Celtic Kiwi Kids Show

Celtic Kiwi Kids Show Resource Kit Bob Bickerton

Copyright Bob Bickerton 2003 All rights reserved. No part of this resource kit may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, without prior written permission from the publisher, with the exception that parts may be copied for school s internal use for educational purposes only. First published in 1997 by Bob Bickerton. Second edition published in 2002 by Bob Bickerton. Third edition published in 2003 by Bob Bickerton. Todd s Valley, RD1, Nelson, New Zealand. Phone 03 545-0125 Fax 03 545-2030 Mobile 025 384-048 Email: mail@bickerton.co.nz Website: www.bickerton.co.nz Celtic Kiwi Kids Show - Page 2

Index 4 CD Track List 16 Song Of The Water Kelpie 5 Introduction 17 Arku Danza 5 How To Use The Kit 6 Arts Curriculum Links 6 Links From The Live Performance 18 Séamus And The Leprechaun 19 Jimmy Of The Hielands 21 Suo Gan 7 Social Studies Curriculum Links 8 General Projects 9 Irish Music 10 Bodhrán Rap 12 Horo 13 Mammy 22 Reels 23 Basic Irish Dance Steps 24 The Walls Of Limerick 25 Instruments 27 Homework Sheet 29 Frequently Asked Questions 15 Breton Tunes 30 About Bob Bickerton Celtic Kiwi Kids Show - Page 3

CD Track List 1 Irish Music 2 Bodhrán Rap 3 Horo 4 Mammy 5 Breton Tunes 6 The Water Kelpie 7 Arka Danza 8 Séamus And The Leprechaun 9 Jimmy Of The Hielands 10 Suo Gan 11 Reels All instruments, vocals and programming Bob Bickerton. Engineering and mastering Bob Bickerton. The key of some tracks on the recording may vary to the published music. Celtic Kiwi Kids Show - Page 4

Introduction My Celtic Kiwi Kids Show programme was first developed in 1997. It is designed to provide a general introduction to Celtic culture through music, story and song, whilst demonstrating six of the principal instruments used in traditional Irish music. Many concepts introduced in the performance and supported in this resource kit apply directly to the Arts and Social Studies curricula. This resource kit follows the form of the live programme and is designed as a reference kit for teachers. As you read through each item in the kit you will find helpful hints and projects designed to assist with your delivery of this subject area. Please note the programme is varied to suit the age of students present and that some of the items appearing in this kit may not have been presented in the live performance. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have further suggestions for the kit. How To Use This Resource Kit This resource kit is designed to provide follow up to my Celtic Kiwi Kids Show live performance and in addition provide project suggestions and discussion points which will further enhance contributions made by this programme to the Arts and Social Studies Curricula. The projects and discussion points are only guidelines for further study. Strong contributions to the curricula will be achieved by students learning songs, choruses and dances. Celtic Kiwi Kids Show - Page 5

Arts Curriculum Links The Celtic Kiwi Kids Show live performance and resource kit provides broad contributions to most disciplines in the Arts Curriculum as well as providing significant contributions to the Social Studies curriculum. It is difficult, given the broad nature of material, to specify exactly how each item links into the curriculum, however in general terms the programme is designed to deliver achievement objectives at levels 1 through to 4. Whilst it contributes to all strands in the music curriculum, it places particular emphasis on the Understanding Music In Context strand. General curriculum links to the live performance are noted below. Additional learning outcomes can be achieved by working through the kit undertaking discussions and projects as suggested. Curriculum links to each individual item, including discussion and projects are noted in the text after each item in grey. All references are to the music discipline unless otherwise stated. I have adopted the strands code from the curriculum in this resource, i.e. Developing Practical Knowledge in Music - PK, Developing Ideas in Music - DI, Communicating and Interpreting Music - CI and Understanding Music in Context - UC. Links From The Live Performance SINGING THE CHORUS Students are invited to sing the chorus in several songs in the show. STRANDS: CI, UC LISTENING TO INSTRUMENTS Listening to different instruments, hearing how pitch is changed, looking at how they work, talking about how they are used and where the students may have heard them. STRANDS: PK, UC Celtic Kiwi Kids Show - Page 6

