3. Samuel Pepys and The Great Fire of London - part 1

School Radio > Music KS1 > History - Famous People

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5 - Part 6 - Part 7 - Part 8 - Part 9 - Teacher's Notes

The tutorial: learn the song

Exploring London - and the River Thames in particular - in the period immediately before the Great Fire.

We learn the songs 'Flow, flow, flow' and 'Loaves of bread and puddings and pies'. We also hear from Samuel Pepys' about the terrible plague in London in the previous year (1665) in extracts from his diaries and visit Thomas Farrynor’s bakery in Pudding Lane, where the Great Fire started.

Song: 'Flow, flow, flow'

'Flow, flow, flow' is a soft, lyrical song about the rising and falling waters of the River Thames.

Once you have learnt the song by singing with vocal version polish your performance by singing with the backing track.

Flow, flow, flow

Click here for the lyric sheet.

Click here for the music sheet.

Song: 'Loaves of bread and puddings and pies'

'Loaves of bread' is a contrasting song that is lively with a quick tempo.

Once you have learnt the song by singing with vocal version polish your performance by singing with the backing track.

Click here for the lyric sheet.

Click here for the music sheet.

Listening music / activity

Mime the actions of some 17th century instruments in time with the music:

• the recorder and flageolet (another kind of whistle or flute)
• viol
• theorbo (a kind of big lute)
• harpsichord (a keyboard instrument, like an early piano)

Resources

More from this series

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5 - Part 6 - Part 7 - Part 8 - Part 9 - Teacher's Notes

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