intervals: intermediate: La\Mi (P4), Mi/So\Mi/So (m3), So\Do (P4), Do/Mi/La/Do8 ascending tonic arpeggio (vi, Am), Ti\So (M3)
Musical Elements: notes: half, dotted quarter, quarter, eighth; fermata, imperfect ending: melody ends on the sixth (La) which is in keeping with the subject (imperfect endings do not end on the tonic, (1, Do), ascending submediant arpeggio, syncopation
Key Words: USA history, American Revolutionary War; world geography: tune has Irish (Ireland) origins; girlfriend’s lament, leaving for war, separated by war, Buttermilk Hill, blame, cry my fill, tear, mill, woe, soldier, rod and reel, spinning wheel, sword of steel, dye, dress, red, through, streets, beg, bread, lad, fled; contraction: I’ll (I will); abbreviation: ev’ry (every)
Recorder: intermediate: Excellent sixth (6th) tune following the Beginning Recorder Songs.

“Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier”
also known as
“Buttermilk Hill”

	1.	There I sat on Buttermilk Hill. Who could blame me, cry my fill? And ev’ry tear would turn a mill; Johnny has gone for a soldier.

	2.	Me, oh my, I loved him so: Broke my heart to see him go, And only time will heal my woe; Johnny has gone for a soldier.

	3.	I’ll sell my rod, I’ll sell my reel, Likewise I’ll sell my spinning wheel, And buy my love a sword of steel, Johnny has gone for a soldier.

	4.	I’ll dye my dress, I’ll dye it red, And through the streets I’ll beg for bread, For the lad that I love from me has fled, Johnny has gone for a soldier.

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The Butterfly Dance

“Songs of a Little Child’s Day”
Playtime

Uncommon intervals in 3/4 time to allegro grazioso!

Description

Grade: First
Origin: Emilie Poulsson, Eleanor Smith
Key: D Major
Time: 3/4
Form: ABAC
Rhythm: intermediate: | ta ti ti ta | ta ta ta |
| ta/a ta | ta/a (ta) |
Pitches: intermediate: Ti Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Re
Intervals: advanced: So\Mi, La/Re, Re\Ti, Ti\So, So\Re, Fa\Ti
Musical Elements: notes: half, quarter, eighth; rests: quarter; tempo: allegro grazioso; dynamics: piano/soft, mezzo piano/medium soft, mezzo forte/medium loud, crescendo, decrescendo; tie, vocal slur
Key Words: waltz, dance, earth science, animals, butterfly, airily, merrily, silent, swift, prance, tripping, skipping, nimble

**“The Butterfly Dance”**

	1.	White butterflies, Bright butterflies Frolic and drift, Dance airily, Prance merrily, Silent and swift.

	2.	Who’ll dance with me? Who’ll prance with me To music sweet, Tripping along, Skipping along, With nimble feet?

	3.	I’ll dance with you, I’ll prance with you To music sweet, Tripping along, Skipping along, With nimble feet.

	4.	We’ll dance away, We’ll prance away To music sweet, Tripping along, Skipping along, With nimble feet.

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The Busy Wind

“Song of a Little Child’s Day”
Fair Days and Stormy

Advanced intervals and an excellent vocabulary builder!

Description

Grade: First
Origin: Emilie Poulsson, Eleanor Smith
Key: G Major
Time: 3/8
Form: ABCD
Rhythm: intermediate: | ta ti | ti ti ti | ti/ ri ti | ta/ |
Pitches: intermediate: So Ti Do Re Mi Fa So La
Intervals: advanced: So/Do, Ti/Re, Do/Mi, Re/Fa, Mi/So, So\Mi, Mi\Do, Re\La, La/Re, Do/So, So\Re, Do/La
Musical Elements: notes: dotted quarter, quarter, eighth, dotted eighth, sixteenth; rests: whole, quarter; tempo: with spirit; dynamics: piano/soft, crescendo, decrescendo, accent, repeat, multiple endings, pickup beat
Key Words: earth science, seasons, blew, worker, treetops, to and fro, spread, sails, miller, haste, logger, windmill, grind, grain, kites, frolic, ev’ry (every), aloft

**“The Busy Wind”**

		1.	The wind blew low, the wind blew high, And sang “a worker strong am I! I sway the treetops to and fro, I dry the clothes as I blow, blow, blow.”