KEEPING THE BEAT Keeping the beat in 4/4 and 2/4 time signatures. STRANDS: CI, UC LEVELS: 1-3 LEARNING A DANCE Learning how to do Breton and Irish dances. STRANDS: PK, CI, UC (DANCE) LISTENING TO STORIES Listening to stories. STRANDS: CI, UC (DRAMA) LEVELS: 1-3 Social Studies Curriculum Links There are numerous strong and general links to the social studies curriculum from this programme. By listening to the performance and through follow up discussions and projects the following contributions will be made to the social studies curriculum: STRAND: CULTURE AND HERITAGE STRAND: PLACE AND ENVIRONMENT STRAND: TIME, CONTINUITY, AND CHANGE Celtic Kiwi Kids Show - Page 7

General Projects The Celtic Kiwi Kids Show provides learning opportunities in both music and social studies. Many New Zealand children are descended from Celts. It is hoped that by learning about their own/other people s culture, students may better appreciate and respect other people s/their own culture. PROJECT ONE: Draw a map of Europe, then using one colour, colour in the area of Europe which was once dominated by the Celts. (from Istanbul to Spain and up through Germany and the British Isles). Then using a different colour, fill in the areas that still have strong Celtic influences. (Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Isle Of Man, Cornwall, Brittany and northwest Spain). Discuss why the Celt s influence has been reduced. Notes: Whilst the Celts Sicily Crete dominated a large part of Europe in the century before the birth of Christ, they were conquered by subsequent cultures, initially the Romans, then Anglo-Saxons, etc. However, Celtic influences were not extinguished and were absorbed to some extent by the new invaders. PROJECT TWO: Portugal Ireland Make a family tree as far back as you can. Ask lots of relatives and try to note the surnames. Where did your ancestors come from? Did they have names which indicated they came from a certain country? Where does your name come from? Iceland Spain United Kingdom France Denmark Netherlands Switzerland Belgium Corsica Sardina Norway Germany Luxembourg Slovenia Celtic Kiwi Kids Show - Page 8 Austria Sweden Czech Republic Croatia Poland Slovakia Hungary Finland Estonia Latvia Lithuania Bosnia Serbia Italy Bulgaria Montenegro Macedonia Albania Greece Belarus Romania Ukraine Moldova

Irish Music Words and Music Tony Clark 1993 A fun and catchy song from the Kiwi Kids Songs Series, written by Wellington based musician and producer Tony Clark. Grandad Murphy comes from Belfast, Nana comes from Sligo Bay, Though their hands are old and sore, I love to hear them sing and play. Di di diddle I diddle I di, di di diddle I diddle I di, Di di diddle I diddle I di, di di diddle I di. Di di diddle I diddle I di, di di diddle I diddle I di, Di di diddle I diddle I di, di di diddle I di. Celtic Kiwi Kids Show - Page 9

I love to hear them play the fiddle, The whistle and the bodhrán drum, And though I love the rock and metal, Irish music s much more fun. I love to live in Aotearoa, I love to have my friends at home, But I m saving up to go to Cork, To kiss the old Blarney Stone. PARTICIPATION: Clapping, singing the chorus, learning the song. STRANDS: CI, UC PROJECTS/DISCUSSION: Look up Belfast, Cork and Sligo Bay on a map. Do you think Irish people sing and play music a lot? Talk about the following instruments: Fiddle, Whistle and Bodhrán. What language is the word bodhrán from? (Irish Gaelic) What happens when you kiss the Blarney Stone? (You gain the gift of the gab, i.e. eloquence) STRANDS: PK, UC Bodhrán Rap Words and Music Bob Bickerton 1997 The bodhrán is the principal rhythm instrument used in Irish traditional music. Folk music is often arranged as per the fashion of the day, thus a rap rhythm song. Celtic Kiwi Kids Show - Page 10

