Sunset Over Morecambe Bay

Songwriting at Sandylands Primary School

Chris Barlow, an education lecturer from University of Cumbria, has been involved in the The Morecambe Bay Curriculum since it's very beginning. Last year he organised a Morecambe Bay inspired song writing session with Y6 children at Sandylands Primary School last year. One of the songs in particular really captured people's attention and with support from Alison Hickson the head at Sandylands he decided to record it and make a video with the band he plays in. 

The song was one of five songs create by himself and 3 local singer songwriters based on children's lyric ideas. Chris says it was wonderful to frantically work to add tunes to the children's lyrics during lunchtime, then being able to sing the children 'their' songs immediately after lunch. 

Chris believes that place-based learning drawing on children's own experiences and emotions can really allow children's imaginations to flow. All the lyrics were written by the children and are a wonderful representation of the bay and their relationship with their place in the world. Children used mind-mapping of their own likes about the place supported by a collection of photographs to inspire children's thinking as part of a Glastonbury Festival Day organised by this highly creative school. Here are the lyrics and a link to the song and subsequent video.

Chris says he'll be using this in his geography seminars at university as an example of cross-curricular learning with geography, music  and creative writing. It's even downloadable for a small price (£0.79) should you wish to.

Purchase Link

https://hiroshimatwinkie.bandcamp.com/track/the-sunset-over-morecambe-bay

 

Download PDF: Sunset over Morecambe Bay Lyrics