Notes from School

Jerusalem. It has been one of the most recognisable and iconic English tunes of the past 100 years. But is it as universally loved as we remember and can it even be called a hymn? How has a story about Jesus taking a road trip to Glastonbury led to a First World War patriotic anthem, through the lens of a Georgian revolutionary poet.In this week’s assembly, I do a deep dive into Jerusalem, talking about its history, the association with the WI and even how it can signify the English musically. I really hope you enjoy this episode and I would love to know any memories of singing it plus any comments or thoughts about what I have to say!If you have enjoyed the episode please feel free to leave a comment or review. Timestamps below if you want to skip to any bit in particular. All questions and/or requests can be sent to notesfromschoolpodcast@gmail.com.Timestamps:0:00: Jerusalem poem reading0:50: Catch up4:10: Education and positive music news7:20: Intro to Jerusalem 10:03: A vicar’s PM about Jerusalem11:58: How did the hymn Jerusalem come about? William Blake, Robert Bridges and Hubert Parry17:23: What makes the Jerusalem introduction so stirring?22:02: Why Jerusalem is musically English25:14: How the hymn became the anthem of the Women’s Institute 27:16: Becoming used by political movements29:24: Is Jerusalem even a hymn?33:16: Memories from social media37:21: Jerusalem singalong38:50: Final thoughts and wrap upSend us a text~~~ I am on tour all year, across the UK and you can book your tickets at: https://jamesbpartridge.com/ ~~~ Follow me on socials at: Instagram: http://instagram.com/jamesbpartridge Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JamesBPartridgeOfficial/ TikTok: http://tiktok.com/@jamesbpartridge YouTube: http://youtube.com/jamesbpartridge Send me a message: notesfromschoolpodcast@gmail.com ~~~ Find the podcast on all streaming services and leave a review if you've enjoyed it! Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Ta8ch0BjnuV6GDgGv7BN2?si=5270e69bbb9a431e Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/notes-from-school/id1790674992 Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/054bf11f-a134-42c7-9114-f1398cc3fbe8/notes-from-school

After a few weeks of some great interviews, I thought I would take it back to the assembly hall with a mega episode of singalongs. This week I go through the entire Apusskidu songbook from 1975 which is packed full of tunes for children to sing at school. Some of these are very famous, some are obscure folk melodies, we have some nursery classics, plenty of animal tunes and even a song about aliens. Hope you enjoy the play through, I am sight-reading some of them so apologies for any mistakes 😅 hope they bring back some happy memories, either way.If you have enjoyed the episode please feel free to leave a comment or review. Timestamps below if you want to skip to any bit in particular. All questions and/or requests can be sent to notesfromschoolpodcast@gmail.com.Timestamps:0:00: Introduction, emails and catch up!05:19: If you’re happy (and you know it)06:14: I’d like to teach the world to sing07:17: I whistle a happy tune08:24: Yellow submarine09:04: Sing a rainbow09:53: The super-supper march11:08: My ship sailed from China12:28: Daisy Bell13:31: The bonny blue-eyed sailor14:23: Li’l Liza Jane14:49: Clementine16:01: Sparrow Twitters16:33: Little brown jug17:02: I’m Henery the eighth 18:23: There’s a hole in my bucket18:42: There was an old witch19:05: Ten in a bed19:13: Lily the pink20:14: Bananas in pyjamas20:49: The great meat pie21:57: Michael Finnegan22:13: The train is a-coming22:44: Wheels keep turning23:33: Morningtown ride24:30: She’ll be coming round the mountain25:17: The Wombling song25:45: Shoot! Shoot! Shoot!26:52: Battle song of the Zartians27:20: The wind blow east27:54: One potato, two potato28:47: The guard song29:23: The fireman29:42:  When Father papered the parlour30:11: The animals went in two by two30:38: Going to the zoo31:06: The hippopotamus song31:40: Tiger, Tiger, orange and black32:12: Where, oh where has my little dog gone?32:39: Daddy wouldn’t buy me a bow-wow33:04: Five little frogs33:24: Frog went a-courtin’33:50: Down in Demerara34:19: Ferdinando, the donkey34:49: Apusski dusky35:50: Gobbolino, the witch‘s cat36:35: A windmill in old Amsterdam37:45: Maggon, the bad-tempered dragon38:22: Risha, rasha, rusha38:50: Final thoughts and wrap upSend us a text~~~ I am on tour all year, across the UK and you can book your tickets at: https://jamesbpartridge.com/ ~~~ Follow me on socials at: Instagram: http://instagram.com/jamesbpartridge Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JamesBPartridgeOfficial/ TikTok: http://tiktok.com/@jamesbpartridge YouTube: http://youtube.com/jamesbpartridge Send me a message: notesfromschoolpodcast@gmail.com ~~~ Find the podcast on all streaming services and leave a review if you've enjoyed it! Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Ta8ch0BjnuV6GDgGv7BN2?si=5270e69bbb9a431e Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/notes-from-school/id1790674992 Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/054bf11f-a134-42c7-9114-f1398cc3fbe8/notes-from-school

