Little Red Bird sings and blows in the wind!

Little Red Bird(video)

This you tube video is so beautiful! 

Click on the link (underlined words above) to hear this beautiful melody.

It is not sung in English, it's sung in a Gaelic dialect.

sigh...so lovely...

You can learn the melody listening to this stunning version sung by Emma Christian.

Little Red Bird

Little red bird on the lonely moor, 
lonely moor, lonely moor

Little red bird on the lonely moor, 
Oh where did you sleep in the night?

Did I not sleep on the swaying briar, 
swaying briar, swaying briar?

Tossing about as the wind rose higher, 
O, little I slept last night.

Wrapped in two leaves I lay at ease, 
lay at ease, lay at ease.

As sleeps a young babe on its mother's knee, 
O, sweet was my sleep last night.

Using this lullaby in the class

I originally learned this from one of the Kindermusik Cd's but didn't sing it too much then. 

Lately though, I have been loving this version and singing it with my 1-3 year olds and parents.  We sing it in english!

Process:

Wanda the witch, Lucky the horse and Boogie Bear demonstrate the bungy cord technique!

1. Everyone gathers in a circle.  Children can be in laps, in front of parent or sitting independently of parent.
2. We all rock back and forth hanging onto the bungy circle cord (see pix) while I sing the lullaby (parents join in usually be the second verse when they hear the melody repeat).  I also have the words written out on a wall chart for the parents. 
3. We rock gently on the lonely moor and then bounce the cord higher during the windy verse and then rock gently again for the last sleepy verse.
4.  We put the cord away.
5. Our next (second) class we rock again singing the lullaby.  By this time everyone enjoys singing and rocking/bouncing/rocking.
6. I bring out the scarves and my wind whistle. 
7. The children usually are ready to change activity but the parents really enjoy sitting and rocking.  I ask the children to be the wind inside or outside the circle with their scarves while I blow my wind whistle.  It's a really beautiful sight and sound!
8. We sing the lullaby again, this time we have many things going on.  Some children are watching in the laps of their parents, some are "windy" and moving about, some are holding onto the bungy cord.  The parents generally know the song by now and we have a relaxing time together.
9. Clap and exclaim how beautiful it all was!  
10. Clean up!

We are developing:

• beat competence
• vestibular system
• imagination (bungy cord is the "briar", scarves are the "wind")
• social skills (comfort in group moving with other children, rocking with a large ensemble)
• musicality (responding with gentle rocking movements when music is gentle, more agitated movements when wind blows)