Video transcript
Creative Teachers – Primary choral warm-ups – 23. The cat wore a hat

[music playing]

RACHEL KELLY: So this tells a little story about a cat. Maybe it's the one you drew on the roof. And it goes like this. Just listen to the words, 'the cat wore a hat'.

[snapping]

Say it, and--

STUDENTS: The cat wore a hat.

RACHEL KELLY: The cat wore a hat.

STUDENTS: The cat wore a hat.

RACHEL KELLY: And the bee had a flee.

STUDENTS: And the bee had a flee.

RACHEL KELLY: The cat wore a hat, and the bee had a flee.

[snapping]

STUDENTS: The cat wore a hat, and the bee had a flee.

RACHEL KELLY: And they jumped on a board.

STUDENTS: And they jumped on a board.

RACHEL KELLY: The cat wore a hat, and the bee had a flee, and they jumped on a board. The--

STUDENTS: The cat wore a hat, and the bee had a flee, and they jumped on a board.

RACHEL KELLY: They jumped on a board. And they jumped on a board. And they--

STUDENTS: Jumped on a board.

RACHEL KELLY: Good. What did the cat do with the hat?

STUDENTS: Wore it.

RACHEL KELLY: Wore it. The cat wore a hat. The bee--

STUDENTS: Had.

RACHEL KELLY: --had a flee, and they jumped on a board. Oh my lord!

STUDENTS: Oh my lord!

RACHEL KELLY: Let's try the whole thing.

[snapping]

Go. The cat--

STUDENTS: The cat wore a hat, and the bee had a flee, and they jumped on a board. Oh my lord!

RACHEL KELLY: Good. I'm still hearing some people missing the word 'wore'. The cat wore a hat. Let's try it again. This time when we say it, I want to hear the last letter of the words, like cat, hat, board, all of those last letters. Sitting up. Here we go.

[snapping]

1, 2--

STUDENTS: The cat wore a hat, and the bee had a flee, and they jumped on a board. Oh my lord!

RACHEL KELLY: Good. It has a melody. The melody goes like this.

[humming]

STUDENTS: (SINGING) The cat wore a hat, and the bee had a flee, and they jumped on a board. Oh my lord!

Can you sing for me? (SINGING) Oh my lord!

STUDENTS: (SINGING) Oh my lord!

RACHEL KELLY: Good.

(SINGING) And they jumped on a board. Oh my lord! And they--

STUDENTS: (SINGING) Jumped on a board. Oh my lord!

RACHEL KELLY: (SINGING) The cat wore a hat. The cat wore a hat.

[snapping]

STUDENTS: (SINGING) The cat wore a hat.

RACHEL KELLY: (SINGING) And the bee had a flee.

[snapping]

STUDENTS: (SINGING) And the bee had a flee.

RACHEL KELLY: (SINGING) The cat wore a hat, and the bee had a flee.

STUDENTS: (SINGING) The cat wore a hat, and the bee had a flee.

RACHEL KELLY: (SINGING) And they jumped on a board. Oh my lord!

STUDENTS: (SINGING) And they jumped on a board. Oh my lord!

RACHEL KELLY: Good. Let's try the whole thing. Everybody, eyes on me, focusing, bright faces. It'll help keep you nicely in tune.

(SINGING) Ready, and--

STUDENTS: (SINGING) The cat wore a hat, and the bee had a flee, and they jumped on a board. Oh my lord!

RACHEL KELLY: Good. A bit faster.

[clapping to the beat]

And--

STUDENTS: (SINGING) The cat wore a hat, and the bee had a flee, and they jumped on a board. Oh my lord!

RACHEL KELLY: Good. Now, the whole point of this warmup is to get our mouths working and to get our diction nice and clear. So you can't sing it like this.

(SINGING) The cat wore a hat, and the bee had a flee.

It all has to be nice and crisp.

(SINGING) The cat wore a hat, and the bee had a flee, and they jumped on a board. Oh my lord!

Can we try it like that? We'll stand up and try it.

(SINGING) The cat.

[snapping]

Here we go.

STUDENTS: (SINGING) The cat wore a hat, and the bee had a flee, and they jumped on a board. Oh my lord!

RACHEL KELLY: Good! Let's try a little bit higher and a little bit faster.

(SINGING) The cat.

[snapping]

Here we go.

STUDENTS: (SINGING) The cat wore a hat, and the bee had a flee, and they jumped on a board. Oh my lord!

RACHEL KELLY: (SINGING) A bit higher and a bit faster. The cat.

[snapping]

Ready, and--

STUDENTS: (SINGING) The cat wore a hat, and the bee had a flee, and they jumped on a board. Oh my lord!

RACHEL KELLY: (SINGING) And let's do it one more time.

[snapping]

Here we go, the cat--

STUDENTS: (SINGING) The cat wore a hat, and the bee had a flee, and they jumped on a board. Oh my lord!

RACHEL KELLY: Well done. Have a seat.