Germanic Music - Folk Songs
Summary: This module, intended for grades 4-8, introduces students to Germanic folk music and culture using folk songs that celebrate being outdoors. Recommended for springtime.
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Germanic Music - Christmas CarolsIntroduction
These three folk songs, which celebrate the joy of being outdoors when the weather is fine, are a good introduction to German folk music for primary school students. They are most appropriate for springtime. They can be used as part of a music class, prepared for concert performance, or used as part of a social studies unit on Germany.
Some suggestions for introducing the songs:
- Have the students locate Germany on a globe or world map. Discuss the central European climate (cold and snowy in the winter, and dark because of the latitude; warm, and pleasant, with long days, in the summer) and compare it to your climate.
- Have a discussion of favorite activities for enjoying the outdoors. Tell the students that a favorite activity in Germany in spring and summer is hiking in the countryside, particularly in the mountains. This has been popular in Germany for so long that there are even German folk songs about enjoying the outdoors.
- If available, show pictures, or have coloring pages, of German or Austrian countryside or of traditional German hiking clothes, the short leather pants called Lederhosen (pronounced LAY-der-HOE-zen).
Performance Notes
- Each song can be sung in German. The German pronunciations provided are simplified for young English speakers. "Ow" and "ou" are both the vowel sound in "ouch"; "g" is always the hard g, never a "j" sound.
- If you prefer to sing them in English, a singable translation is also provided. The English words can be substituted for the German syllable for syllable in "If the Spring is Nigh", and also in "Lovely is the World", with one exception. The first word of "lovely is the world" will need to be two eighth notes to fit in; the German word (schon) and all other verses need only one quarter note there. The English words to "Now comes the Merry Summertime" fit the melody easily, but not syllable-for-syllable like the others. If you cannot decide where the syllables should fall, complain and I'll add a page of music with the English words.
- An audio clip of the melody and accompaniment is provided so that you can learn the tune. We hope to eventually provide clips of it being sung in German and English.
"If the Spring is Nigh"
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Simplified Pronunciation
Ven dair froo-ling kohmt, fone den bair-gen shout,
Ven dair shnay eem tall oont fone den hoo-geln towt,
Ven dee fin-ken shlah-gen oont tsoo nes-teh trah-gen,
Dahn beh-gint dee lee-beh gold-neh tsite.
Ven dair vike-sell-bowm dooft-geh bloo-ten shnite
Ven dee store-keh koh-men oont dare kuh-kuke shrite,
Wen die bake-line kvel-len oont dee k'noh-spen shvel-len
Dahn beh-gint dee lee-beh gold-neh tsite.
English Words: "If the Spring is Nigh"
1. If the spring is nigh, from the mountains spy;
If the snow on hill and dale is thawed and dry,
If the birds are singinging and to nests are winging,
Then begins the lovely golden time.
2. If from cherries tall fragrant blossoms fall,
If the storks return and now the cuckoos call,
If the brooks are welling and the buds are swelling,
Then begins the lovely golden time.
Listen to the music for "Wenn der Fruhling Kommt".
"Now Comes the Merry Summertime"
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Simplified Pronunciation
1. Yetst kohmt dee freh-lee-keh zoh-mair-tsite, dee shtoon-den foh-law loost unt voh-neh.
Veer lah-sen oont-saw house, veer tsee-en froh hee-nowss
Oont froy-en oonts dair var-men zoh-neh.
2. Dee vee-zeh bloo-et een tee-fen groon, oont bloo-men loyk-ten boont ahm hah-geh.
Dee looft ist fole fone klong, vone lair-ken-froh-em zong,
Oont shnel fair-gay-en oonts dee tah-geh.
3. Zoh-long dee var-meh zoh-ne shine't, oont fole vone shtare-nen gloo-et blou dee nockt,
Zoh-long-geh tahn-tsen veer, zoh-long-geh zing-en veer
Dess zoh-mairs voon-dair-hel-leh mare-ken-prahkt.
English Words: Now Comes the Merry Summertime
1. Now comes the merry summertime, the hours full of joy and endless delight.
We leave behind our home, we freely, gladly roam,
So happy to be in the warm sunlight.
2. The meadows glow with the deepest green, and blossoms bright on the hedgerows lie.
Sweet music fills the air; the joyful lark is there.
How quickly do the days of summer fly.
3.As long as days are sunny and warm, and nights are all aglow as the stars prevail,
We'll dance the whole day long, we'll spend our time in song
Of summer, wondrous as a fairytale.
Listen to the music for "Jetzt kommt die frohliche Sommerszeit".
"Lovely is the World"
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Simplified Pronunciation
1. Shane ist dee velt, droom Brooder, lahst oonts rie-zen
Vole in dee vie-teh velt, vole in dee vie-teh velt.
2. Veer zint nikt shtolts, veer brow-ken kie-neh pfare-deh
Dee oonts vone dah-nen tseen, vee oonts cone dah-nen tseen.
3. Veer lah- ben oonts on yay-der fel-zen-kvel-leh,
voh free-shes vah-ser fleest, voh free-shes vah-ser fleest
4. Veer rie- zen fort, vone I- nair shtaht tsoor ahn-dern
voe-heen es oonts geh- felt, voe-heen es oonts geh-felt.
English Words: Fine is the World
1. Fine is the world, so brothers let us travel
all through this wide, wide world, all through this wide, wide world.
2. We are not proud; we don't need any horses
to go from here to there, to go from here to there.
3. We are revived at ev'ry spring and fountain
where fresh, cool water flows, where fresh, cool water flows.
4. We travel forth from one town to another;
we go where e'er we please, we go where e'er we please.
Of summer, wondrous as a fairytale.
Listen to the music for "Schon ist die Welt".
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This work is licensed by Catherine Schmidt-Jones under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC-BY 1.0).
Last edited by Charlet Reedstrom on May 23, 2005 9:22 am GMT-5.