This special new songbook was launched at Oxford's Westgate Library yesterday afternoon and I went along to take part in an enjoyable sing along with schoolchildren from St. Nicholas Primary School in Abingdon. The book will be available to download from the Oxford Inspires website soon. The songs in the book are written about historical events in Oxfordshire and is a great way to help children learn about their local heritage.
The project is a collaboration between the County Council, Sing London, Oxford Inspires, Oxfordshire County Council and The Oxford Folk festival. The songs were compiled by folk song expert Tim Healey from towns around Oxfordshire between the years 1521 to 1945. We learnt that these ballads were written to tell people about the news of the day. Without newspapers and radio, this was the way that everyday folk could inform everyone about a story that had to be told. So it's great to think they have all survived to be enjoyed by schoolchildren today.
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