When your baby cries there is an almost primal instinct that surfaces to sing softly to them and soothe away their tears.
Those gently hummed melodic tones often work wonders to calm and send baby back into peaceful slumber. Most people would say they were singing a lullaby, but were they?
According to new research nine out of ten British parents are now more likely to sing a favourite pop song or TV theme tune to their children in the place of a traditional lullaby. And, whilst almost half of the parents surveyed thought lullabies were great for teaching language skills, only one in ten knew the words to a traditional lullaby.
In a quest to stop these time honoured songs disappearing into the mists of time, Sophie Barker, from Grammy Award nominated group Zero 7, has recorded a collection of traditional lullabies and set up a Facebook campaign to ‘Save the Lullaby’.
“The album, ‘Lullaby’, makes a stand for our forgotten bedtime tunes,” says Sophie, “ it reminds parents of the magic and soothing quality of our traditional lullabies – we’ve even included a sing-a-long lyric book for those who are more likely to know the Friends theme tune than Frere Jacques.”
The album is perfect for both babies and toddlers and contains firm favourites such as ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ and ‘Baa Baa Black Sheep’, plus the beautiful ‘Lavenders Blue’ and ‘Brahms Lullaby’. It’s presented as a wonderfully illustrated lyric book with the disc neatly slotted in a pouch in the back. In a sea of brash sounding nursery rhyme and lullaby CD’s this really does stand out.
In addition to the copy we were kindly given, I also have a copy of this wonderful album to giveaway to one lucky UK reader! All you have to do is leave a comment below before midnight on Tuesday 9th March 2010 and tell me, what is your favourite lullaby and why?
The winner will be picked at random.
In the meantime go over to Facebook and join the campaign to Save the Lullaby!
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I have three favourites, and the reason is simple: they’re the ones my parents used to sing to me. My mum sang Brahms’ Lullaby and Golden Slumbers, which I’ve just discovered to my astonishment is by Paul McCartney (never made that connection). My father sang his own version of Rockabye Baby to the tune of the Giants’ Song from Rhinegold. These three (though I use the conventional tune for Rockabye Baby) make me feel happy and calm and lapped in the safety of home, and I started singing them to my son as part of a new bedtime routine when he was fourteen months old. Then a few months ago he asked me to stop. Which I found rather hurtful:-)
.-= Dot´s last blog ..Bigamy? (updated) =-.
Awww what lovely songs, but I am laughing at your son! Mine shouts at me to stop singing too these days……cheeky monkey!
I sang Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, not necessarily a lullaby, but it worked:) Will check out the FB page:) Jen.
.-= Jen´s last blog ..99: Skeletons in the closet? =-.
Twinkle Twinkle is definitely a lullaby Jen! It was composed by none other than Mozart!
saw this cd on tv earlier!
my fav is twinkle twinkle too! am trying to learn the next verses too! you have to hear sam from the wiggles sing it: its lovely!
Hiann, you know the Wiggles freak me out! Over 3 years a mother and my kids are still blissfully unaware……thank goodness!
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star has to be my favourite lullaby too.
I remember hours of singing this over and over and over again as i tried to soothe a colicky baby to sleep. If now, at age 3, Oli is unsettled at night i sing it to him still and he has even started singing it to his baby sister when she wakes crying!
I cant imagine people not knowing words to lullabys. They are a tradition that needs to stay.
x
It does seem odd that people wouldn’t know any lullabies, but I guess if your parents sang pop songs then it is plausible that they could die out
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I can’t imagine schools giving up on them though and introducing Lady Gaga instead……just imagine!
My favourite would have to be rock a bye baby but my sons favourite is definately twinkle twinkle little star!
.-= Hayley´s last blog ..Number 10 =-.
I thinkTwinkle Twinkle is a firm favourite with alot of children. My little man still loves to sing it to his baby sister complete with actions.
I sing ‘I see the Moon’ to my little boy. Also, but less traditionally ‘Morningtown Ride’ which I’m not sure is classed as a lullaby but I love it and it has 3 verses and a chorus so you don’t get so bored!
.-= mummylimited´s last blog ..Wordless Wednesday – I left him for 2 minutes… =-.
I’ve never heard of ‘I see the Moon’ I shall have to Google that one!
My favourite is Brahms’ lullaby. Its very traditional and very peaceful. I think it is probably imprinted on my brain from when I was a baby. Someone gave me a pull-string toy for Lara’s cot which plays a small excerpt and it always makes me feel sleepy (even if Lara is still wide awake).
.-= Emma Button´s last blog ..Can Reusable Nappies Work With A Childminder? =-.
I had a pull string toy when I was a baby that played Brahms Lullaby. I can remember it clear as day. Lovely memories.
My little boy who has just turned 6 has just asked me to sing him a lullaby ‘Mum sing the one about the wind’ so I sang Rockabye Baby! After two of my warbled versions ‘Ok Mum you can stop now!’ Cheeky scamp!! When my three were babies I used to sing La Vie En Rose to them not a lullaby but a song my own Mumma sang to me. Long live the lullaby in all its forms!
.-= Careyannie´s last blog ..In the Thick of it!!! =-.
Long live the lullaby indeed!
My favorite lullaby is hush a bye mountain, I first heard it on Chitty Chitty bang bang, Very melodic and lyrics are beautiful! D x
.-= Dymphna´s last blog ..Wordless Wednesday – a day late .. =-.
I’ll have to look that one up too!
My favourite lullaby has to be Beautiful Dreamer! But Twinkle Twinkle is the one that everyone knows. DS even came home from nursery singing a new version!!!
A new version of Twinkle Twinkle? I know it has extra verses but shall keep my ears pinned back for the new version.
I love Zero 7!
I love the lullaby we sang at Sing and Sign, it’s the Brahms’ tune, and Twinkle Twinkle too. Sometimes the words catch in my throat when I sing to my children, because I am so happy that I have children to sing to.
Sorry, that’s far too sentimental. I’ll stop now!
.-= SandyCalico´s last blog ..Guest Post Day – Baby Baby Welcomes Sam from Mumazing =-.
That’s not too sentimental, it’s beautiful. I’m sometimes the same.
Oh My. That’s a horrible statistic! Now I’m not one that says that Mommy and Daddy’s music has no place in a parent’s lullaby lexicon, but the traditional lullabies are a meaningful component of our mass literacy and, yes, popular culture.
They also present a child’s first introduction to sounds and rhythym and have been found to encourage the early literacy skills a child needs – unlike “My Humps” or “All the Single Ladies.”
Before my third child was born, I was director of our province’s early literacy program and I know from experience that many parents don’t know these songs. I compiled a booklet of songs and rhymes that parents should know but always wished we had something like this cd to include so that parents would know HOW to sing the songs.
When my first was born I realised that I had forgotten some standards, but a quick internet search allowed me to find them again – and some new ones too!
Oh – and I don’t need the album, nor am I a UK reader so can’t win it anyway so don’t include my comment in your draw! Just wanted to “share” when I saw this post!
.-= Dara´s last blog ..Why I Wish My Son Were an X-Man =-.
We got a CD with a book of lullaby’s for Harry when he was tiny an in a desperate bid to help him settle (as my singing wasn’t helping!) we put on the CD an he settled lovely!!
He’s almost four an still has it played to him when he goes to bed everynight, its just part of his routine now! I do wonder if he’ll still want it when he’s 18! lol x
Mine is twinkle twinkle but I have personalised you are my sunshine for no1 but I’m still trying to find something for no2
.-= Muddling along mummy´s last blog ..A letter to my daughters – why I am going back to work =-.