Railway History of Cambridge
Rhythm, Rhymes & Railways
Historyworks is pleased to announce that we are going to be unveiling the new sculpture called 'the Romsey R' in Cambridge on 1st December 2019, and for this occasion we have commissioned new pieces from the poet Michael Rosen and the CBBC's Horrible Hisories Songwriters about the local area. We are rehearsing choirs to perform for a concert and singing procession. In order to reach as many children and families as possible in Romsey and Petersfield, we are working for the Public Art officers at Cambridge City Council to include all the school children, not only the choirs. To this end, between September and December, Historyworks is bringing MIchael Rosen into the schools for special workshops where the poet and the children will perform together, and these workshops will be previewed by a singing and dance team to teach the songs and poems and actions to all those in the primary schools in walking distance of the R, namely St Philip's, St Matthew's, St Paul's, Ridgefield, Morley, and Abbey Meadows. We are thrilled that the children and teachers and the families have embraced the project, and that it has been possible for Helen Weinstein to collaborate closely with the artists, Harry Gray and Will Hill, so that we could choreograph a procession and concert to celebrate the sculpture unveiling. You can find the songs published on these pages if you scroll down or select the song you are interested in on the bar on the right-hand side.
This 'Unveiling of the Romsey R' public art project follows on from last year's public art project in Cambridge which Historyworks delivered between the Spring of 2016 to December 2017, when we invited choirs from local schools and community choirs to come together to perform new pieces for voice which we then performed at the Mill Road Winter Fair. What was great about developing the project into the 'unveiling' project in 2018, is that we embedded the project into the schools, with entire schools leaning the songs and poetry, and having their input into the commissioning of songs about 1845, the Eagle Engine, the Parker's Piece Feast of 1838, and the new Bath House!
All singers are welcome to a rehearsal from 10am in St Philips Church Centre at 185 Mill Road, followed by a family-friendly concert from 11am to 12 noon inside at 185 Mill Road where all will be welcome to join us on Saturday 1st December 2018. At 12 Noon we will leave the concert venue, to process with the Mayor for the celebration of the unveiling of the Romsey R sculpture on the Corner of Cavendish Road, with songs along the way, then speeches from 12.15/12.25, ending with a final song about the Cambridge railway coming to Romsey in 1845.
The project is called 'Rhythm, Rhyme & Railways' to tell the story of how Cambridge changed when the railway came in 1845. We have been working with top writers, the renowned poet Michael Rosen, and the witty lyricist, Dave Cohen the CBBC's Horrible-Histories Song-writer, to collaborate closely with Helen Weinstein to shape the content of the songs to encapsulate the local history, and these partnerships have resulted in successful songs, which we have shared in 2018 to reach over 4,000 primary school children in Petersfield and Romsey! We have found this website has also had a high rate of hits, and we've been delighted to see at the concerts and singing processions, that parents and entirely families have also learnt the songs too, so that our 'take over' of Mill Road with a singing community event, has really been embraced by the community that live and work in the area!
One Railway Track (To the tune of one ginger beer)
One railway track, two railway track, three railway track, four railway track,
Five railway track, six railway track, seven seven railway track
You can't drive your train in my part of town, my part of town, my part of town,
You can't drive your train in my part of town, GO THROUGH ROMSEY!
Railways built by Na-av-ies, Na-av-ies, Na-av-ies
Railways built by Na-av-ies, IN CAMBRIDGE TOWN!
Michael Rosen's Hand on the Bridge poem - arranged as a song by Bethany Kirby
Lyrics
Hand on the bridge,
Feel the rhythm of the train.
Hand on the window
Feel the rhythm of the rain.
Hand on your throat
Feel the rhythm of your talk
Hand on your leg
Feel the rhythm of your walk
Hand in the sea
Feel the rhythm of the tide
Hand on your heart
Feel the rhythm inside
Hand on the rhythm
Feel the rhythm of the rhyme
Hand on your life
Feel the rhythm of time
Hand on your life
Feel the rhythm of time
Hand on your life
Feel the rhythm of time.
You can download a pdf of the score HERE
This old freedom train
LYRICS
1: This old freedom train has been a long time coming
2: Ain’t nobody can’t afford it, so you’d better jump on board it
3: Gimme that freedom, gimme that freedom
4: Gimme that freedom, freedom, freedom (chk-a-chk), freedom, freedom, freedom (chk-a-chk)
Michael Rosen's Cambridge Railway Excursions Poem - Adapted as a song by Bethany Kirby
You Can download a pdf or the score HERE
Chorus 1: The DAY exCURSion to LONdon and BACK
Chorus 2: The day excursion to London and back
Chorus 1: FOResters FETE at the CRYstal PALace
Chorus 2: Foresters Fete at the Crystal Palace
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Chorus 1: Oo-oo-woo [a mix of delight and the whistle of an engine]
Chorus 2: Psssshhhhhtttt [a mix of breathing out and the sound of an engine giving off steam.]
