SONGS FOR SCHOOLS

 

 

Shaw's work for schools began in 1916 with The Pedlar –an adaptation of Shakespeare's play A Winter's Tale – and continued to the end of his life - the last title being published in 1961.

Happily many are still available, published by Cramer and OUP's archive publishers.

A number of songs for young children first appeared in Nature Song : a four-volume collaboration between Shaw and his wife Joan Cobbold –details at the end of the list.

 

 

ASSOCIATED BOARD EXAM

 

I KNOW A BANK (Shakespeare)

for high voice

KEY of F : Set as part of the Associated Board Exams Grade 4.

 

KEY of B flat : Set as part of the Associated Board Exams Grade 4.

 

KEY OF G

Cramer 1922

 

 

CELEBRATION

 

FOR JUNIORS

A CHANT FOR ENGLAND

4 pages       Unison

Cramer 1936

 

 

SONG OF THE MUSIC MAKERS (Rodney Bennett)
Come, Music Makers, rouse up a song
To set the echos ringing,
A song of truth of the heart of youth,
A song for the joy of singing

2 pages for 3 verses

Unison

Cramer 1929

 

 

FOR SENIORS

CORONATION SONG (E Montgomery Campbell)

Unison

Cramer 1952

 

 

GLAD HEARTS ADVENTURING (M.A. MacDonald)

Unison

 

2-PART VERSION

7 pages       Voice and Chorus

Cramer 1924

 

 

MAY MERRY-TIME

Two-part: SS

OUP 1926

 

O LAND OF BRITAIN (from Geoffrey of Monmouth, 1100 A.D.)

5 pages Unison

Cramer 1930

 

 

OVER THE HILLS (George Meredith)

6 pages       Unison

Cramer 1953

 

 

THE PATH OF DUTY (Alfred, Lord Tennyson)

3 pages       Unison

Novello, 1944

COPAC

 

 

PIONEERS (Walt Whitman)

Unison

Cramer 1925; OUP 1933

 

 

SONG OF THE MUSIC MAKERS (Rodney Bennett)
Come, Music Makers, rouse up a song
To set the echos ringing,
A song of truth of the heart of youth,
A song for the joy of singing

6 pages

Two-part Song (unison with SS/SA division)

Cramer 1952

 

 

THE SWEET O' THE YEAR (George Meredith)

2-part song       7 pages

OUP 1954

 

 

CHRISTMAS

THE BIRDS (Czech Carol)

Unison

 

3-PART SSA VERSION

OUP 1928

 

 

CAROL OF THE ADVENT (Eleanor Farjeon)

SATB

OUP 1928

sung with original words (not considered worthy by the Editors at the time) from the French by the Choir of New College Oxford:

 

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THE MUMMERS (Eleanor Farjeon)

Unison Song and Mime

6 pages

Cramer c. 1930

 

 

OLD CHRISTMAS (Walter Scott & Thomas Miller)

Unison       4 pages

Curwen 1925

COPAC

 

 

SONG OF DECEMBER (Christina Rossetti)

2-part song

4 pages

Cramer 1927

 

 

FESTIVALS

FESTIVAL HYMNS & CAROLS for smaller choirs

SATB

OUP 1940

 

DAY TO DAY LIFE

 

FOR JUNIORS

COOKING (Christopher Fry)

Unison       2 pages

fromThursday's Child Cramer 1939

 

 

GATHER UP YOUR LITTER (Eleanor Farjeon)

Unison       6 pages

Cramer 1927; 1972

 

 

HARVEST (Christopher Fry)

Unison       4 pages

fromThursday's Child Cramer 1939

 

 

HOUSEWORK (Christopher Fry)

Unison       3 pages

fromThursday's Child Cramer 1939

 

 

LEAVING SCHOOL (Christopher Fry)

Unison       3 pages

fromThursday's Child Cramer 1939

 

 

MARKETING DAY (Derek McCulloch)
A pony and rider go to market

Unison       4 pages

Novello 1933; Roberton 1975

 

 

RUB-A-DUB-DUB (Christopher Fry)

Unison       3 pages

fromThursday's Child Cramer 1939

 

PLOUGHING (Christopher Fry)

Unison, 2 pages

fromThursday's Child Cramer 1939

 

 

SOWING (Christopher Fry)

Unison       3 pages

fromThursday's Child Cramer 1939

 

WHAT IS A HOUSE (Christopher Fry)

Unison,

2 pages       2 verses

fromThursday's Child Cramer 1939

 

 

FOR SENIORS

 