Over the past couple of weeks in April I’ve been in the States on holiday. Clearly, I’m not very good at fully relaxing so I teamed up with Anthony Garone from the YouTube channel Make Weird Music for a great conversation. We discuss topics such as being a content creator on YouTube, music education in the States vs the UK, creative mindsets, confidence and even some of the best British exports to the US.You can find Anthony’s channel here and all it’s weird goodness: https://www.youtube.com/@MakeWeirdMusicIf you have enjoyed the episode please feel free to leave a comment or review. Timestamps below if you want to skip to any bit in particular. All questions and/or requests can be sent to notesfromschoolpodcast@gmail.com.Timestamps:0:00: Introducing Anthony and the start of Make Weird Music3:00: Eccentricity in British music and the school assembly in UK and US9:55: Music in US schools and the universal language of the piano23:20: The importance of improvisation vs exams32:20: Can we get weirdness into the classroom?37:10: Advice on starting out as a content creator45:15: British vs American mindsets54:00: Anthony’s best of British culture and the start of Primary School Bangers01:05:50: Final thoughts and wrap upSend us a text~~~ I am on tour all year, across the UK and you can book your tickets at: https://jamesbpartridge.com/ ~~~ Follow me on socials at: Instagram: http://instagram.com/jamesbpartridge Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JamesBPartridgeOfficial/ TikTok: http://tiktok.com/@jamesbpartridge YouTube: http://youtube.com/jamesbpartridge Send me a message: notesfromschoolpodcast@gmail.com ~~~ Find the podcast on all streaming services and leave a review if you've enjoyed it! Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Ta8ch0BjnuV6GDgGv7BN2?si=5270e69bbb9a431e Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/notes-from-school/id1790674992 Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/054bf11f-a134-42c7-9114-f1398cc3fbe8/notes-from-school

To celebrate St. George’s Day today, I have Tom Carradine in the assembly hall. He is the mastermind behind the Cockney singalong and has a deep and immersive knowledge of British song from the Victorian music hall to war-time tunes and even obscure classics from the school assembly songbooks. He also is the best dressed and moustachioed musician in the UK. Feel free to check it out on YouTube too.During this epic chat, I hand over the piano keys to Tom so he can dip in and out of musical examples throughout our hour-long conversation. We discover his epic renditions of Shine Jesus Shine from his school days, how the Cockney singalong began and enjoying the heritage of British songs. Also, he reveals the one song that everyone around the world knows!If you have enjoyed the episode please feel free to leave a comment or review. Timestamps below if you want to skip to any bit in particular. All questions and/or requests can be sent to notesfromschoolpodcast@gmail.com.Timestamps:0:00: Introducing Tom Carradine02:00: Tom’s route from biochemistry to Cockney singalong via Musical Theatre10:00: Does Tom include Musical Theatre tunes in his singalong? Mary Poppins link to Cockney songs12:35: Playing piano in assembly and Any Dream Will Do16:15: Mr Fogg’s and international audience members18:15: The one song that everyone knows around the world!19:55: The Great American songbook vs Cockney tunes23:40: Pearly Kings and Queens and domestic piano playing27:00: Cockney humour and My Old Man Said Follow the Van30:17: Tom’s singalongs and newer singalong classics36:20: Why did Tom decide on the Cockney tradition as he’s NOT a Cockney!38:07: Ta-ra-ra-boom-de-ay school songbook39:50: I lift up my finger. Forgotten school assembly tune41:38: Why Cockneys “have a banana”, rhyming slang and Wilton’s Music Hall50:47: Celebrating St George’s Day and bringing a positive spin to the English song tradition55:18: Is singing national songs appropriate? Jerusalem and sea shanties01:00:00: Changing the show for children and the benefits of a singalong01:07:30: Tom’s favourite school assembly tuneStreets of London singalong01:10:20: Streets of London singalong01:12:20: Final thoughts and wrap upFind Tom Carradine online: https://www.tomcarradine.com/Send us a text~~~ I am on tour all year, across the UK and you can book your tickets at: https://jamesbpartridge.com/ ~~~ Follow me on socials at: Instagram: http://instagram.com/jamesbpartridge Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JamesBPartridgeOfficial/ TikTok: http://tiktok.com/@jamesbpartridge YouTube: http://youtube.com/jamesbpartridge Send me a message: notesfromschoolpodcast@gmail.com ~~~ Find the podcast on all streaming services and leave a review if you've enjoyed it! Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Ta8ch0BjnuV6GDgGv7BN2?si=5270e69bbb9a431e Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/notes-from-school/id1790674992 Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/054bf11f-a134-42c7-9114-f1398cc3fbe8/notes-from-school