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Chorus 1: AUGust EIGHTeen SIXty-EIGHT
Chorus 2: August eighteen sixty-eight
Chorus 1: STARTing in CAMbridge at SIX-fifTEEN
Chorus 2: Starting in Cambridge at six-fifteen
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Chorus 1: Oo-oo-woo
Chorus 2: Psssshhhhhtttt
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Chorus 1: STOPping at WHITTlesford, SAFFron WALden
STANsted NEXT, then BISHop’s STORTford.
Chorus 2: SAWbridgeWORTH and then it’s HARlow
ArrRIVing in LONdon at NINE o’CLOCK.
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Chorus 1: Oo-oo-woo
Chorus 2: Psssshhhhhtttt
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Chorus 1: The DAY exCURSion to LONdon and BACK
Chorus 2: The day excursion to London and back
Chorus 1:The WHOLE round TRIP will COST 3 BOB
Chorus 2: “No LUGGage allOWED”; “No LUGGage allOWED”
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Chorus 1: Oo-oo-woo
Chorus 2: Psssshhhhhtttt
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Chorus 1: A SPEcial CHEAP ExCURsion TRAIN
Chorus 2: To WALton-ON-the NAZE and BACK
Chorus 1: AUGust EIGHTeen SEVenty SIX
Chorus 2: August eighteen seventy-six
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Chorus 1: Oo-oo-woo
Chorus 2: Psssshhhhhtttt
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Chorus 1: EARly START at TWENty past SIX.
Chorus 2: CAMbridge, SHELford, NEXT stop LINton
Chorus 1: SAFfron WALden, BARTlow, HAVerhill
Chorus 2: NEXT stop CLARE, and THEN it’s MELford
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Chorus 1: Oo-oo-woo
Chorus 2: Psssshhhhhtttt
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Chorus 1: ArRIVing at WALton at NINE forty FIVE
Chorus 2: GREAT Eastern RAILway’s DAY at the SEA
Chorus 1:The WHOLE round TRIP will COST 3 BOB
Chorus 2: “No LUGGage allOWED”; “No LUGGage allOWED”
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Chorus 1: Oo-oo-woo
Chorus 2: Psssshhhhhtttt
Eagle Engine Number 9
Eagle Engine Number Nine,
Rolling down the Cambridge line.
At Ely Fens at half past nine,
Back once more get home on time!
All Aboard
Whooo Whooo!!
Mind The Gap
All Aboard
Whooo Whooo!!
Mind The Gap
All Aboard
Whooo Whooo!!
Mind The Gap.
Mill Road Railway Workers
LYRICS by CBBC's Horrible Histories song-writer, Dave Cohen with some script input from Historyworks:
As I was riding from Cambridge by train
All along down along, out along lea
I saw all the people who worked to maintain:
Two fitters, one shunter, stone breaker, boiler maker,
One railway examiner and all
Five drivers all stood by the wall
As I was travelling in my Cambridge carriage
All along down along, out along lea
I saw all the people who helped with my baggage:
Four porters, three clerks, two guards and inspectors
A tubby controller and all
A signalman high in his stall
As I was walking through Romsey one day
Thoday and Sedgewick Streets, all I could see
Was dozens of houses where railwaymen stay:
Two fitters, one shunter, stone breaker, boiler maker
Four porters, three clerks, two guards and inspectors
One labourer, a strongman, coal porter, not song man!!
The railway examiner and all
Too many of them to recall
Cambridge Navvies
You can download a copy of the score HERE
Lyrics
Verse 1
The Nav-vies were men who made the can-als,
For twelve hours a day they’d sweat with their pals,
Movin’ twenty tonnes of earth in a barrow up a plank,
And leavin’ it all at the /top of the bank.
Verse 2
The navvies were men who laid the train tracks,
Cutting through hills with a pick and an axe,
Lay-in’ the ties and covered them with stones.
Sun burning their skin and wind freezing their bones.
Chorus
Oh the navvies came to our town
from Ireland and Cornwall and all around
Oh the navvies united they stand
from Wales and Scotland and far away lands
Verse 3
When the whistle would blow, they’d off to their homes,
Built near the tracks so they’d not far to go.
For wages they’d get beef and a gallon of beer..
Then they’d drink and they'd stink all with a very good cheer.