THE BUBBLE SONG (Mabel Dearmer) arr. Lucas Clarence

SSA       7 pages

Chappell and Co. Ltd. 1932, 1947

 

 

A SONG OF LIFE (Christopher Fry)

Unison       5 pages

fromThursday's Child Cramer 1939

 

WORKING TOGETHER (Percy Dearmer)

4 pages       Unison

Cramer 1930

 

 

WOULD IT WERE SO (Elizabeth Wordsworth)

Unison       4 pages

Novello School Songs, 1936

COPAC

 

 

HISTORY/CULTURE

 

FOR JUNIORS

O SOLDIER SOLDIER (Traditional Children’s Rhyme)

Solo Girl, Solo Boy, plus Unison

from ‘Songtime’, Curwen, 1915

CONTACT US

 

 

DRAKE'S DRUM (Sir Henry Newbolt)

6 pages     Unison

Cramer 1946

 

 

SHIPS OF YULE

Unison

Curwen 1923

COPAC WORLDCAT

 

 

ST. GEORGES DAY (Geoffrey Dearmer, from original text)
arr. by Martin Shaw from original tune by Jeremiah Clarke

4 pages

Cramer 1927

 

FOR SENIORS

 

AGINCOURT SONG (Old English Air, 15th Century)

2 pages

Unison

Boosey & Hawkes, 1913

CONTACT US

 

 

THE BRIDGEWATER CHARTER DAY SONG (T. Bruce-Dilks)

4 verses       4 pages    

Unison

Cramer 1926

 

THE FROGGE AND THE MOUSE (Deuteromelia, 1609)

7 pages       2-part,

Curwen 1918

COPAC WORLDCAT

 

 

WOOD FIRES (C Congreve)

Unison

Cramer 1931, 1939

 

 

THE GREEKS & ROMANS

ARGUS (Eleanor Farjeon)

4 pages       Unison

Cramer 1932

 

CEASAR (Eleanor Farjeon)

4 pages       Unison

Cramer 1932

 

HANNIBAL (Eleanor Farjeon)

4 pages       Unison

Cramer 1932

 

LEONIDAS (Eleanor Farjeon)

6 pages

Two-part song (in canon form)

Cramer 1932

 

QUEEN DIDO (Eleanor Farjeon)

6 pages

Two-part song (in canon form)

Cramer 1932

 

ROMULUS AND REMUS (Eleanor Farjeon)

4 pages

Two-part song (in canon form)

Cramer 1932

 

 

SEA-FARING SONGS

SEA SHANTY (John Masefield)
from the cantata 'The Sea-port and her Sailors'

Unison       7 pages

Cramer 1931

 

CARGOES (John Masefield)

Unison

Cramer 1924

 

DRAKE'S DRUM (Sir Henry Newbolt)

Unison       6 pages

Cramer 1941

 

 

HYMNS

ALL THINGS BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL (Mrs Alexander) arr. of Old English Tune ‘Royal Oak’

ROYAL OAK was a tune used to celebrate the restoration of the English monarchy under Charles II in 1660. However it was old even then; the tune is also paired with the Wassail Song in the Tudor comedy Gammer Gurton’s Needle.

 

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EASY PIANO MUSIC arr: Randall Hartsell

SONGS OF PRAISE : the famous hymn book; intended for schools, sung in many churches too

Curwen 1915; OUP 1925, 1931

 

 

LORD GOD OF EARTH AND SEA AND SKIES Hymn for Airmen (Briggs)

Unison & SATB       3 verses

OUP 1944

COPAC

 

 

MATTHEW, MARK, LUKE AND JOHN (Cecil Sharp et al)

SS/SA       6 pages

Curwen 1946

 

NATURE

 

FOR JUNIORS

THE DAY'S END (Thomas Hood)

Unison       2 + pages

 

FARMYARD FAMILIES (M Nightingale)

Unison       3 pages

Cramer 1954

 

 

THE HEDGEHOG (Edith King)

3 pages

Cramer, Leonard, Gould & Bolttler, 1934

 

 

LADYBIRD (Mrs Montgomery)

Unison

Cramer 1927

 

LITTLE TROTTY WAGTAIL (John Clare)

Unison       4 pages

Cramer 1927

 

 

THE MOUNTAIN AND THE SQUIRREL (R W Emerson)

Unison      4 pages

Cramer 1927

 

THE RAIN (Percy Byshe Shelley)

Unison       3 pages

Cramer 1951

 

THE STREAM (Alfred, Lord Tennyson)

Unison       3 pages

Cramer 1951

 

