Nonsense Gardens
Edward Lear’s 1871 Anthology: ‘Nonsense Songs, Stories, Botany and Alphabets’
Edward Lear wrote many songs, most of which have unfortunately been lost over time. We joined with the amazing St Leonard’s-on-Sea Explore The Arch project A Town Explores A Book to create songs for Lear. Silverdale Primary Academy and Christ Church Primary Academy explored drawing and writing Nonsense Songs based on imagination and gardens. While our SongSeeds afterschool songwriting club and half-term bootcamp, used Lear as a springboard from Nonsense Gardens to a Sea of Dreams.
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You don’t have to miss out!
We had a brilliant Live Broadcast session with Isolation Station Hastings & A Town Explores A Book. We went live at 7pm on Thursday 8th April and finished at 8.40pm! Lily Kim chatted to some of our song creators and played their songs: Andrew Mersh with Silverdale Primary Academy, Claire Burford with Christ Church CE Primary Academy, Course Leader Anna Page and songs from Twinkle Ansar, Sharon Baverstock, Maia Doye, Clara Patroa Lomba, Ted McIntosh, Marina Rolfe, Eve Simmonds and Stan Thornton.
Eve and Clara played live at Badger Inc Bar and Social Club.
You can watch it on facebook on catch-up.
Thank you so much to Badger Inc Bar and Social Club on Hastings seafront, who played the songs outside every day from 7th April – 15th April.
Nonsense Songs
Inspired by Edward Lear, our after-school group produced a collaborative song: The Creatures I Keep Inside https://soundcloud.com/hastings-thrives/garden-of-my-mind
A First For Stan
Stan produced his very first and incredibly imaginative song Sweet Sweet Animals, sung here by Course Lead Anna Page, with the lyrics below.
Sweet Sweet Animals
by Stan Thornton
Chorus
SWEET SWEET ANIMALS OF MY MIND
LOOK THEM UP AND YOU WILL FIND
SWEET SWEET ANIMALS OF MY MIND
SO VERY STRANGE, SO MANY KINDS
Verse 1
Candyfloss dragons are not friends,
with the hot dog crocodiles,
and their starfish pens,
that truly go on for miles.
Liquorice ants drive bubblegum cars,
that run on pineapple syrup,
down purple roads lined with guitars,
in the weirdest corners of roman Europe.
Chorus
SWEET SWEET ANIMALS OF MY MIND
LOOK THEM UP AND YOU WILL FIND
SWEET SWEET ANIMALS OF MY MIND
SO VERY STRANGE, SO MANY KINDS
Verse 2
The bad mango trout of Ireland,
eat the cyan rabbits of chad,
bring the carcasses to my husband,
which makes the locals rather mad.
I’ve seen the rare chocolate racoon,
eating fine marmalade burgers,
with the crazy cranberry baboon,
I think I’ll go a little bit further.
Chorus
SWEET SWEET ANIMALS OF MY MIND
LOOK THEM UP AND YOU WILL FIND
SWEET SWEET ANIMALS OF MY MIND
SO VERY STRANGE, SO MANY KINDS
Silverdale Primary Academy
The Rubyixucum. Watch the movie, listen to the song and click on the images below to see some fantastic imagination and heartfelt messages.
Song lyrics
The Rubyixucum
Verse 1
Hiding in the twists and turns,
The Rubyixucum,
(The Rubyixucum?) THE RUBYIXUCUM.
If you are wondering if you’re nice,
The Ruby plant does not think twice.
And gobbles you up. (Crunch!)
Chorus
Tip-toe through our garden,
Tip-toe. What will you find?
Make sure you’re cautious as you venture through our garden.
Don’t lose your mind.
Verse 2
Beauty like wisteria,
The noisy Bellila
(The noisy Bellila?) THE NOISY BELLILA!
Sharp with swords that look like hearts,
Razor sharp like poison darts
And screams when scared! (AGGGHH!)
Bridge
The garden now is overgrown but never wants to feel alone.
All our plants would love it if you stayed (please don’t go!)
Hairalaua hair so long and Vino-sado-happium,
Spikodino really needs a friend…(OR SOME LUNCH!)
The Gardeo is kind of nice? (UM?) The Krindaling, it will suffice! (Yeah!)
Grabaxiam won’t hurt you if you stay?! (Or stay away!)
Chorus
Tip-toe through our garden,
Tip-toe. What will you find?
Make sure you’re cautious as you venture through our garden.
Don’t lose your mind.
Christ Church Primary Academy
Listen to really fun songs full of imagination and delight.
Song lyrics
The Penatroska
By Melanie, Fiona, Lily-May, Matthew, Soheil, Kosma
The Penatroska is a squaska
who lives by the sea
He usually has his tea
with his best friend Owltree
The Penatroska is a squaska
Who eats his house keys.
His feet smell like cheese
Which hurt his own knees.
The Penatroska is a squaska
Who got stung by bees
That came from his sneeze,
That came from his sneeze,
That came from his sneeze.
The Octopussy
by Lydia, Sienna, Lillie, Rene, Chloe and Lauren
The Octopussy was drinking tea
and eating biscuits under the sea
with his friend the Lightbulb Fish
Who decided to make a splendid dish
Deep underground lived a seahound
Who met them both when he almost drowned
So the three friends decided it was time
To sing a song and write a rhyme
The rhyme was good so they thought it was time
They should sing and dance and shimmer and shine
And now they have a million pounds
And live in a palace with the seahound
The Forkalla
by Rubi, Anahbelle, Aisha, Jannah and Noah
The Forkalla was manipula as usuala
He was pestering the key Monster.
The Key Monster was a lurecious sold.
And the Forkalla was manipula, manipula, manipula
The Forkalla was manipula as usuala.
The Nitsune was trapped by the Treedoa,
Who was sleeping for a thousand years.
So the Key Monster used the top of his head
To unlock the door, unlock the door,
Unlock the door of Treedoa.
So the Forkalla was as manipula as usuala.
The Daddy Plong Legs
By Riley, Kleo, Barney, Mohammed, Miruna and Jared
The Daddy Plong Legs played with his pegs
While eating a rotten egg.
They clogged up his tummy so he called for his Mummy
He drank a pinky ponky wine, he drank a pinky ponky wine
He drank a pinky ponky wine and then he was fine.
The Key bird
By Laila, Mollie, Lewis, Hassam, Amelia and Toby
The key bird was kicked out of her herd,
Because she ate too much lemon curd.
She got big too big to fit in her herd
So they sent her away, away, away
They sent her away, away.
They sent her away, away, away
They sent her away.
YiaYia’s Recording Studio
The course included a WOW trip to YiaYia’s Recording Studio. All the young people were able to record their collaborative and own song. All done without any rehearsals! Pretty amazing!! Yiote and Jessica were excellent at putting everyone at ease.
“It’s the best day of my life.”
Cliff Crawford
Visual artist Cliff Crawford created some very interesting digital drawings from the Isolation Station broadcast.
