Sing a Song of Sixpence
This English nursery rhyme has obscure origins dating back to the 17th century. 16th century cook books make reference to “make pies so that birds may be alive in them and fly out when it is cut up”. Obviously the birds were not in the pie when if was first baked! The words have changed over the centuries. Here is our version.
Sing a song of sixpence,
A pocket full of rye.
Four and twenty blackbirds
Baked in a pie.
When the pie was opened
The birds began to sing;
Wasn’t that a dainty (or dandy) dish
To set before the king?
The king was in his counting house,
Counting out his money;
The queen was in the parlour,
Eating bread and honey.
The maid was in the garden,
Hanging out the clothes,
When down came a blackbird
And pecked off her nose.
There are many versions available on Youtube. We sing the version arranged by J Michael Diack in the style of Hansel, demonstrated here by the Carlton Male Voice Choir.