THE TIDE (G F Bradby)

Unison

Cramer 1925

 

 

THREE CALENDAR SONGS FOR CHILREN

30 Days hath September (Old Rhyme)
The Twelve Months (atr. R.B. Sheridan)
The First of May (Old Rhyme)

Novello 1931; Roberton 1975

 

 

TWO CHERRY SONGS (Christina Rossetti)

Unison       2 pages

Cramer 1936

 

 

UP TAILS ALL! (Kenneth Graham)

Unison

Cramer 1927

 

 

FOR SENIORS

CUCKOO (trad.; 2nd verse Martin Shaw)

Unison

 

 

CROACKLE AND QUACKLE (George Darley)

2-part for treble voices       4 pages

Curwen 1922

COPAC

 

 

MY BONNY CUCKOO (Frank Kidson)

SSA

 

THE SEA SHORE (Geoffrey Dearmer)

Unison       3 pages

 

 

NONSENSE SONGS

THE GRAND PANJANDRUM (Samuel Foote 1720 - 77)

4 pages       Unison

Grade III, (suitable for Higher Divisions)

Novello 1932

COPAC

 

 

KATAWUMPUS (Judge Parry)

Unison       3 pages, 3 verses

Cramer 1961

CONTACT US

 

 

UP THE AIRY MOUNTAIN (William Allingham)

2-part       7 pages

Edward Arnold Educational 1920

COPAC

 

 

THE WHITING AND THE SNAIL (Lewis Carroll)

Solo or Unison

from The Third Book of the School Concert, The Kingsway Series

Evans Bros 1918

 

WORLDCAT[1]         WORLDCAT[2]
 

 

 

WILL YOU WALK A LITTLE FASTER? (Lewis Carroll)

Solo or Unison

from The Third Book of the School Concert, The Kingsway Series

Evans Bros 1918

 

WORLDCAT[1]         WORLDCAT[2]
 

 

 

YOU ARE OLD, FATHER WILLIAM (Lewis Carroll)

Unison       6 pages

from The Third Book of the School Concert, The Kingsway Series

Evans Bros 1918

republished Cramer 1951

 

 

PASTORALS

THE ELVES (David Thompson) arr. MS from an Old Irish Air

SSA or SSS       unaccompanied

 

COUNTY GUY (Sir Walter Scott)
No. 1 of Four Pastorals

4 pages       S A Equal Voices

Curwen 1915

COPAC

 

 

LUBIN (George Darley)
No. 2 of Four Pastorals

4 pages       S A Equal Voices

Curwen 1915

COPAC

 

 

SYLVIA SLEEPS (George Darley)
No. 3 of Four Pastorals

2- part Equal Voices

Curwen 1915

COPAC

 

 

SYLVIA WAKES (George Darley)
No. 4 of Four Pastorals

4 pages       2-part Vocal Waltz

Curwen 1915

COPAC

 

 

TRIP AND GO (Traditional; 2nd v. probably Martin Shaw)
No. 3 of Three two-part songs

6 pages       2-part SS/SA

Curwen 71504, 1917

COPAC

 

 

SACRED SONGS

 

FOR JUNIORS

SPRING BURSTS TODAY (Christina Rossetti)
Not to be confused with Shaw's song: EASTER CAROL Curwen 1917; 1945

Unison song; Key G

3 pages

Spring bursts today,
For Christ is ris'n and all the earth's at play.

Flash forth, though sun,
The rain is over and gone, its work is done.

Winter is past,
Sweet Spring is come at last, is come at last. ...

Curwen 1930

COPAC      

 

 

FOR SENIORS

THE BUILDERS (T.S. Eliot)

Unison

 

GO FORTH WITH GOD!(Barclay Baron)

7 pages
Unison with descant and 2-part verse

 

GO FORTH WITH GOD! (Barclay Baron)

SATB

 

A HYMN OF FAITH (Canon Briggs)

SATB

 

SERVICE (Rudyard Kipling)

Unison

 

 

PURCELL arr. by Martin Shaw

 

HARK THE ECHOING AIR

2-part song

 

IF MUSIC BE THE FOOD OF LOVE

2-part song

 

 

SHAKESPEARE

 

BLOW, BLOW THOU WINTER WIND

Unison       4 pages

Edward Arnold 1922

COPAC

 

 

I KNOW A BANK (Shakespeare)
Oberon's Song from 'Fools and Fairies' Shaw's adaptation of A Midsummer Night's Dream

3 pages       Unison

2-PART VERSION

SS

Cramer 1922. 1989

 

 