I m getting down to the Celtic beat, This Celtic beat is really neat, It s cool man down the street, It s called...the bodhrán rap. You might like the rock and roll, Metal, grunge or real cool soul, But Celtic is where its at, It s called...the bodhrán rap. This awesome beat can be yours too, Just shake it down and move it through Clap your hands after me, And we ll do...the bodhrán rap. PARTICIPATION: Clapping response to rhythms. STRANDS: CI, UC LEVELS: 1-3 PROJECTS/DISCUSSION: Make a bodhrán drum. Make up different rhythm patterns. Work out how to write down rhythm patterns. Write your own rap. STRANDS: PK, DI, CI, UC Celtic Kiwi Kids Show - Page 11

Horo Words and Music Bob Bickerton 1997 A major reason for emigration from Scotland was the highland clearances. Remote landlords discovered that running sheep was more profitable than taking rent from the crofters who made a subsistence living. The land was forcibly cleared of peasants to make way for sheep. This piece takes the form of a waulking song. These were sung by women when working the tweed, which would have been soaked in urine. Several women would sit around a large table and pound the cloth for many hours, the songs served the same purpose as sea shanties. I m weary of the speakers of English, Horo hi ro horo hah. They know not my mother s language, Horo hi ro horo hah. They care not for the land of my clansmen. They take food from my wee bairn s hand. Now that sheep are all the fashion. Crofter s homes are cleared for pasture. I must leave the glen of my fathers. Leave the braes and the heather fair. Celtic Kiwi Kids Show - Page 12

And when I die on a foreign shore. Who ll say a prayer in my mother s tongue? PARTICIPATION: Sing the chorus, pretend to waulk the tweed cloth. STRANDS: CI, UC PROJECTS/DISCUSSION: What language would the singer of the song have spoken? (Scottish Gaelic) What is a bairn? (a Child) What is a clan? (a tribe or iwi) What is a crofter? (Someone or worked a small plot of land) Pretend to the waulk the tweed: Set up a table with a blanket and beat the rhythm of the song out with the blanket whilst singing the song. The action is grab, up, down, pass (to one side). STRANDS: CI, UC LEVELS: 3-4 Mammy Words and Music Bob Bickerton 1997 Celtic Kiwi Kids Show - Page 13

A song about the desperation of the famine. Mammy, Oh Mammy, give me food or I will die. Wait my child, wait my child, The pratties they are growing, Wait my child. Mammy, Oh Mammy, give me food or I will die. Wait my child, wait my child, Tomorrow we ll be harvesting, Wait my child. Mammy, Oh Mammy, give me food or I will die. Oh my dear, Oh my dear, The pratties they are rotting, Oh my dear. As the pratties lay rotting all o er in the fields, The child lay so cold, the child lay so cold, So cold in his coffin, Oh my dear, Oh my dear. PROJECTS/DISCUSSION: What is a prattie? (a potato) What was the main food eaten by Irish peasants in the 19th century? (potatoes) Do you think any other type of food was grown in Ireland at this time? (Yes). If so, why didn t the people eat this? (Other food like wheat was grown by British and Irish landlords for export during the famine) Were you on the 40 hour famine? How did it feel? STRANDS: UC LEVELS: 3-4 Celtic Kiwi Kids Show - Page 14

Breton Tunes Traditional Breton Brittany in the North West corner of France is still very much a Celtic nation and has a good store of songs, tunes and dances. Celtic Kiwi Kids Show - Page 15

