Nursery World - Classical act

Music comes alive for nursery children when a member of a national orchestra is calling the tune. Joyce Reid sees the effects of a session in the universal language Not many three-and four-year-olds can recognise an oboe, but those at Sighthill Nursery in Glasgow can. And if they think 'Oh no, I've forgotten', they will quickly remember 'Oh no, it's an oboe.'

Not many three-and four-year-olds can recognise an oboe, but those at Sighthill Nursery in Glasgow can. And if they think 'Oh no, I've forgotten', they will quickly remember 'Oh no, it's an oboe.'

That was one of the little gems they picked up when Clare Cushing of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO) came to visit. Clare wanted to begin with pulse (which is fundamental to everything else). The children will surely remember this little ditty - 'Hocus, pocus, I'm a diplodocus, plodding through the swamp, chomp, chomp, chomp.' As soon as Clare introduced her diplodocus and its rhyme, the children automatically joined in, clapping their knees, then their tummies, then their shoes. And when the swamp got muddy, they all slowed the rhythm right down.

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