Children's
Movies
My Self
"My Self" by Ruth Calder Murphy (Arciemme)
This song is sung, on the video, by my three children, Keziah, Joel and Esther Grace.
I wrote it for the year one children at Southgrove Primary School in Walthamstow, London, in 2005.
My Self - Lyrics
By Ruth Calder Murphy (Arciemme)
Here's My Self,
This is Me,
I am special as anyone can see!
I'm special in the way I walk,
I'm special in the way I talk,
Special in the way I work and play,
There's no-one else who's just like me
And that's a special way to be,
Everybody's special in their own special way.
Going to the Seaside
I love going to the seaside! I love the sounds, the smells, the sights. I love the feel of the sand and the taste of the salty sea. It's a truly multi-sensory experience!
In this video, I'm singing to the sound of the waves, crashing on the shore.
Going to the Seaside - Lyrics
By Ruth calder Murphy (Arciemme)
We’re going to the seaside,
where the seashore’s slapped
by the surf-topped sighs of the seas,
where the cormorants and gulls
ride the turning tide
and the rock pools shelter red anemones.
Chorus: Where the air is tangy
and the beach is sandy
and the cliffs are kissed by the breeze.
We’re going to the seaside
where the gulls cry loud
over susurration of the salty seas.
We’re going to the seaside
where high cliffs are formed
by the waves that crash on the land,
and the sea against the stones
over many years
turn the biggest rocks
to finest golden sand.
Chorus:
We’re going to the seaside
where the silver moon
makes the ocean move in its tide
and the seaweed-tangled water
under white-flecked waves
is where jellyfish and crabs and oysters hide.
Chorus:
History
This section contains history videos. I will be adding more, from time-to-time. If you have a favourite historical topic that you'd like me to write a song about (free of charge) please ask your parents if you can contact me and I'll do my best to write one for you!
World War Two Children
I wrote this song to help year five children learn about the second world war and specifically about the how the children who lived at the time may have felt.
In this video, I'm playing the piano and my brother, Mark Calder, is singing.
World War Two Children - Lyrics
By Ruth Calder Murphy (Arciemme)
Carrying gas masks, evacuation,
waving goodbye to soldiers at the station,
moving away from your family,
was second world wartime reality.
Waking at night to the wailing sirens,
huddling in shelters, shivering and frightened,
eating the food rationed out to you
and drawing the blinds when they told you to.
Who would come home? Would your home still be there?
Living a life that was more like a nightmare,
children moved out from the dangerous towns,
far from the bombs and the air raid sounds.
Out in the country the children made space
for the newcomers who had left their own place.
Everyone compromised for the good
of winning the war, as they felt they should.
Carrying gas masks, evacuation,
waving goodbye to soldiers at the station,
moving away from your family,
was second world wartime reality.
Henry's Wives
I do love history, though sometimes it CAN be horrible! This song was written to help year five children to learn the facts about Henry the 8th and his six wives.
In this video, I'm playing the piano and my brother, Mark Calder, is singing.
Henry's Wives - Lyrics
By Ruth Calder Murphy (Arciemme)
Henry the Eighth was a powerful king,
when he first got crowned, he was young and slim.
The people loved him, he was just their sort;
he was good at music, he was good at sport.
Chorus:
Henry the Eighth wanted just one thing,
to have a little son
who could be the next king.
He married several wives
but that didn't pay -
they kept having girls
so he chucked 'em away.
Catherine of Aragon, number one,
didn't last long, though she had a son.
The boy soon died so Henry told the Pope:
"Give me a divorce so I can elope."
Chorus
The Pope refused - it was just not right
so Anne Boleyn was married out of sight.
He made a church to do what Henry said.
('Cause the new Archbishop valued his head.)
Chorus
Anne didn't give him the wanted heir
so she was beheaded, which is just not fair.
the King then married his third wife, Jane
and he got a little boy, so was happy again.