This week we invite James Sills into the assembly hall for a great conversation. We chat about the links between football and singing which have combined in his awesome new project called Bantam of the Opera for BBC Sounds. This is a project bringing together Bradford City fans for the year of the city of culture in Bradford. James, Lesley Garett and Chris Kamara are linking up to get the football fans singing! James talks also about the work he did online with Sofa singers plus his journey into leading choirs.Before we get to the chat, I have a forgotten school assembly classic as this week’s singalong. It is called I watch the sunrise. Let me know if you know this one or if you have any requests for future singalongs.  If you have enjoyed the episode please feel free to leave a comment or review. Timestamps below if you want to skip to any bit in particular. All questions and/or requests can be sent to notesfromschoolpodcast@gmail.com.Timestamps:0:00: Intro and catch up02:51: ‘I watch the sunrise’ singalong05:40: James Sills interview10:10: Bradford as city of culture and intro to Bantam of the Opera13:55: James’s journey into leading choirs18:35: Links with football23:30: Singing as a safe space and corporates28:40: James’s book ‘Do Sing’29:55: Sofa singers and virtual choirs34:13: Recognition for work in music37:55: Bantam of the Opera45:23: Singing as therapy and music in schools50:10: Power of communal singing52:10: James’s favourite school assembly song55:15: Conclusion to interview58:24: Round-up and goodbyesSend us a text~~~ I am on tour all year, across the UK and you can book your tickets at: https://jamesbpartridge.com/ ~~~ Follow me on socials at: Instagram: http://instagram.com/jamesbpartridge Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JamesBPartridgeOfficial/ TikTok: http://tiktok.com/@jamesbpartridge YouTube: http://youtube.com/jamesbpartridge Send me a message: notesfromschoolpodcast@gmail.com ~~~ Find the podcast on all streaming services and leave a review if you've enjoyed it! Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Ta8ch0BjnuV6GDgGv7BN2?si=5270e69bbb9a431e Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/notes-from-school/id1790674992 Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/054bf11f-a134-42c7-9114-f1398cc3fbe8/notes-from-school

It’s the Easter holidays! Or it nearly is, depending on what school you’re at. That means it is time to decide on the best ever Easter singalongs, whether we look at some traditional classic hymns or some newer school assembly tunes. Thanks to those that voted for their favourites and let me know if your choice was left off the list! Either way, most of these songs will be stuck in your head. Before we get to the Easter singalongs, there are some great questions and emails which even include a Calon Lân singalong in Welsh. Hopefully I got most of the pronunciation correct.If you have enjoyed the episode please feel free to leave a comment or review. Timestamps below if you want to skip to any bit in particular. All questions and/or requests can be sent to notesfromschoolpodcast@gmail.com.Timestamps:0:00: Intro, catch up and what’s to come05:22: I’m writing a book!07:17: Email about Welsh singing09:40: Calon Lan singalong11:05: Q&A section18:04: Best Easter songs honorary mentions25:01: Easter bangers intro26:53: Top 10 Easter bangers!32:58: Round-up and goodbyesSend us a text~~~ I am on tour all year, across the UK and you can book your tickets at: https://jamesbpartridge.com/ ~~~ Follow me on socials at: Instagram: http://instagram.com/jamesbpartridge Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JamesBPartridgeOfficial/ TikTok: http://tiktok.com/@jamesbpartridge YouTube: http://youtube.com/jamesbpartridge Send me a message: notesfromschoolpodcast@gmail.com ~~~ Find the podcast on all streaming services and leave a review if you've enjoyed it! Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Ta8ch0BjnuV6GDgGv7BN2?si=5270e69bbb9a431e Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/notes-from-school/id1790674992 Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/054bf11f-a134-42c7-9114-f1398cc3fbe8/notes-from-school

