Songs for Wolves

[5thGenTexan]

Is Scout Vespers too difficult for Wolves or can they handle it?

 

Working on my campfire program.

[qwazse]

Every group of boys is different. Especially at that age.

I think you should give it a try. Even if they don't get the words, I think they will understand the feeling of reverence.

Pay attention to the wind. I find younger scouts are often not prepared to deal with smoke from a campfire. Make sure adults know they may need to help scouts who think they just "have" to circle up.

[The Latin Scot]

So, my parents are Wolf den leaders - they are also professional music teachers and performers. You wouldn't believe the music they have gotten out of those Wolves - I've already heard them singing Scout Vespers, along with every other song in my dad's personal vintage Cub Scout Songbook, old folk songs, church hymns, silly melodies - the most important thing to remember with kids is that they inherently LOVE to sing, and learn a LOT by doing it. 

So you go and you sing Scout Vespers with them - I bet you'll be amazed at how quickly they learn it!

Edited September 9, 2018 by The Latin Scot

[5thGenTexan]

Next question is... do we learn the usual Scout Vespers or the Cub Scout Vespers?

 

As the night comes to this land,
On my promise I will stand,
I will help the pack to go,
As our pack helps me to grow.
Yes, I'll always give goodwill,
I'll follow my Akela still.
And before I stop to rest,
I will do my very best.

As the night comes to this land,
On my promise I will stand.
I will help the Pack to go,
As our Pack helps me to grow.
Yes, I'll always give goodwill,
I'll follow my Akela still.
And before I stop to rest,
I will do my very best.

[Treflienne]

23 hours ago, 5thGenTexan said:

Is Scout Vespers too difficult for Wolves or can they handle it?

 

Working on my campfire program. 

Welcome back.  I hope you have a great year this year with the boys.

[qwazse]

12 hours ago, 5thGenTexan said:

Next question is... do we learn the usual Scout Vespers or the Cub Scout Vespers?

..

I think, since they are all trying to learn the Oath and Law, use the usual one.

This used to annoy me a lot as a kid ... when adults would try to teach us parody of a song to fit a context. Sometimes ... it's a novel idea. All the time ... and you think, "Why can't I sing this little light of mine as is?"

That's partly how I was brought up. It didn't matter that I couldn't understand the words. When I was at my brother's house, he'd play me every Arabic album that he had. I didn't realize what a big deal it was to have heard those singers as an American until many years later when I met more guys from the Middle East.

Which makes me wonder, history buffs ... was Scout Vespers an original? Or was the tune from something else?

[Treflienne]

15 minutes ago, qwazse said:

Which makes me wonder, history buffs ... was Scout Vespers an original? Or was the tune from something else?

O Tannenbaum 

[The Latin Scot]

26 minutes ago, Treflienne said:

O Tannenbaum 

Yep. The tune we know as "O Christmas Tree" was simply lifted and used for Vespers because it was a familiar melody that lots of people already knew. 

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, most music was learned that way - people as a rule knew dozens of familiar melodies, and they would simply fit in different lyrics based on occasion, setting, or performance. In schools, it was absolutely essential for children to learn music and basic music theory, as much as it was for them to learn their letters and numbers. In early American churches, people already knew all the common melodies of the day, and hymnbooks would simply include the hymn lyrics, which would be sung to whichever familiar melody the music director indicated for that particular service 

On the stage, any singer worth his salt would have had to know all the popular melodies AND lyrics of the day, as would any and all instrumentalists accompanying him. Audience members would shout out favorite lyrics and the name of the tune to which they wanted to hear it sung, and singers were expected to know them and sing them from heart. And they did - there were no TV's or radios or internet to amuse people, so singing songs in parlours, theaters, bars, homes, et cetera was the universal way of entertaining oneself, one's friends, and one's audience. EVERYBODY knew the same songs, the sames melodies, and there was a general culture of shared musical appreciation. Now, that culture is all but extinct, and would be completely foreign to the modern layman save for the vestiges of that tradition left in the now-trivial habit of singing familiar songs with personalized lyrics, usually in a light-minded manner to children. The richer vibrancy of the past cultural tradition has been lost.

So when the Cub Scout Songbook and Boy Scout Songbook were compiled in the early half of the last century, they simply followed an age-old practice of using common, well-known tunes and fitting to them lyrics that would be relevant or instructive to their target audience. So basically, the tune named "O Tannenbaum" is known in the States as "Oh Christmas Tree," which is the same tune we use for "Scout Vespers," but which can be used for whatever special lyrics you see fit to teach them. 

😉

[SSScout]

Choices.  I favor only the first verse:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7NjLAi5Alw   

 

[5thGenTexan]

OK, I am going to send out an email.  It would probably help if they work on this at home.  My boy says they know O' Christmas Tree from school, so they already know the tune, just need to learn the lyrics