The Birdy Flies Away

Germany

HISTORY AND SONG NOTES

The text for The Birdy Flies Away, or The Birdies Fly Away, is set to a piece from the opera Hänsel und Gretel (Hansel and Gretel), by 19th century German composer Engelbert Humperdinck (1854-1921).

Group Circle Game

This game works well with preschool aged children, who are working on starting and stopping their movements with the music. You can begin with everyone standing on their own “home” or “nest”; using some sort of mark to designate each child’s “home” place may be helpful, like tape on the floor, a polyspot, or a rug that has separate easy-to-identify pictures. When the song begins, the children fly away like birds from their spot, and then return to their spot every time they hear the word “home." This occurs at the ends of the first, second, and fourth lines of the song, and also known as a cadence. At the end of the third line, there is a pause, indicated by a fermata; at this point the birds can freeze wherever they are, until the music resumes. The children may also enjoy using scarves when they fly.

Turn Taking Game

Once they are comfortable with the group circle game above, the children may enjoy taking small group or individual turns to fly, while their friends watch. This will give them a chance to discover that some flights are shorter (the first and second lines), and some flights are longer, with a “freeze” in the middle (the last two lines of the song). This discovery will develop their listening ears and help them to internalize the form of the song.