PARTICIPATION: Clap with the tune. STRANDS: CI, UC LEVELS: 1-3 PROJECTS/DISCUS- SION: Learn a simple Breton dance. Form a small circle (max 10 people), holding hands with just little fingers. Gently go into the middle for four steps, starting with your right foot, winding arms round in a circle. Then go back for four steps again starting with your right foot, unwinding arms. Repeat. Then round to the right for four with a grapevine step (right foot to the side, left behind right, right foot to the side, left in front of right, balance on the front left foot) and back for four, then round to the right for eight. Repeat the dance. Look up Brittany on a map of France. STRANDS: PK, CI, UC (DANCE & MUSIC) The Song Of The Water Kelpie Traditional Manx A small, but independent Celtic nation, the Isle Of Man in the Irish Sea between Ireland and England has its own language and culture. Harp playing was very much a Manx tradition. The water kelpie was a mythical character like a silkie or mermaid that would sing to sailors and lure them onto the rocks. Celtic Kiwi Kids Show - Page 16

PROJECTS/DISCUSSION: Talk about the water kelpie, mermaids etc. View the video The Secret Of Roan Inish Look up a map of the Isle Of Man and measure its size. Trace this onto a map of your own area. STRANDS: UC Arku Danza Traditional Galician Celtic Kiwi Kids Show - Page 17

There is still a remnant of Celtic culture in the north west of Spain in an area known as Galicia. This is a dance tune from the area. PARTICIPATION: Clap to the music. STRANDS: CI, UC LEVELS: 1-3 PROJECTS/DISCUSSION: Make up your own Galician dance. What sort of costume could you wear? STRANDS: PK, DI, CI, UC (DANCE) Séamus And The Leprechaun Traditional Irish, adapted Bob Bickerton The Irish have a great reputation for stories both serious and light-hearted, which often abound with mystical characters. PARTICIPATION: Listening. STRANDS: CI, UC (DRAMA) LEVELS: 1-3 PROJECTS/DISCUSSION: What does a leprechaun wear? Draw one. How big is a leprechaun? Celtic Kiwi Kids Show - Page 18

Where else do you find a pot of gold? Make up and tell your own fairy tale or legend. STRANDS: PK, DI, CI, UC (DRAMA) LEVELS: 1-3 Jimmy Of The Hielands Words and Music Bob Bickerton 1997 Certain aspects of our culture can seem a little light hearted these days. This is a not so serious song about a man who wears the kilt at times when perhaps he shouldn t. To wear the kilt is my delight, My hairy legs are thin and white, And if it blows you ll get a fright! I m Jimmy of the hielands. Celtic Kiwi Kids Show - Page 19

See him here, see him there, Kilt so cute and legs so bare, Tartan hat, and bright red hair, Its Jimmy of the hielands. I love to dance a jig or two, I ll even try a cartwheel too, But hand stands are far too rude, I m Jimmy of the hielands. I did a bungie jump its true, The rope it broke and down I flew, But I used my kilt as a parachute, I m Jimmy of the Hielands. And when I m on my motorbike, I have to hold my hat on tight, If it slips its an awful sight, I m Jimmy of the Hielands. PARTICIPATION: Join in the chorus, making the actions. STRANDS: CI, UC PROJECTS/DISCUSSION: Make up and sing some more verses to the song! STRANDS: PK, DI, CI, UC Celtic Kiwi Kids Show - Page 20

Suo Gan Traditional Welsh The Welsh have a fine tradition of singing and this is a good example of a Welsh lullaby. Words are included, and apologies to native Welsh speakers for my pronounciation on the recording! Huna blentyn ynfy mynwes, Clyd a chynnes y dyw hon; Breichiau mam sy n dyn am danat, Cariad mam sy dan fy mron; Ni cha dim amharu th gyntun, Ni wna undyn a thi gam; Huna n dawel, anwyl blentyn, Huna n fwyn ar fron dy fam. Translation: Sleep my baby, at my breast, Tis a mother s arms around you. Make yourself a snug, warm nest. Feel my love forever new. Harm will not meet you in sleep, Hurt will always pass you by. Child beloved, always you ll keep, In sleep gentle, mother s breast nigh. Celtic Kiwi Kids Show - Page 21