JOG ON, JOG ON, THE FOOTPATH WAY (Shakespeare)
from 'The Pedlar', Shaw's adaptation for schools of an episode in A Winter's Tale

2 or 3 pages       SS/SA with solo

Cramer 1932

 

 

OVER HILL –OVER DALE (Shakespeare)
Fairies' Song from 'Fools and Fairies', Shaw's adaptation of A Midsummer Night's Dream

3 pages       SS/SA with solo

Cramer 1923

 

 

SIGH NO MORE, LADIES (Shakespeare)
No. 2 of Three two-part songs. from Much ado about Nothing

4 pages       2-part: SS/SA

Curwen 1917

COPAC

 

 

UNDER THE GREENWOOD TREE (Shakespeare)
No. 1 of Three two-part songs

4 pages       2-part SS/SA

Curwen 71502, 1917

COPAC

 

 

YOU SPOTTED SNAKES (Shakespeare)
Lullaby from 'Fools and Fairies', Shaw's adaptation of A Midsummer Night's Dream

SS/SA two solos and chorus

2 - Part; though if desired, the Chorus may, by omitting the 2nd Voice part, be sung in Unison

You spotted snakes with double tongue, thorny hedgehogs, be not seen ;
Newts and blind-worms do no wrong, come not near our fairy queen. ...

Cramer 1928

 

NATURE SONG

 

Many of the songs listed above first appeared in this delightful series of song books, now long out of print. Their aim was to meet the need of music teachers (like Joan Cobbold herself) –

"who required something rather more than Nursery Rhymes and rather less than definite school songs to give children."

 

NATURE SONG Volume I

Seasons The Four Seasons ; Spring ; Birds Nesting ; Summer ; Song of September; Autumn Days ; Cold Days ; Frost

The Months The Months ; Days of the Months

The Heavens The Sun ; Lady Moon ; The Stars Work ; Day and Night ; The Wind's Home ; Winter Rain ; The Rainbow ; Rainbow and Clouds

The Waters By the Sea ; The Tide ; The Rivulet ;

The Earth Country Mornings ; Country Evenings ; The Hay ; Corn ; A Song of Harvest ; The Scarecrow

Animals Sea Horses and Land Horses ; The Faithful Riding Horse ; Horse-shoeing; The Cow ; the Pet Cow ; Lambing Time ; The Pet Pig ; The Pet Hen ; Mother Hen; As the Dog went to Dover ; Pussy and Doggie ; Home Pets ; The Donkey ; The Fox; The Squirrel ; Town and Country Mice ; Frogs and Toads ; Amimal Voices ; New Animal Voices Rhyme

Cramer 1925

COPAC       WORLDCAT

 

 

NATURE SONG Volume II

Birds Birds' Homes ; Nesting Time ; To Birds ; The Crow ; Ducks ; The Kingfisher; The Owl ; To Robin Redbreast ; The Sparrow's Nest ; The Swallow ; Little Trotty Wagtail ; Wild Birds Trapped

Insects Bees ; The Beetle ; Caterpillar ; The Dragonfly ; Ladybird ; The Silk Worm ; The Wasp ; The Worm ; Insect Friends

Trees The Cherry Tree ; Many Trees ; Holly ; A Riddle ; The Work of Trees ; The Oak

Fishes The Fish ; The Fishing Boat

Cramer 1929

THE BRITISH LIBRARY

 

 

NATURE SONG Volume III

Flowers: Catkins, Celandine, Daffodils, Daisies, Flowers, The Snowdrop, Violets, The Work of Flowers

Fruits: Acorns, Apples, Cherries, Peaches

Seeds: Baby Seed Song, Seed Growth

Stones and Minerals: Coal, Coral, Pebbles, Precious Stones
Colours: Colours

Misc.: An Old Fashioned Lesson, Many Things, A New Day, The Day’s End

Cramer 1934

 

BRITISH LIBRARY       TRINITY COLLEGE DUBLIN

 

 

NATURE SONG Volume IV

Animals: To the Bat; The Hedgehog; Hod-man-dod; Poor old Fox; The Vixen; The Mole.

Birds: The Fowls ; Hark! ; The Robin.

Flowers: Dandelion Down; Summer Evening.

Fruits: Guess if you Can; Nuts.

Insects: The Busy Bee ; Find the Butterflies.

The Heavens: The Zodiac.

Times & Seasons: Jack Frost; Signs of Rain.

Waters: The Sea-shore; The Tide.

Cramer 1946

 

BRITISH LIBRARY       ROYAL ACADEMY OF MUSIC