Key Stage 3 Music - Folk Music

Lesson 2


Lesson Objectives

  • Understand how Sea Shanties use a 4/4 time signature and how Sea Shanties served a purpose to sailors.
  • Learn musical features of Folk Music through learning Sea Shanties as a class. 



Warm up - Wild Rover


I've been a wild rover for many a year

And I spent all my money on whiskey and beer,

And now I'm returning with gold in great store

And I never will play the wild rover no more.


chorus:

And it's no, nay, never,

No nay never no more,

Will I play the wild rover

No never no more.

I went to an ale-house I used to frequent

And I told the landlady my money was spent.

I asked her for credit, she answered me "nay

Such a custom as yours I could have any day."


chorus

I took from my pocket ten sovereigns bright

And the landlady's eyes opened wide with delight.

She said "I have whiskey and wines of the best

And the words that I spoke sure were only in jest."


chorus

I'll go home to my parents, confess what I've done

And I'll ask them to pardon their prodigal son.

And if they caress (forgive) me as offtimes before

Sure I never will play the wild rover no more.


chorus

History of Sea Shanties

  • Type of work song that was commonly sung to accompany labor on board ships.
  • Rhythms used matched the actions of the sailors movements, e.g. hauling in lines.
  • Singing shanties relieved boredom and accompanied them working in the same rhythm for long periods of time.
  • Shanties are sung using your own accent and can be sung in unison (together) or in harmony (2 melodies at the same time or more).

Drunken Sailor

  • Uses DORIAN MODE (all white note scale starting on D-D) for the melody
  • The words that are used are rhythmical.
  • How is the time signature different to Wild Rover?
  • How does the time signature help the sailors?

Drunken Sailor Lyrics


When performing this song, think about the actions that the sailors would have been doing at the time and aim to recreate it as a class/small group. Remember to use a British accent!


What shall we do with the drunken sailor? (x3)

Early in the morning.


Hooray and up she rises (x3)

Early in the morning.


Put him in the longboat 'til he's sober (x3)

Early in the morning


Pull out the plug and wet him all over (x3)

Early in the morning



Plenary Task


Have a go at writing your own Sea Shanty thinking about the jobs/story they may have been telling. Here is an example of a year 7 group who wrote their own version:


Pull out the sponges, scrub the deck (x3)

Early in the morning

Haul up the fish and store them down in there (x3)

Early in the morning

Load up the canons, 1 2 3 BANG! (x3)

Early in the morning

Take out the rum and spit it all over (x3)

Early in the morning

Lock them in the cupboard with a smelly goldfish (x3)

Early in the morning

Shove them in a barrel and spin them all round (x3)

Early in the morning

Shove a toothbrush in his mouth (x3)

Early in the morning

Pull up the sails we’re ready for battle (x3)

Early in the morning

Oh MY! RETREAT! It’s the Royal Navy (x3)

Early in the morning!