Silly songbirds; Pupils singing praises of music packs, all in the worst possible taste

Evening Chronicle (Newcastle, England), April 4, 2008

Byline: By NICOLA JUNCAR

TYNESIDE schoolchildren are snubbing chart hits for some seriously silly songs.

A book of songs with titles such as Hip Hop Dog and Don't Let a Fish Ride Your Bicycle, is getting youngsters singing.

Last year, Newcastle Music Service released a Singing School pack, which contained five songbooks including one called Seriously Silly Songs.

The packs were distributed to all of the primary schools in the city in a bid to get more children involved in music and to encourage pupils, especially boys, to form a choir.

The songbooks have been so successful that the Music Service has released a second series, which was launched yesterday.

More than 100 youngsters from Gosforth Central Middle School, St Michael's RC Primary, in Elswick, and Wingrove Primary, in Fenham, gathered to sing the new songs to their teachers.

The packs will now be sent out to other primary schools for more pupils to enjoy.

The new pack also features the song Gunfight at Old Eldon Square.

Sylvia Robinson, the music coordinator for Broadway East First School, in Gosforth, said: "We are taking part in the Singing Schools challenge and the children are really enjoying it."

Steve Halsey, head of Newcastle Music Service, said: "To see the enjoyment and the enthusiasm generated by the shared experience of singing together has made all our hard work well worth it."

CAPTION(S):

COOL TUNES: Boys are enjoying the silly school challeng; GIRLS ALLOWED: Pupils enjoy singing to the music pack; AIR GUITAR: A Pupil lets himself go to the music; ENTHUSIASM: Head of music service Steve Halsey