Lost Genres

[Bella Kemp]

It strikes me that when I was young there was a genre of music aimed broadly at 8 - 12 year olds. The songs included Nellie the Elephant, Little White Bull, Tubby the Tuba, Robin Hood, Sparky's Magic Piano... I might suggest that this genre - light popular music aimed specifically at an audience of older children has died out. Nursery rhymes for toddlers will live for ever, but there seems now to be no transitional music, as it were - i.e. the transitional period between baby songs and pop/Rock etc, and/or classical/Jazz. Does anyone agree or disagree? Are there any other genres that now no longer have an audience?

[cloughie]

It strikes me that when I was young there was a genre of music aimed broadly at 8 - 12 year olds. The songs included Nellie the Elephant, Little White Bull, Tubby the Tuba, Robin Hood, Sparky's Magic Piano... I might suggest that this genre - light popular music aimed specifically at an audience of older children has died out. Nursery rhymes for toddlers will live for ever, but there seems now to be no transitional music, as it were - i.e. the transitional period between baby songs and pop/Rock etc, and/or classical/Jazz. Does anyone agree or disagree? Are there any other genres that now no longer have an audience?

Thees were very much pop songs for kids - Davy Crockett could be added - what I feel we have lost are the songs I sang at junior school from BBC Singing Togxether, based on the National Song Book.

[LMcD]

Thees were very much pop songs for kids - Davy Crockett could be added - what I feel we have lost are the songs I sang at junior school from BBC Singing Togxether, based on the National Song Book.

I clearly remember the first occasion on which 'Uncle Mac' played 'Rock Around The Clock' on 'Children's Favourites'. There followed a short pause, after which he said: 'Well, you asked for it ... and now (more enthusiastically) we've lots of requests for Sparky's Magic Piano'.
Other regularly featured songs included 'Inchworm' and 'The Three Billy Goats Gruff'.

[ardcarp]

Nursery rhymes for toddlers will live for ever

I wish. Sadly I'm afraid there's a generation of toddlers who are not brought up in 'nice middle class homes' and who miss out on nursery rhymes. In some pre-school/nursery settings, even recent things such as The Wheels on the Bus are absent.

[oddoneout]

They just listen to(or, perhaps more accurately hear) whatever is around them, which will be adult music in most cases. Given that many will have control of some sort of device to access music then that will become their chosen listening, to the rejection of alternatives even if offered/available. I'm not sure that being in 'nice middle class homes' alters that significantly now as increasingly the middle-class parents have grown up without that age-related repertoire, and with children in day-care they will be exposed to more 'modern' content.
I agree with cloughie it's a pity that the Singing Together content has been lost, but I suppose these days singing British folk songs would be considered insufficiently diverse to be acceptable.

[gradus]

I don't think nursery rhymes have died out. We access recordings of them and sing along (a capella!) in the car with our 2 year old grandson regularly and his nursery uses them as well. he'sabityoung for 'transitional music' but Nellie the Elephant gets an occasional airing to our mutual pleasure.

[ardcarp]

I'm not sure that being in 'nice middle class homes' alters that significantly now as increasingly the middle-class parents have grown up without that age-related repertoire

I used that phrase with some trepidation. I hate class boundaries, and I'm sure there are lots of lovely Mums and Dads from all walks of life who sing to their children.

I agree entirely about Singing Together. Mrs A. who went to a two-teacher village primary, owes her early love of music to BBC Radio for schools...and of course to her parents.

[Flay]

This is a beautifully arranged collection of nursery rhymes from 1983. The video is somewhat dated, although young children may not be bothered about that. It's available as an audio CD as well as a DVD. Performed by Isla St Clair, Floella Benjamin and other well-known names from that era.

My kids' repeated listenings ensured that I know the words to all of them pretty well!