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It's world music! It's children's songs! It's a cappella!
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BMH recorded this children's album in April 2003. The songs have been lovingly collected over many years by members of BMH from various sources including books, recordings and best of all, from people like Jumoke, Wafa Soudki, Auntie Minnie and Auntie Katie, thanks! |
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^^^^^We launched this CD of children's music on Thursday, October 2 at Carnivale Lunchbox, Seymour Centre, Sydney^^^^^ |
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An accompanying book of vocal arrangements for a cappella groups and choirs by Linda Marr is available from A Cappella.com. It contains arrangements of 7 songs including the Iriquois lullaby Ho Ho Watanay, K'angting love song from China, a Maori fishing song, Mong-kum-po taryung - a Korean boat song and percussion parts for Soran Bushi - a fishing song from Japan. |
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What the reviews say: "The first track, Keren Savorale Drum from the Rom-Hungarian tradition, was enough to win me over to this CD - so much personality in one solo vocal, amazing use of chest voice, mouth music, vocal percussion and open throat singing in the accompaniment. Sydney a cappella group, Blindman's Holiday, still in top form after almost twenty years of performing. This is their first recording in almost six years, and their first attempt to reach into the children's market. The lineup of the group has changed a number of times since they started touring in the mid-1980s, with only one original member of the group remaining, the dynamic Linda Marr. Somehow the quality of singing has remained flawless to the current members performing on this CD, who are Linda, Clarita Derwent and Elizabeth Sison.
As fans of BH would have come to expect, their repertoire is drawn from every continent - on this CD the music is all traditional, coming variously from Hungary, Norway, Columbia, Vietnam, Hokkaido (Japan), Ghana, Congo, Bali (Indonesia), Trinidad & Tobago, China, Iriquois/French Canada, Macedonia, Jamaica, Korea, Lebanon and Torres Strait (Australia). With their spare but aptly used percussion and range of vocal techniques they are happily capable of transporting the listener on this far-reaching journey.
What of its appeal to an audience of children? To many Australians, kids included, languages other than English are a barrier, living as we do in relative isolation from even our nearest neighbours. Beauty and energy are the transcending features of this CD, and would, I think, make the music compelling to most young audiences. Combine the energy with some wonderful rhythms, a sense of freedom and musical cheekiness, vocal techniques that resemble speaking, calling and whooping, and groups of kids singing on several tracks, and there is loads of appeal here. As a teacher of children's choirs myself, though, having heard the CD I would love to have to BH come and do a workshop with my choirs, properly introduce the songs to the kids and leave them singing Sa! Sa! Sa!" Christine Wheeler, Cornstalk Magazine "Authentic sound" Roger Holdsworthy 3PBS "Fantastic album... marvelous (sic) material" David Jobling, Eastside Radio |
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Vocals and Percussion: Clarita Derwent, Linda Marr and Elizabeth Sison. |
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