Chorus
Jane died in labour and that was sad;
She was the favourite wife out of all he'd had --
he married Anne of Cleves, but he thought her plain,
so he got rid of her and he started again.
Chorus
Wife number five was Catherine Howard,
but for Tudor times she was too "empowered".
When Henry found out she'd been up to tricks
he began to look for wife number six.
Chorus
Catherine Parr was his final wife
and she stayed alive the rest of Henry's life.
In 1547, Henry died
but Parr was lucky: She survived.
Chorus:
Science
This section contains science videos. I'll be adding more from time-to-time. I hope you enjoy them!
Light
I wrote this song to help year 6 children learn facts about light for their SATs tests.
In this video, I'm playing the piano and my brother, Mark Calder, is singing.
Light - Lyrics
By Ruth Calder Murphy (Arciemme)
Chorus:
Light is all around us,
That is how we see,
Daytime mainly from the sun,
At night from electricity.
Some things give out light themselves,
The sun, electric lights and stars,
Other things reflect the light,
The moon, your mirror, earth and mars.
Chorus
Light will only travel straight,
It won’t go round things in its way,
Shadows form when light is blocked,
Long at dawn, short at midday.
Chorus
Light goes very, very fast,
It’s quicker far than sound can go,
Three hundred million metres in
A second. How? I do not know.
Chorus
Light reflects off shiny things,
It bounces off and makes them bright.
Dull and dark things don’t reflect –
They swallow, and absorb the light.
Chorus
Light’s essential, gives us life,
It wakes us up and helps us see,
Makes water sparkle, paints the sky,
And gives us all our energy.
Chorus
Water
"Water!" was written to fit in with year the six science and geography curriculum. I find it incredible to think that all of our water is the same water that's always been there, since water was!
The Water Song
- By Ruth Calder Murphy (Arciemme)
Long ago when the earth was formed
And the seas were the place to be,
Before the dinosaurs roamed the land,
Or the birds sang from every tree,
Water started to evaporate,
Rise to the sky and congregate,
Make clouds heavy and precipitate,
And now the same water is here for you and me.
Water's in limited supply --
So it just goes around and around,
From the oceans up to the sky,
And from there back to the ground.
Water always will evaporate,
Rise to the sky and congregate,
Make clouds heavy and precipitate,
It's still the same water that's here for you and me.
So before you wash your face,
Think how old that water is.
The very same stuff that's in your bath,
Caesar might have had in his!
'Cause water always will evaporate,
rise to the sky and congregate,
Make clouds heavy and precipitate,
It's still the same water that's here for you and me.
Words and music by Ruth Calder Murphy (Arciemme) 2005
Seasons and Festivals
Harvest Song
I'm a Summer person, really... but I love all the seasons and like to remember, when the Harvest is gathered in, or when the frosts come, that it's all a part of the circle of life and that Winter leads back into Spring and death into life.
Harvest Song
- by Ruth Calder Murphy -
The corn is cut,
the grain is stored
and in the sleeping Earth
are whispers of the coming Spring,
and glorious rebirth.
The corn is cut,
the grain is stored
against the Autumn rain
but with the seasons' quickening,
they shall be born again.
The Reaper's scythe
can cut them down
but on the Harvest's breath,
the joyful susurration sighs
that life is born of death...
So seeds of life
are born today
as corn is gathered in,
for every seed of golden grain
will grow another Spring.
Death in life
and life in death,
the joyful news proclaim:
that from the scythe that ushers death,
Life will come again.
The corn is cut,
the grain is stored
and in the sleeping Earth
are whispers of the coming Spring,
and glorious rebirth.
Mabon song
This is very similar to "Harvest Song" and is saying the same things in slightly different ways. Which one do you prefer, and why?
Mabon Song
- by Ruth Calder Murphy -
Cut the corn and store the grain,
lay the Summer in the Earth,
die that life will come again;
Darkness leads to Light's rebirth.
Dance to Harvest gathered in,
Sing the song of golden corn,
Echoes of the far-off Spring,
Summer that will be re-born.