Why is it so important to introduce children to music from an early age? This week I had a slightly different performing experience to usual as my Sunday morning was spent doing my show with a twist: the audience were mostly under the age of 5! Afterwards I had a great chat and interview with Polly Ives who runs Concerteenies which provides live music experiences for parents and young children. In the chat we touch on the importance of early years music experiences and also the future of music education. Even if you don’t have children yourself, or if you don’t work in education then I’m sure you will really enjoy the chat we have.If you have enjoyed the episode please feel free to leave a comment or review. Timestamps below if you want to skip to any bit in particular. All questions and/or requests can be sent to notesfromschoolpodcast@gmail.com.Timestamps:0:00: Intro and gig catch up07:02: Interview and intro to Polly Ives08:55: The acts that perform with Concerteenies10:45: Any unexpected reactions from the children?11:55: Did online sessions work?14:50: How does music impact early childhood development?17:27: The benefits for parents of providing live music to children19:39: How parents can incorporate music into the daily life of their children20:45: The misconceptions of Early Years music23:20: What are the next plans for Concerteenies?27:45: Pitching to adults as well as children28:55: Polly’s favourite school banger31:20: Round-up and goodbyes!Send us a text~~~ I am on tour all year, across the UK and you can book your tickets at: https://jamesbpartridge.com/ ~~~ Follow me on socials at: Instagram: http://instagram.com/jamesbpartridge Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JamesBPartridgeOfficial/ TikTok: http://tiktok.com/@jamesbpartridge YouTube: http://youtube.com/jamesbpartridge Send me a message: notesfromschoolpodcast@gmail.com ~~~ Find the podcast on all streaming services and leave a review if you've enjoyed it! Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Ta8ch0BjnuV6GDgGv7BN2?si=5270e69bbb9a431e Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/notes-from-school/id1790674992 Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/054bf11f-a134-42c7-9114-f1398cc3fbe8/notes-from-school

The questions were thrown open this week on my socials. I had some great obscure song requests come in alongside a prompt to explore the best British advert jingles. I even get some AI opinions on this before I do a deeply educational analysis of the iconic Toys R Us theme which is an “an all-out banger” according the YouTube comments. I had to figure out WHY it is so good! Let me know what your favourite advert jingle was, growing up! If you have enjoyed the episode please feel free to leave a comment or review. Timestamps below if you want to skip to any bit in particular. All questions and/or requests can be sent to notesfromschoolpodcast@gmail.com.Timestamps:0:00: Intro, school exams and catch up07:15: Upcoming gigs shoutout12:40: Emails and obscure song requests16:30: There was a princess long ago18:05: At half past 3 we go home to tea19:45: Question and Answers26:03: What’s the best advert tune?27:40: Chat GPT’s Top 10 advert jingles37:09: TOYS R US DEEP DIVE45:12: Goodbyes!Send us a text~~~ I am on tour all year, across the UK and you can book your tickets at: https://jamesbpartridge.com/ ~~~ Follow me on socials at: Instagram: http://instagram.com/jamesbpartridge Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JamesBPartridgeOfficial/ TikTok: http://tiktok.com/@jamesbpartridge YouTube: http://youtube.com/jamesbpartridge Send me a message: notesfromschoolpodcast@gmail.com ~~~ Find the podcast on all streaming services and leave a review if you've enjoyed it! Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Ta8ch0BjnuV6GDgGv7BN2?si=5270e69bbb9a431e Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/notes-from-school/id1790674992 Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/054bf11f-a134-42c7-9114-f1398cc3fbe8/notes-from-school

