The Singing Game by Iona Opie

The Singing Game by Iona Opie

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Summary

Traces the histories of singing games such as ring a ring o' roses, oranges and lemons and others, and is an exposition both of the workings of folklore, and of the perennial ways of young children when left to play on their own. Each of the 150 games is described in historical detail.

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The Singing Game by Iona Opie

This volume is based on 30 years of collecting and research, and traces the histories of singing games such as ring a ring o' roses and oranges and lemons. It is an exposition both of the workings of folklore and of the play habits of young children. Each game is described in detail with reference to its history and its present form. Fashionable in the Middle Ages, frowned upon in the 16th century, and suppressed in the 17th, the singing game is now generally considered to belong to the past. The Opies' research show that the tradition is continuing. The book is illustrated throughout with photographs and prints and includes words to each game, with music for many. Iona and Peter Opie have also written "The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes", "The Oxford Nursery Rhyme Book", "Children's Games in Street and Playground", "The Oxford Book of Children's Verse", "A Nursery Companion" and "The Oxford Book of Narrative Verse".
Iona Opie has dedicated her life to collecting and preserving children's rhymes as an art form. I suppose my message in life is 'Nursery rhymes are good for you.' And the sooner you start, the better. I always have one myself every morning. I just open a nursery rhyme book at random. This morning I read:
Taffy was born on a
moonshiney night.

His head in a pipskin,
his heels upright.

You see, if you acquire a nursery rhyme-ical attitude, you're not at all put out by life's little bumps and bruises--they just seem funny and entirely normal.


Rosemary Wells says, We live in a time when our language is shrinking. Mother Goose, which represents our language at its most innocent, playful, and profound, is in danger of disappearing completely. Rhymes that have been repeated and refined for forty generations are no longer being taught to children. It is a great honor to work with Iona Opie with the hope of preserving these rhymes for many generations more. Rosemary wells lives in New York.

SKU Unavailable
ISBN 13 9780192840196
ISBN 10 0192840193
Title The Singing Game
Author Iona Opie
Condition Unavailable
Binding Type Paperback
Publisher Oxford University Press
Year published 1988-04-01
Number of pages 544
Cover note Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
Note Unavailable