Cut the corn and store the grain,
lay the Summer in the Earth,
die that life will come again;
Darkness leads to Light's rebirth.
Dance to all that is Divine,
Sing with one exalting breath;
Join through every place and time -
Death in Life and Life in Death.
Cut the corn and store the grain,
lay the Summer in the Earth,
die that life will come again,
Darkness leads to Light's rebirth.
Dance the dance of Evermore,
Sing the song of Everything,
Earth, air, fire and water, pour -
Harvest safely gathered in.
Cut the corn and store the grain,
lay the Summer in the Earth,
die that life will come again,
Darkness leads to Light's rebirth.
Dance to Spirit, infinite
Sing to Air, Fire, Water, Earth,
Dance the Day and dance the Night,
Darkness leads to Light's rebirth.
Cut the corn and store the grain,
lay the Summer in the Earth,
die that life will come again,
Darkness leads to Light's rebirth.
Religion and Mythology
Genesis Song
"Genesis Song" was written as part of a series of slightly tongue-in-cheek looks at various Biblical themes. Watch this space - I might post some of the others here, too!
Genesis song
By Ruth calder Murphy (Arciemme)
In the beginning was the Word
and the Word was with God
and the Word - well he WAS God - and he said:
"Now let there be light"
and whaddya know? There was!
from the darkness, there was light, like a rising from the dead.
Pre-chorus:
And God was looking on
and he liked what he could see
and he said "This is very, very good."
So the Word spoke again
and there was land and sea and sky
and everything was just the way it should, should, should
be in his love.
Then people came along
and they liked to do their thing,
even if it meant they were alone and sad,
so they got sent away,
from the Love they went astray,
and frankly, this was silly and really rather bad.
Chorus:
And God was looking on
and he probably rolled his eyes
and he might have wondered if they'd ever learn,
but he loved them nonetheless
and was guiding all their lives
giving them every opportunity to turn, turn, turn
back to his love.
Cain and Abel were a pair;
brotherly love was lacking there
and Cain beat up Abel -- killed him dead.
So, out into the world
Cain was sent, all by himself
But God put a mark (to protect him) on his head.
Chorus:
And God was looking on
and he probably rolled his eyes
and he might have wondered if they'd ever learn,
but he loved them nonetheless
and was guiding all their lives
giving them every opportunity to turn, turn, turn
back to his love.
Now giants ruled the earth
(yes; that is what it says!)
and people, they got worse all the time,
so Noah built an ark
and the promise, it went out:
If you get into the ark, you will be absolutely fine!
Chorus:
And God was looking on
and he probably rolled his eyes
and he might have wondered if they'd ever learn,
but he loved them nonetheless
and was guiding all their lives
giving them every opportunity to turn, turn, turn
back to his love.
So the flood came and went
and a rainbow then appeared
saying that the flood would never come again,
But the people didn't learn
- Noah himself was pretty bad! -
there would be consequences (could be anything but rain).
Chorus:
And God was looking on
and he probably rolled his eyes
and he might have wondered if they'd ever learn,
but he loved them nonetheless
and was guiding all their lives
giving them every opportunity to turn, turn, turn
back to his love.
The next thing you know,
the people built a tower
that would reach (so they hoped) to heaven's gates.
To put an end to their pride,
God jumbled up their speech
so they couldn't plot and scheme and conspire with their mates.
Chorus:
And God was looking on
and he probably rolled his eyes
and he might have wondered if they'd ever learn,
but he loved them nonetheless
and was guiding all their lives
giving them every opportunity to turn, turn, turn
back to his love.
And despite the ups and downs,
the Love was running through
this story from the darkness at the start,
with a promise and a purpose
and an ever-open call
to come back and live again, home in God's loving heart.
Chorus:
And God was looking on
and he probably rolled his eyes
and he might have wondered if they'd ever learn,
but he loved them nonetheless
and was guiding all their lives
giving them every opportunity to turn, turn, turn
back to his love.