It was an absolute delight to spend nearly an hour talking to Graham Kendrick about his songwriting craft, the connection of worship music and of course the ultimate school assembly banger: Shine Jesus Shine! In the timestamps below you can see the topics we discuss and make sure you listen ALL the way to the end as there is a special one-off performance of Shine Jesus Shine live at the Tunbridge Wells Assembly Hall on 16th March. I’d love to know your thoughts on the conversation and let me know any comments or questions you may have. If you have enjoyed the episode please feel free to leave a comment or review. Timestamps below if you want to skip to any bit in particular. All questions and/or requests can be sent to notesfromschoolpodcast@gmail.com.Timestamps:0:00: Introduction to Graham Kendrick and what’s coming up01:37: Graham Kendrick interview begins03:10: How does he feel about Shine Jesus Shine being an assembly banger?05:27: How did Shine Jesus Shine get into schools around the UK?07:41: Did Graham know it would be a hit?12:48: Taking Shine Jesus Shine to Spring Harvest17:13: What was the songwriting transition to writing for worship? 18:15: Was there much push-back against rock instruments?20:45: Graham’s new songwriting and new album24:00: Graham’s Dad and the healing joy of communal singing30:20: Singing Shine Jesus Shine at Glastonbury31:00: The pop and rock musicians that influenced Graham 34:35: School songs as a new folk tradition37:05: Finding the ‘heart songs’ with songwriters from other countries40:35: Has Graham worked in the States?42:05: The change in school assembly singing and Harvest songs45:58: Where did the claps in Shine Jesus Shine come from?!47:35: What else should people listen to?48:30: Balancing the love of church music with issues with religion 51:40: Graham’s memories of school singing53:12: Conclusion of the interview53:42: SHINE JESUS SHINE LIVE PERFORMANCE!Send us a text~~~ I am on tour all year, across the UK and you can book your tickets at: https://jamesbpartridge.com/ ~~~ Follow me on socials at: Instagram: http://instagram.com/jamesbpartridge Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JamesBPartridgeOfficial/ TikTok: http://tiktok.com/@jamesbpartridge YouTube: http://youtube.com/jamesbpartridge Send me a message: notesfromschoolpodcast@gmail.com ~~~ Find the podcast on all streaming services and leave a review if you've enjoyed it! Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Ta8ch0BjnuV6GDgGv7BN2?si=5270e69bbb9a431e Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/notes-from-school/id1790674992 Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/054bf11f-a134-42c7-9114-f1398cc3fbe8/notes-from-school

Can you really smash glass with singing?! How do you even find out you can sing opera? Find out the stories behind becoming an opera singer, the state of singing in Wales and much more with today’s chat with Eleri Gwilym. She is currently playing Queen of the Night in the Magic Flute by Mozart and has some fascinating insights into the life of being an opera singer. Thanks for the submitted questions, I hope this podcast clears up some preconceptions about opera and opera singers! Also, wait for the only use of the word ‘undulations’ in a podcast.If you have enjoyed the episode please feel free to leave a comment or review. Timestamps below if you want to skip to any bit in particular. All questions and/or requests can be sent to notesfromschoolpodcast@gmail.com.Timestamps:0:00: Intro and welcome to Eleri Gwilym03:20: How old were you when you started learning opera?04:11:  Do they learn the language in general or just learn the songs for the Opera?05:16: Best primary school hymn to sing In opera style? 05:45: Memories of singing in Swansea07:19: Can you really smash glass with singing?!!08:23: How do you even find out you can opera sing?!09:14: How did you know your voice was suitable for opera?11:02: What made you get into Opera and not any other music genre?12:02: What's the most annoying 'opera singer stereotype' you've come across?16:24: What happens to opera sets after productions?18:34: How do they look after their voice?20:04: Any go-to warm ups?22:00: Singing in Welsh schools and how to encourage singing25:20: Any way to make opera more accessible?30:14: Thoughts on Cardiff Uni dropping the Music course31:40: Studying law over music33:30: Y Deryn Pur intro and chat34:56 Y Deryn Pur PERFORMANCE36:05: Roundup and goodbyes!Send us a text~~~ I am on tour all year, across the UK and you can book your tickets at: https://jamesbpartridge.com/ ~~~ Follow me on socials at: Instagram: http://instagram.com/jamesbpartridge Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JamesBPartridgeOfficial/ TikTok: http://tiktok.com/@jamesbpartridge YouTube: http://youtube.com/jamesbpartridge Send me a message: notesfromschoolpodcast@gmail.com ~~~ Find the podcast on all streaming services and leave a review if you've enjoyed it! Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Ta8ch0BjnuV6GDgGv7BN2?si=5270e69bbb9a431e Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/notes-from-school/id1790674992 Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/054bf11f-a134-42c7-9114-f1398cc3fbe8/notes-from-school