		2.	“The ships are waiting on the sea, They spread their big white sails for me! For I, the wind, make ships to go Across the waves as I blow, blow, blow.”

		3.	“Good Miller, haste to start your mill! No logger need the wheels stand still, I’ll push the windmill’s sails and go We’ll grind the grain as I blow, blow, blow.”

		4.	“Come children bring your kites to fly! We’ll have a frolic you and I. For ev’ry kite aloft shall go, And sail and sail as I blow, blow, blow”

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The Bus

Reinforcing the ascending tonic triad while adding sounds to music.

Description

Grade: Kindergarten
Origin: USA – Play Song
Key: G Major
Time: 4/4
Form: ABAC
Rhythm: intermediate: | ti ti ti ti ta ta | ta/a ta/ ti |
Pitches: intermediate: So Ti Do Re Mi So
Intervals: intermediate: So/Do, Do/So, Re\Ti, Ti\So, Re\So, reinforces tonic pitches: So\Mi\Do
Musical Elements: notes: dotted half, half, quarter, eighth; rest: quarter; pickup beat, tonic triad pitches
Key Words: bus, up, down, people, town, wheels, horn, wipers, signals, motor, babies, parents

**“The Bus”**

		1.	The people on the bus go up and down, Up and down, up and down. The people on the bus go up and down, All through the town.

		2.	The wheels…go round and round….

		3.	The horn…goes beep, beep, beep…

		4.	The wipers…go swish, swish, swish…

		5.	The signals…go blink, blink, blink…

		6.	The motor…goes zoom, zoom, zoom…

		7.	The babies…go waa, waa, waa…

		8.	The parents…go shh, shh, shh…

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Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie

Introducing harmony in thirds and fourths,
with uncommon intervals Mi\Ti, and Ti/M.

Description

Grade: Fourth
Origin: USA – Traditional*
Key: F Major
Time: 4/4
Form: ABab
Rhythm: beginners: | ta ta ti ti ta | ta/a/a/a |
Pitches: intermediate: So Do Re Mi So La – pentatonic scale
Intervals: intermediate: melody: So/Do/Mi/So ascending tonic arpeggio, So\Mi\Do, descending tonic arpeggio, La/Do; lower harmony: Mi\Ti, Ti/Mi
Musical Elements: notes: whole, quarter, eighth; pickup beats, breath marks, long phrases promote breath support, harmony in thirds and fourths, two part harmony, singing in groups
Key Words: USA history, USA geography, cowboy song, “Cowboy’s Lament,” mournfully, pallid lips, wailed, shadows, gathering, coyotes, howl, narrow grave, six by three, cottage, bower, matters, grant, grave, buffalo paws, prairie sea, laid, churchyard, hillside, slumber, mingle, weep, buzzard, tears, shed, pained, curled, locks, curled locks, rattled, brow, failed, dying prayer, dewdrops, butterfly, saddle blanket, rattlesnakes, hiss, crow, rose blooms, pale, nevermore, owl, hoots, blizzard, roam, plain, wolves, growl, handful, Him (God), soul; abbreviations: o’er (over): contractions: I’ve (I have): possessives: father’s, mother’s, sister’s

Tune is an adaptation of the sea song, “The Sailor’s Grave” or “The Ocean-Burial,” cir. 1839, written by Edwin Hubbell Chapin – music by George N. Allen.

“Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie”
also known as:
“The Cowboy’s Lament”

	1.	“Oh, bury me not on the lone prairie Those words came low and mournfully, From the pallid lips of a youth who lay, On his dying bed at the close of day.
	2.	He had wailed in pain till o’er his brow Death’s shadows fast were gathering now; He thought of his home and his loved ones nigh As the cowboys gathered to see him die.
	3.	“Oh, bury me not on the lone prairie Where the wild coyotes will howl o’er me, In a narrow grave just six by three. Oh, bury me not on the lone prairie.”
	4.	“In fancy I listen to the well known words Of the free, wild winds and the song of the birds; I think of home and the cottage in the bower And the scenes I loved in my childhood’s hour.”
	5.	“It matters not, I’ve oft been told, Where the body lies when the heart grows cold; Yet grant, oh, grant this wish to me: Oh, bury me not on the lone prairie.”
	6.	“Oh, then bury me not on the lone prairie, In a narrow grave six foot by three, Where the buffalo paws o’er a prairie sea, Oh, bury me not on the lone prairie.”
	7.	“I’ve always wished to be laid when I died In the little churchyard on the green hillside; By my father’s grave there let mine be, And bury me not on the lone prairie.”
	8.	“Let my death slumber be where my mother’s prayer And a sister’s tear will mingle there, Where my friends can come and weep o’er me; Oh, bury me not on the lone prairie.”
	9.	“Oh, bury me not on the lone prairie In a narrow grave just six by three, Where the buzzard waits and the wind blows free, Then bury me not on the lone prairie.”
	10.	“There is another whose tears may be shed For one who lies on a prairie bed; It pained me then and it pains me now — She has curled these locks, she has kissed this brow.”
	11.	“These locks she has curled, shall the rattlesnake kiss: This brow she has kissed, shall the cold grave press: For the sake of the loved ones that will weep for me, Oh, bury me not on the lone prairie.”
	12.	“Oh, bury me not on the lone prairie Where the wild coyotes will howl o’er me, Where the buzzards sail and the wind goes free, Oh, bury me not on the lone prairie.”
	13.	“Oh, bury me not–” And his voice failed there, But we took no heed of his dying prayer; In a narrow grave just six by three We buried him there on the lone prairie.
	14.	Where the dewdrops glow and the butterflies rest, And the flowers bloom o’er the prairie’s crest; Where the wild coyote and winds sport free On a wet saddle blanket lay a cowboy-ee.
	15.	“Oh, bury me not on the lone prairie Where the wild coyotes will howl o’er me, Where the rattlesnakes hiss and the crow flies free, Oh, bury me not on the lone prairie.”
	16.	Oh, we buried him there on the lone prairie Where the wild rose blooms and the wind blows free; Oh, his pale young face nevermore to see — For we buried him there on the lone prairie.
	17.	Yes, we buried him there on the lone prairie, Where the owl all night hoots mournfully, And the blizzard beats and the winds blow free O’er his lowly grave on the lone prairie.
	18.	And the cowboys now as they roam the plain — For they marked the spot where his bones were lain — Fling a handful of roses o’er his grave, With a prayer to Him who his soul will save.
	19.	“Oh, bury me not on the lone prairie Where the wolves can howl and growl o’er me; Fling a handful of roses o’er my grave With a prayer to Him who my soul will save.”

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Burn Little Candles

Reinforcing La (6) as the tonal center for minor keys.

Description

Grade: First
Origin: Hebrew Folk Song
Key: F Major
Time: 4/4
Form: ABAC
Rhythm: intermediate: | ta ti ti ta ta | ta ta ta\a |
| ta ta ta ta | ta/a/a (ta) | ta/a/a/a |
Pitches: beginners: La Ti Do Re Mi
Intervals: beginners: Mi\La, La/Mi
Musical Elements: notes: whole, half, quarter, eighth; rest: quarter; minor tonality (sad), sounds happy with a fast tempo
Key Words: Hanukah (Hanukkah), candles, dance, Jewish holiday celebration, sacred
Keyboard: beginners: excellent five finger exercise for left and right hand, or together.
Recorder: intermediate: for upper grades who have completed the Beginning Recorder Songs, and for accompaniment with lower grades performance.

**Burn Little Candles**

		1.	Burn little candles, burn, burn, burn, Hanukah is here. Burn little candles burn, burn, burn, Burn so bright and clear.

		2.	Eight little candles in a row, Hanukah is here. Eight little candles in a row, Burn so bright and clear.

		3.	Dance, little candles dance, dance, dance, Hanukah is here. Dance, little candles dance, dance, dance, Hanukah is here.

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