FTX-622 - DENTRO UN VASO
Playground Games from Sardinia
48 Games including singing rings, skipping, ball-bouncing and counting-out
recorded by Father Damian Webb in Northern Sardinia in 1962. Those from LOTZORAI
(#1-13) represent a tradition, with a wide variety of themes, in which all the
village children took part. At DORGALI (#14-21) a block of Casi Populari formed
a normal street playground for a larger group of smaller children. The orphans
of NUORO (#22-47) live and play together and have a repertoire less likely to
heard elsewhere in the streets of Sardinian towns and villages.
Singing Games
1. DENTRO UN VASO (Inside a Vase) - 1'04"
2. TRE TAMBURS (Three Drummers) - 2'46"
3. C'ERA UN GOBBO (Once there was a hunchback) - 1'31"
4. LA BELLA VILLANA (The Beautiful Country Girl) - 2'06"
5. QUAND' ERO PICCOLINA (When I was a Youngster) - 0'53"
6. DOVE VAI A MARIA ? (Where is Mary going ?) - 1'49"
7. MADDALENA - 1'03"
8. INGINOCHIATI SANDRUCCIA ? (Are You Kneeling ?) - 1'55"
9. CHE COSA FAI NEL COVO O LEPROTIN ? (What are You doing in Your Lair ?) Game
of catch - 0'38"
10. LA SANTA CATERINA (St Catherine) Acted ballad - 1'52"
11. IN MESU DE UNA BINGIA (In the Middle of a Vineyard) - 0'35"
12. MADAMA LE FRULLE-FRULLE (Madame Egg-whisk) - 1'04"
13. LA SOLITUDINE - 0'55"
14. SIAMO SETTE CAVAGLIERI (We are Seven Horsemen) - 1'02"
15. 'O SMARRITA LA PECORELLA (I've Lost my Little Lamb) - 2'13"
16. PIAN' PIANINO (Quietly, More Quietly) - 1'00"
17. ECCO QUA QUELLO VECCHIETTA (Look at That Silly Old Woman) - 0'57"
18. MUOVE, LA ROSSELINA (Forward, Rossellina) - 0'52"
19. LA BELLA CHE DORME (The Sleeping Beauty/ Maria Giulia) - 0'33"
20. SPICCOLA SPICCOLA (Separate Separate) Counting fingers - 0'17"
21. GIRO GIRO TONDO (Round and Round We Go) - 1'03"
Ring Games:
22. LA POVERA CECCHINA (The Poor Little Blind Girl) Blind girl walks round
inside ring then in v.2 another leads her by the hand - 1'17"
23. O PECORINA (O Little Lamb) A dance mime in which they balance with arms
held high and holding hands, then in the chorus they stamp round like a water-wheel
- 2'26"
24. I COLORI DELL'ARCOBALENO (The Colours of the Rainbow) Another dance mime,
balancing with hands on hips, then turning partner slowly under arm, reverse
the ring and repeat (harmony in chorus) - 2'08"
25. QUEL' UCCELLETO (The Little Bird) Action ring - 1'12"
26. LE RONDINELLE (The Swallows) Dance mime in ring with repeated balance to
partner and opposite (harmony in ch) - 1'24"
27. CHE BEL NASIN CHE HA LA FORMICUZZA (What a Nose has the Little Ant) Another
dance mime - 1'37"
28. PUTRECCIAMO LE MANINE (We Cross Our Hands) Action ring making bridge, cradle
and birds nest - 1'06"
29. I TRENO (The Train) Snake winding through playground gathering members
and getting faster till it flies to bits - 1'00"
30. IL GATTO (Pussy-Cat) The "cat" closes eyes, with hands over face, while
the ring goes round him. One hits him and he opens his eyes and chases the hitter
in and out of the ring until caught - 1'07"
31. TOPOLINO TOPOLETTA (Little mouse) The one in the middle sings the verse.
At the end of each line the others sing out "Zumbaba" and at the end they just
clap (Cf the English: "Sally go round the Moon") - 1'04"
32. TOPOLINO TOPOLINO (2) Topolino is in the centre while the ring represent
the "garden". One stands outside and asks the questions. After "resto", they
either start again or after "fugo" (flee) there is a chase in and out of the
circle - 0'42"
33. GESO CRISTO E ANDATO IN FRANCIA E MADDALENA RESTA DENTRO (Jesus Christ
has gone to France and Maddalena remains behind) Acted out ballad. Those circling
describe the fate of the girl in the centre, and she pretends to be overwhelmed
at each verse - 1'10"
34. BALLIAM BALLIAMO O VIRGINI (Let's dance, dance, O virgins) Circle "Dance
of the Virgins" in which one child faces out until the whole ring is the same
(Cf "Wallflowers" and "Green Gravel" in England) - 0'19"
35. OLIANA MALA ZENTE (Bad Men of Oliana) Dialect rhyme or song of derision
ending with noise and cat-calls - 0'28"
36. CICIU PUDDU CASSADORE (C P Hunter) As #35 - 0'25"
Skipping rhymes:
37. POMO, ARANCIA, LIMA, LIMONE, MANDARINA (Apple, orange, lime. lemon & mandarin) - 0'39"
38. NEL FIUME NUOTA IL PESCE (Fish Swimming in the River) - 0'18"
39. CICCIO PASTICCIA (Troublesome Donkey) - 0'30"
40. REGNA IL REGNO (The Frog he Reigns) - 0'12"
41. PRESSO LO ZOCCOLO (Beside the Clog) - 0.14
42. STRAPPICCIATI GLI OCCHIETTI (Rub Your Eyes) - 0'18"
43. PISA PISELLI (Peas, Little Peas) - 0'15"
44. CON UN ETTO DI FARINO (What a Measure of Flour) Slow and graceful with
mimed actions - 1'18"
45. LE TRE OCCHINE (Three Little Eyes) Ball game - 0'15"
46. PALLA UNA ESCE LA LUNA (Ball Number One, Out Goes the Moon) - 0'36"
47. AULI ULE CHI TE MUSE Counting-out rhyme - 0'09"
NOTE: On tracks #33-43: There is a slight technical defect on the originals.
Recorded by Damiian Webb & edited by Peter Kennedy & first published
on Folktrax cassettes 1981.