PARTICIPATION: Try singing the song in Welsh. Find a Welsh person in your community to help with pronounciation. STRANDS: CI, UC PROJECTS/DISCUSSION: Discuss how there are common sorts of songs (like lullabies) in all cultures. Why is this? Discuss how the Welsh are famous for singing, listen to some Welsh choral music STRANDS: UC LEVELS: 3-4 Reels Traditional Irish Some traditional dance tunes from Ireland to finish. PARTICIPATION: Clapping and free dancing. STRANDS: CI, UC (DANCE & MUSIC) Celtic Kiwi Kids Show - Page 22

PROJECTS/DISCUSSION: Talk about/watch the Riverdance video Learn to dance the Walls Of Limerick STRANDS: PK, CI, UC (DANCE & MUSIC) Basic Irish Dance Steps Basic Steps: The two steps you will use are the Threes for on the spot or moving forwards and backwards, and the Sevens for moving sideways. Dance on the toes (or forefeet) rather than on flat feet. (In these instructions, left is abbreviated to L and right to R) Start position: Take your weight on your L foot, which is flat on the floor, and extend your R leg forward with toes pointed and lightly touching the floor. The threes: Moving R foot slightly behind L, jump (transfer weight) from L onto R (count 1), jump from R onto L foot (2), jump from L onto R foot (3). Pause for fourth beat in bar (count and ). Repeat steps, but start with L foot. Note that feet maintain their position when dancing on the spot. To move forward, step forward on count of 2. To move backwards, step back on count of 1. The sevens: To move R, hop on L foot (Count 1), R foot step to R and in front (2), L foot to close, slightly behind R foot (3), R foot to R (4), L foot to close (5), R foot to R (6), L foot to close (7). To move left, jump onto R foot in front (Count 1), jump onto L foot in front and to L (2), R foot to close, slightly behind L foot (3), L foot to L (4), R foot to close (5), L foot to L (6), R foot to close (7). Note each Seven is often followed by two Threes on the spot before moving back to place. Celtic Kiwi Kids Show - Page 23

The Walls Of Limerick Positioning: dancers line up in couples, girl on boy s right, each set of two couples facing each other, i.e. boy girl facing boy girl. This formation is repeated around the room, with the couples forming, as it were, the spokes of a wheel. = BOY = GIRL First Movement: Advance and Retire Boy takes partner s left hand in his right, both advance to meet the opposite couple (with two Threes steps) and retire to place (with two Threes steps). Repeat. [8 bars] Second Movement: Half Right, Half Left Girls exchange places using Sevens step to the left (passing face to face), finishing with two Threes steps on the spot. Boys do the same, but with Sevens steps to the right. [8 bars] Third Movement: Dance with Opposite Boy takes both hands of opposite girl (not his partner) and they both sidestep (with sevens ) to the boy s left, finishing with two threes steps on the spot. Then sidestep back to place, again using two threes to finish. [8 bars] Fourth Movement: Dance Round Boys take partner s own hands, both swing round (using the threes steps), finishing up to face in the opposite direction, i.e. facing a new couple. [8 bars] Remember if in doubt - panic! If there s an Irish dance teacher in your community, or anyone brought up in Ireland, ask them to come in and take you through the steps. Celtic Kiwi Kids Show - Page 24

The Instruments The Fiddle is played throughout the Celtic countries and has a very strong association with Scotland and Ireland. The Harp is largely associated with Ireland, but all the Celtic nations had a tradition of harp playing. The Uilleann Pipes (pronounced ill-en) or Irish pipes are the traditional bagpipe of Ireland. They are bellows blown and have a two octave range. The Irish word uilleann means elbow. Celtic Kiwi Kids Show - Page 25

The Bodhrán (pronounced bow-rawn) is an ancient instrument associated with Ireland, but probably would have been used in many of the Celtic nations. The type of Flute preferred by traditional players in Ireland is the old style, simple system wooden flute that was common in orchestras up until the time the modern Boehm system flute was invented. The Guitar is an instrument that has been introduced into traditional Celtic music in recent years and commonly features in performances and recordings. Celtic Kiwi Kids Show - Page 26

Celtic Kiwi Kids Fun Sheet Instrument Mix Up The instruments and names have got mixed up, can you sort them out? Draw a line between the instruments and their names. Fiddle Harp Bodhrán Guitar Flute Irish Bagpipes Favourite Instruments What was your favourite instrument in the show and why?

