Singing Together

Archive on 4

Jarvis Cocker traces the history of the BBC Schools radio programme that taught generations of children to sing. From 2014.

Jarvis Cocker sets out on a musical journey to trace the history of Singing Together, the long-running BBC Schools radio programme which got generations of children singing. He uncovers the stories of those who made the programme, listened as children, and used it in their classrooms. Together they remember Monday mornings at 11am, when pupils up and down the country opened their song books and gathered round as teachers wheeled out their classroom radios.

He delves into the archive to uncover the origins of the programme, hearing the first presenter, Herbert Wiseman, describe how he started the series at the outbreak of the Second World War as a way of reaching out to children at a time when many had been evacuated. Wartime teacher Brenda Jenkins, who used Singing Together with her class of evacuees, remembers how 'singing always helped'

Jarvis explores the power of singing to bringing people together. He also uncovers the origins of the folk songs used in the programme and traces how it changed though the 1960s and 70's, opening up to musical traditions from around the world. He reflects on the impact of the long running series - which gave many their first introduction to folk heritage- with award winning musician Eliza Carthy.

And he asks why recordings of this hugely popular series were not preserved for posterity. Only a handful of episodes survive in the BBC archive but, with the help of a small community of collectors, he sets out to find some of the missing episodes.

Producer: Ruth Evans
Editor: David Ross.

Show less

Available now

58 minutes

Last on

Sat 30 Mar 2019 15:00

BBC Radio 4 Extra

More episodes

Art School, Smart School

Malcolm X in Oxford

See all episodes from Archive on 4

BBC News Magazine

Singing Together: The radio show that got schoolchildren singing
British Council Film Collection: Lessons from the Air

Watch the full clip of Lessons from the Air
BBC School: Time and Tune

Developing music skills for pupils aged 7 - 9.
Jarvis Cocker's Wireless Nights

Jarvis Cocker explores the human condition after dark, with stories of night people

Singing Together In 4 Minutes

Duration: 03:58

Jarvis Cocker

Molly Malone
- Singing Together, Autumn 1974.
singers and schools unknown

Skye Boat Song
- Singing Together, 1950.
Green Grow the Rushes O!
- British Council Film Lessons from the Air. Script by Harold Purcell, produced at Merton Park Studios..
Maurice Bevan, Wilfred Parry & choir unknown

Brennan on the Moor
- Singing Together, January 1961.
Méav Ní Mhaolchatha

Shenandoah
- The Calling.
- Warner Classics International.
Maurice Bevan, Wilfred Parry & choir unknown

Michael Finnegan
- Singing Together, January 1961.
Elvis Presley

All Shook Up
- 1957 British Hit Parade: Britain's Greatest Hits Volume 6 CD4.
- Music Factory Mastermix.
Sophie Aldred, Grant Baynham & choir unknown

Smuggler's Lullaby
- Singing Together, Spring 1995.
Melinda Davies, Stephen Varcoe, Wilfred Parry & Norman Taylor

Jesu is Crying
- Singing Together Request Programme, Autumn 1974.
John Strachan

Wark O'The Weavers (field recording, 1952)
- School of Scottish Studies Archive.
- Tobar and Dualchais.
Melinda Davies, Stephen Varcoe, Wilfred Parry & Norman Taylor

Wark O' The Weavers
- Singing Together Request Programme, Autumn 1974.
Christopher Keyte, Kingsmead Singers, June Seaward & Wilfred Parry

Here Come The Navvies
- Singing Together, Summer 1973.
Sophie Aldred, Grant Baynham & St Albans High School choir

Island In The Sun
- Singing Together, Spring 1995.
- Words and music by Harry Belafonte and Lord Burgess.
Blain Fairman & singer and choir unknown

Linstead Market
- Singing Together, Summer 1978.
- From "Folk Songs of Jamaica" edited and arranged by Tom Murray Reprinted O.U.P..
Blain Fairman & singer and choir unknown

Farewell my own true love
- Singing Together, Summer 1978.