FTX-621 - SOTTO IL
PONTE
Playground Games from Italy
Italian singing, skipping, ball-bouncing, counting-out
and catching games recorded by Father Damian Webb at Anghiari, Tuscany (1.26)
and in the Rome area in 1961 (27-33), and at Badalucco in the foothills of the
Alps in 1966. Many of the games display striking similarities in form and style
with those played in Britain and Ireland, of these perhaps the most outstanding
is I SOLDATINI (#51), widely known in England as ROMAN SOLDIERS, so our game
may well be a tenacious legacy of the Roman invasion.
Skipping (1-8):-
1. SOTTO IL PONTE (Underneath the Bridge) - 0'31"
2. TRE COLONNE DI SAN PIETRO (Three Columns of St Peter) - 0'28"
3. APELLE, FIGLIO D'APOLLO (Apelle, Son of Apollo) - 0'17"
4. TRE ASINELLI (Three Donkeys) (1) - 0'12"
5. TRE PISCATORE (Three Fishermen) - 0'20"
6. PALLA, PALLINA (Ball, little ball) - 0'19"
7. APELLE, FIGLIO D'APOLLO (2) - 0'26"
8. I NUMERI (The numbers) - 0'18"
Ball-bouncing (9-13):-
9. RINOCEROMTE (Rhinoceros) Elaborate single ball action game - 0'23"
10. OLI-E STAMBL-E, STANDA FERMA (O S, Stand Still) - 0'17"
11. I DUE ASINELLI (The Two Donkeys) (2) - 0'14"
12. ACQUA TORRENTE (Running Water) - 0'09"
13. MOTO, SENZA MOTO (Move, Without Moving) girl/ boy - 0'39"
14. LA GALLINA (The hen) Skipping including crouching under rope - 0'29"
15. GIRO GIRO TONDO (Round and Round I go) (1) Ring game dropping down on last
line (Cf "Ring-a-roses") - 0'30"
16. FARFALLINA, BELLA BIANCA (Butterfly, Beauteous White) Ring Game with clapping
on "Tra-la-la" - 0'46"
17. QUANDO E'L TEMPO DELLE CILIEGIE (When it's cherry-time) Circle then promenade
or swing in pairs - 0'36"
18. ECCO L'AMBASCIATORE (Here Come the Ambassadors) (1) One child versus a
line, moving fore and back in dialogue, changing sides each time (Cf "Here we
go gathering nuts in May") - 1'10"
19. O CHE BEL CASTELLO (What a Fine Castle) As previous but operating with
two circles, the smaller starting with only 2 children taking "stones" from
the larger one - 1'00"
20. MARIA GUILIA, DI DOVE SEI VENUTA? (O Where have you been, MG?) One child,
blindfolded in centre, does actions as others move round her, then kisses the
first boy or girl touched by the centre child - 0'29"
21. O QUANTE BELLE FIGLIE (O What Beautiful Daughters) Similar to #19 with
dialogue between 2 revolving circles, the larger opening up, to let in a girl
from the smaller, finally the larger makes a gap to let the smaller out - 1'03"
22. MAMMA, MAMMA POLLAIOLA (Mother, Mother Henkeeper) Solo child walks round
outside the circle, which represents "the Hen-keeper", and at the end she replaces
the "nicest chicken" who becomes the new one in the centre - 0'32"
23. MAESTRO CILIEGA (Mister Cherryman) Ring game with actions imitating nuns
praying, aeroplanes beating wings, washerwomen scrubbing knees, trumpeters etc.
- 1'05"
24. SON TRECENTO CAVALIERI (There are Three Hundred Horsemen) Ring game, breaking
into pairs, who dance to each other 3 times, then swing as fast as possible
- 0'34"
25. (a) SPICHEI MEI RIPROPRO/ (b) AMBRO BACCHO CICOCO/ (c) MOSCONDORO LA LINCIA/
(d) AMBLEBLE Counting-out solo rhymes - 1'21"
26. NASCONDINO (Hiding) with seeker's preliminary call - 0.23
27. SUL MARE LUCCICA (On the Shining Sea) The well-known "Santa Lucia" sung
with grand chain, walking, then running - 0'47"
28. IL GALLETTO Ring with "cock and hen" singing chorus together - 1'12"
29. SUONA, SUONA L'ORGANETTO (Play, Play the accordion) Two lines, boys and
girls. Boys side kneel offering hand to the girls who lift them upright again,
then the top couple galop up and down the set while others "la-la" and clap
- 0'382
30. GIARDINO RARO (Garden, So Rare) Ring game - 1'47"
31. L'ALTRO GIORNO IL BABBO MIO (The Other Day, my Daddy) Ring game with actions
- 1'06"
32. FUOCHI ARTIFICIALI (Fireworks) Ring game with clapping and miming when
the rocket goes up - 1'05"
33. GIRO, GIRO TONDO (2) - 1'19"
34. LA SOLITUDINE (v1) Ring revolving round pair in centre, then (v2) each
chooses a partner and circle goes round four (v3) "La-la" & clapping while
2 pairs gallop separately - 0'39"
35. LA CAVALLINA (The Young Mare) - 0'45"
36. TRE FORMICHE (Three Ants) - 2'11"
37. IL MAZZOLIN DI FIORI (The Bunch of Flowers) solo/ch - 2'00"
38. GIRO TONDO (3) - 0'26"
39. MAMMA - 1'12"
40. SON TRE NOTTI (For Three Nights) - 0'59"
41. MIO NONNINO GIACOMETTO (My Little Grandad Jack) - 0'22"
42. E ARRIVATO L'AMBASCIATORE (2) - 1'22"
43. DAI UNA SPINTA (Give a Push) - 1'51"
44. MI CHIAMO LOLA, SPAGNOLA (My name's Lola from Spain) - 0'49"
45. IL CALENDARIO D'UNA BAMBINA (The Child's Calendar) 1'58"
46. TOPOLINO, TOPOLETTO - 2'06"
47. LA MAMMA POLLAIOLA (2) solo/ch - 1'45"
48. IL MARITO BIONDO LO VOGLIONO (A Fair Husband I Want) - 3'00"
49. FARFALLINI (Butterflies) with clapping - 0'42"
50. LA SOLITUDINE (2) - 1'49"
51. I SOLDATINI with stamping & "shoot, bang, fire" - 0'54"
52. CON QUATRO QUATTRINI (With Four Coins) with church bells & applause
at end - 1'25"
#27-32 Orphans at SUORE FRANCESCANE MISSIONARIE DI EGITTO, Via dei Genovesi
11B, TRASTEVERE. #33 Infants at SCUOLA ELEMENTARE FEMINILE MAESTRA PIE FILIPPINI,
Via Cabota 16, ROMA. #34-35 Junior girls at LA SCUOLA ELEMENTARE, Via Galvani,
Roma. #36- 42 at BADALUCCO Primary School & #43-52 at the local orphanage.
Recorded by Father Damian Webb 1961 & 1966. Edited by Peter Kennedy & first published on Folktrax cassettes 1981.
