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Special projects at the Music Service

2. Urdu songs for the Asian Songbook

Eid

Suggestions for classroom use

This chant gives good opportunities for introducing crotchet and quaver notation. Write out the rhythm of each line of the chant on a card and see if the children can recognise which line is represented.

Each line could be played on different percussion instruments, but choose instruments that play rhythms clearly, eg. Woodblocks, claves, drums, tapped tambourines.

Also try having different groups saying or playing just one line of the chant continually. See if different groups can play at the same time! (You will need to say/play lines 1,2 and 4 twice to match line 3). Can a child conduct the different groups by showing each group when to start and stop?

Lyrics in English

Eid has come

It makes us happy

Let’s dance and sing

Celebrate Eid

God Made Everything

Suggestions for classroom use

This can be sung as a call and response song, one group singing ‘Kisenay’ verse, the other replying with ‘Allah’ verse.

  1. Children can use hands to show different objects in each verse:
  2. Overlap thumbs and flap fingers to show a butterfly.
  3. Start with hands overlapped and fingers closed to show the bud of a flower. Gradually open out fingers through verse.
  4. Use one hand, fingers together, palm facing towards body, and move hand across body, flapping fingers like a fish.
  5. Hold hands up in air, open and close fingers like stars twinkling.
  6. Point to adults.

Lyrics in English

Who made the butterflies?

God made the butterflies!

Who made the flowers?

God made the flowers!

Who made the fish?

God made the fish!

Who made the stars?

God made the stars!

Who made Mum and Dad?

God made Mum and Dad!

Shine Like a Star

Suggestions for classroom use

Use this song as a call and response song, with a single leader and class response; or half the class being leaders and the other half responders.

An ostinato of low C and high C could be played throughout on chime bars. Alternatively, Indian bells played on the first beat of each bar could suggest the stars shining.

Make a star

Children could make stars from shiny foil, or using origami, make stars that can twinkle.

  1. Fold a square of shiny paper in half vertically. Unfold.
  2. Fold the square in half horizontally. Unfold.
  3. Fold the square in half along the diagonal corners. Unfold.
  4. Repeat 3 along the other diagonal. Unfold.
  5. Fold one corner into the centre of the square.
  6. Repeat for the remaining three corners.
  7. Turn over the square and repeat steps 5 and 6 one more time.
  8. Now fold the square in half horizontally. You should be able to slide thumb and forefinger of each hand under the flaps that you find on the outside of your star. Now open and close the star forwards and backwards, and side to side to help it move freely. You now have a ‘twinkling’ star!

The Butterfly

Suggestions for classroom use

Sit the children in two groups. All the children sing together until bar 14 using hand signs to tell the story:

  • Tittlee hoo(n) - Palms facing, join thumbs together to make butterfly shape. Flap wings.
  • P(h)ooloo say - Start with hands cupped together, gradually open fingers to show flower opening
  • Oopar pahkha - Point up to the ceiling and spin finger to show fan spinning
  • Nichey muna - Point to floor, cradle arms together to show baby in cradle
  • Muney ki - Draw hands apart
  • Khai double roti - Show eating action with hands to mouth

Percussion accompaniment could be added, using a beater on a xylophone being run up and down the keys to show the butterfly flying around.

Lyrics in English

Beautiful butterfly, my beautiful butterfly

The flower has opened for you

There is cold water to drink

Above the fan is twirling

Below the baby is sleeping

The baby’s mummy is fat from eating bread

The bread is stale, Mummy is cross

The Chicken

Suggestions for classroom use

This can be sung as a call and response song with the children taking the ‘choo choo choo’ parts of the song.

A ‘clucking’ ostinato accompaniment could be created using claves being played in the rhythm of ‘choo choo choo’.

Lyrics in English

Cluck, cluck, cluck

My Mum is a chicken

And I am her son

Little children come to me

Come and listen

My song is ‘cluck, cluck, cluck’

They sing ‘ooh, ooh, ooh!’

The Doll

Suggestions for classroom use

Begin by focusing on the final two bars of the song. This can be the section where all join in.

Take a phrase and use it as an ostinato throughout: eg. bolee balee

This song only uses 4 notes: G A B C. Try using chime bars to play the tune of the song.

Lyrics in English

My sweet pretty doll with blue eyes

Cradled in my lap with your eyes open

I sing sweet words to you

When you are in my lap

Quietly go to sleep

I see my doll sleeping and playing

My little doll never cries