Irish Songs - Teachers' File: Activity Tips And Recording Scripts printable pdf download

Bridge 07, March 2011, volume 14

Dear teachers,

Handouts

Irish Songs

This file contains ideas for activities for the

for students

songs on the CD. It also includes lyrics to

Tips for

the songs (Bridge, pp. 12–13) and a glossary

teachers

along with grammar points. The TF is also

Teachers’ File

available at in the

Listening

Activity Tips + Recording Scripts

“Přístup učitelé” section, password ACTIVITY.

activity

The Black Velvet Band

(performed by The Dubliners) (pp. 12–13) ) CD: 7

A gold watch she (11) _________ from his pocket and

I. Look at verbs A–M, which were all taken from the lyrics of

the song “The Black Velvet Band”. Listen to the song and

(12) ________ it right into my hand

match the verbs with the correct gap in the lyrics. Some of

And the very first thing that I (13) _________ was “Bad

the verbs can be used more than once.

‘cess” to the black velvet band

Chorus

A) BEWARE

F) TIED UP

K) KNEW

Before the judge and the jury, next morning I had to

(14) ________ ,

B) SHONE

G) SPENT

L) FEED

The judge he says to me: “Young man, your case it is

proven clear.

We’ll give you seven years penal servitude, to be

C) CAME

H) TOOK

M) APPEAR

(15) _________ faraway from the land,

Far away from your friends and relations, betrayed by

D) PLACED

I) HUNG

the black velvet band.”

Chorus

E) LANDED

J) SAID

So come all you jolly young fellows a warning take by

When you are out on the town, me lads, (16) ________

In a neat little town they call Belfast, apprentice to

of the pretty colleens

trade I was bound

They’ll (17) _________ you with strong drink, me lads,

And the many an hour sweet happiness, have

‘til you are unable to stand

I (1) ________ in that neat little town

And the very first thing that you’ll know is you’ve

A sad misfortune (2) ________ over me, which caused

(18) _________ in Van Diemen’s Land

me to stray from the land

Far away from me friends and relations, betrayed by

Chorus

the black velvet band

Vocabulary

Chorus:

band – stuha; apprentice to trade I was bound – byl jsem jako učedník

Her eyes they (3) _______ like diamonds

v obchodě; to stray – odejít; to betray – zradit; stroll – procházka; to

come a‑traipsing (traipsing) – loudat se, zevlovat; roguish – šibalský,

I thought her the queen of the land

uličnický; penal – trestanecký; servitude – otroctví, nevolnictví; colleen –

And her hair it (4) ________ over her shoulder

děvče (v Irsku)

(5) _________ with a black velvet band

Glossary

the many an hour – many hours of, long time

I (6) ________ a stroll down Broadway, meaning not

not long for to stay – not to stay long

long for to stay

bad cess – to say ‘bad cess to you’ to somebody is to wish them bad luck.

The curse is mostly associated with Ireland, but has been used in parts

When who should I meet but this pretty fair maid come

of England. It is also possible to wish someone good cess. The origin

a‑traipsing along the highway

of the word cess isn’t known – one suggestion is that it had to do with

She was both fair and handsome, her neck it was just

taxes (being assessed), wishing good cess could then be wishing a low tax

assessment upon one.

like a swan

Van Diemen’s land – was the original name used by most Europeans for

And her hair it (7) _________ over her shoulder,

Tasmania, now part of Australia. The Dutch explorer Abel Tasman was the

first European to land on the shores of Tasmania. He named the island in

(8) _________ with a black velvet band

honour of Anthony van Diemen, the Governor-General of the Dutch East

Indies who had sent Tasman on his voyage of discovery in 1642. Following

Chorus

British colonisation of Australia, Van Diemen’s Land was one of the most

feared penal colonies in the British Empire.

I (9) ________ a stroll with this pretty fair maid, and

Grammar

a gentleman passing us by

In old English ‘a’ was attached to the ‘ing’ forms of verbs (e.g. a-walking).

This structure persists in many songs and poems.

Well I (10) ________ she meant the doing of him, by

the look in her roguish black eye

solutions: 1 G, 2 C, 3 B, 4 I, 5 F, 6 H, 7 I, 8 F, 9 H, 10 K, 11 H, 12 D, 13 J, 14 M, 15 G, 16 A, 17 L, 18 E

Irish Songs - Teachers' File: Activity Tips And Recording Scripts

Related Articles

Related forms

Related Categories