Chorus
Oh the navvies came to our town
from Ireland and Cornwall and all around
Oh the navvies united they stand
from Wales and Scotland and far away lands
Verse 4
When they got near to Cambridge, they ran into a bind,
The colleges they said, (suddenly whispering) “noisy navvies must pay a fine”
(a little louder) So the navvies built the station a mile out of town…(loud again)
Where they wouldn’t disturb all the men in their gowns.
Well our train tracks and boat paths are amazingly loooooong (hold this note until everyone turns blue)
Built by the navvies the / heroes of song.
Chorus
Oh the navvies came to our town
from Ireland and Cornwall and all around
Oh the navvies united they stand
from Wales and Scotland and far away lands
Cambridge Railways - 1845
LYRICS by CBBC's Horrible Histories song-writer, Dave Cohen
1845
Cambridge railway
Station built within
our Barn - well
Wonder if the first train
to arrive
Came when the clock said
1845
Michael Rosen's Cambridge Railway Excursions Poem
The poet, Michael Rosen, is collaborating on the project with Historyworks, and will be returning to lead workshops for schools and lyric writers in the Autumn. So far, he has written a poem or chant based on two posters from the Victorian period offering day excursions from Cambridge, one to London, and the other to the seaside, ending with the emphatic request, no luggage allowed! To see Michael Rosen perform the poem and read the words, view our film here:
CAMBRIDGE EXCURSION toLONDON AND BACK CELEBRATING TWO GREAT DAY TRIPSARRANGED BY THE GREAT EASTERN RAILWAYIN 1868 AND 1876TAKEN FROM THE POSTERS OF THE TIME
Poem by Michael Rosen
Commissioned by HistoryWorks For ‘Creating My Cambridge’ S106 Project
I Have A Song to Sing
I have a song to sing,/ Come let the music ring,/
I can do anything,/ I have a song/ what can go wrong,/ I have a song to get me along...
Cat Meditating on a Railroad Track
CAT MEDITATING ON A RAILWAY TRACK (LYRICS & SCORE BY CAROL PRIOR)
Download a copy of the score HERE
A cat med-i - tat-ing on a Rail -road track.
Cat! You'd better get, You'd better get back, Don't do that!
The Runaway Train
The runaway train came down the track and she blew, she blew,
The runaway train came down the track and she blew, she blew,
The runaway train came down the track, her whistle wide and her throttle back,
And she blew, blew, blew, blew, blew.
The engineer said the train must halt and she blew, she, blew,
The engineer said the train must halt and she blew, she blew,
The engineer said the train must halt -- he said it was all the fireman's fault,
And she blew, blew, blew, blew, blew.
The fireman said he rang the bell and she blew, she blew,
The fireman said he rang the bell and she blew, she blew,
The fireman said he rang the bell -- the engineer said he stoked the fire well!
And she blew, blew, blew, blew, blew.
The runaway train went over the hill and she blew, she blew,
The runaway train went over the hill and she blew, she blew,
The runaway train went over the hill and the last we heard she was going still,
And she blew, blew, blew, blew, blew.
Freedom Train - Rollo Dilworth
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duexPeKM-Ks
All aboard! Just get on board! Get on board!
All aboard! Just get on board! Get on board!
Shout hallelujah! All aboard the freedom train
Bound for glory where peace and justice reign.
One day we shall overcome, can’t go back to where we started from!
Freedom train’s a comin’. Get on board.
All aboard! Just get on board! Get on board!
All aboard! Just get on board! Get on board!
Shout hallelujah! Gonna ride to glory land
On to victory, I’ll join that heavenly band
In the land where I will sing, songs of the people will set me free.
Freedom train’s a comin. Get on board.
You can hinder me here, but you can’t hinder me there
the lord in Heaven’s gonna answer my prayer
I am goin’ home to see the elders there,
To sing the songs of hope for freedom everywhere.
Get on board, ain’t gonna let nobody turn me ‘round
We shall overcome--Oh Freedom
Freedom train’s a comin’. Get on board.
The Gospel Train Medley
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jevKw96XWC4
The gospel train’s a’comin’
I hear it close at hand
I hear the wheels a turnin’
And rollin’ thro’ the land
Get on board
Get on board
Get on board
There's room for many a more
Whoo Whoo x2
I hear the train a whistle
The rich and poor are ther
No second class aboard this train
No differnce in the fare
This train is bound for glory, this train.
This train is bound for glory, this train.
This train is bound for glory,
Don't carry nothing but the righteous and the holy.
This train is bound for glory, this train.
She'll be coming round the mountain when she comes
She'll be coming round the mountain when she comes
Coming round the mountain, she'll be coming round the mountain,
Coming round the mountain when she comes
Oh when the Saints go marching in
When the Saints go marching in
O Lord, I want to be in that number
When the Saints go marching in