Word Find Can you find the following words in the wordfind grid? Words can go down, across, diagonally and backwards! Put a line through the words when you find them and cross them off the list: Fiddle Guitar Bodhran Harp Flute Bagpipes Kilt Leprechaun Irish Scottish Rap L D S C O T T I S H E E E R P R M G E L L F P R A H I D E F D I I R P P R U D R D L P U E K I L P A I S G D I C S A S T F W A U J K H E Y I K L B O D H R A N U L F U I D J L F U G I G U T L I K D R N L H A A E W U I T E Word Match Match the words to the sentences below by writing each one of these words into the right space: Irish bagpipes bodhran fiddle harp flute 1. The is hit with a small stick and sounds really cool. 2. There are thirty four strings on the. 3. The violin is also known as the. 4. The old fashioned style of Bob plays is made out of wood. 5. With the the bag is blown up with a bellows. Family Trees Write down the family or surnames of your grandparents and find out what countries the names came from: Name: Country: Name: Country: Name: Country: Name: Country: Do you have any Celtic ancestors? Make up a family tree showing where your ancestors came from.

Frequently Asked Questions Here s a few of the frequently and not so frequently asked questions with answers: How long have you been playing music? - Twenty six years (in 2001). How old were you when you started to play music? - I was 21 years old when I started to play music, which is quite old. Most people start to play music when they are your (student s) age. Why did you start to play music? - Well, I always liked to listen to music, then I discovered that playing music is much more fun. Do you like playing music? - Do you like eating ice-cream? I think playing music is lots of fun, just like eating ice cream, but you can do it as much as you like and you never get fat! What instrument did you start on? - The guitar, and I had so much fun, I went on to learn all the others. What do you do for a job? - Well this is my job, I m a musician, isn t that great? How often do you practice? - Well, I tend not to think of it as practice, I tend to think of it as enjoying playing music, even if it s tricky. If you enjoy something you want to do it a lot of the time and music s like that. I play music everyday if I can. It s amazing, that s all you need to do is play a little bit of music each day and you can t help yourself, you just naturally get better at it! Are you married? - Yes Do you have children? - Yes, a daughter aged 10 (in 2001). How many schools have you been to? - Hundreds now, I ve lost count. How long have you been playing music in schools? - About twenty years or so, full-time for the last seven years (in 2001). What are all the instruments worth? - About $15,000. How much is the harp? - About $5,000. What are the strings on the harp made out of? - Sheep guts! Why are there different coloured strings on the harp? - Well if all the strings on the harp were the same colour, I wouldn t know which one to play. By colouring certain strings red and others black, I can find my way around. What colour is your van? - White. Do you have fake eyebrows? - No (thinks; why do you ask?). Celtic Kiwi Kids Show - Page 29

Bob Bickerton Specialising in Celtic music, Bob Bickerton has performed at most major concert venues and folk festivals around New Zealand. He has performed to over 120,000 students in schools over the last 20 years, where he has received critical acclaim for the quality of his educational programmes as well as his ability to engage children in a positive, disciplined and inspiring way. He has worked under the Performing Arts In Schools scheme and has presented student programmes for the New Zealand Chamber Music Festival. As Director/General Manager of the Nelson School Of Music, he encouraged the development of community programmes, with particular emphasis on children. He has given workshops and classes in Irish music and has studied uilleann pipes, flute and fiddle in Ireland. He has performed and recorded with contemporary, ethnic and classical groups, including the NZSO and has recorded as a session musician on numerous albums, as well as for radio and television. His debut CD Music In The Glen was a finalist in the prestigious Music and Entertainment Awards. For more information on Bob, visit his website at: www.bickerton.co.nz Celtic Kiwi Kids Show - Page 30