Sing Books with Emily, the Blog

One of my son’s favorite lullabies is “Halfway Down.”

“Halfway Down”
Poem by A. A. Milne
Illustration by E. H. Shepard
Set to Music by Harold Fraser-Simson

Halfway down the stairs
Is a stair
Where I sit.
There isn’t any
Other stair
Quite like
It.
I’m not at the bottom,
I’m not at the top;
So this is the stair
Where
I always
Stop.

Halfway up the stairs
Isn’t up,
And isn’t down.
It isn’t in the nursery,
It isn’t in the town.
And all sorts of funny thoughts
Run round my head:
“It isn’t really
Anywhere!
It’s somwhere else
Instead!”

“Halfway Down” was first published as a poem in A. A. Milne’s 1924 book of poetry for children, ”When We Were Very Young.”

When We Were Very Young
Poems by A. A. Milne
Illustrated by Ernest H. Shepard

When I was a kid, I listened to The Muppet Show record over and over and over (and can still sing every single song!).

“Halfway Down” is the 9th song on the Original Muppet Show Album.

Info about The Muppet Show album, here:
http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/The_Muppet_Show_(album)

Kermit’s nephew Robin sings “Halfway Down” on episode 10 of season 1 (Harvey Korman guest stars):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGFR3zz12p0

A link to a synopsis/guide of episode 10, season 1 of  The Muppet Show (including information about Robin singing “Halfway Down”):
http://www.muppetcentral.com/guides/episodes/tms/season1/10_korman.shtml

When my son began to enjoy lullabies, I was able to sing it from my heart.  But, a little research revealed that the song was written by Harold Fraser-Simson (who set many of A. A. Milne’s poems to music) in 1926.

The sheet music for “Halfway Down” is published on pages 106-107 in,

100 Years of Popular Music, 20 – Volume 2
Published by International Music Publications Limited
(“Halfway Down” is printed on pages 106-107)

The music for “Halfway Down” is also printed in,

The Pooh Songbook
Words by A. A. Milne
Music by Harold Fraser-Simson
Illustrated by E. H. Shepard

A very kind friend of this blog wrote with a tip that an easy-to-play version of this song can be found in,

Toots and Twiddles: Tunes for the Young
Words and Music by Various Artists
Arranged by John Loesberg
Find “Halfway Down” on p. 22

(Special thanks to Jean-Louis for the tip!)

“Halfway Down” can also be found in compilations of children’s poetry, including:

Poetry Speaks to Children
Edited by Elise Paschen
Illustrated by Judy Love, Wendy Rasmussen, Paula Zinngrabe Wendland
(“Halfway Down” by A. A. Milne is printed and illustrated on p. 68)

  
Childcraft, Volume 1, Poems of Early Childhood
Published by Field Enterprises Educational Corporation
Words and Music by Various Artists
Illustrated by Various Artists
“Halfway Down” is printed and illustrated on p. 144
(The pictures above show the binding and title page)

Here’s a Little Poem (A Very First Book of Poetry)
Words and Music by Various Artists
Collected by Jane Yolen and Andrew Fusek Peters
Illustrated by Polly Dunbar
“Halfway Down” is printed and illustrated on p. 16

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I’m thrilled to write that “Halfway Down” is one of the songs we selected to be part of
“Oh, What a Beautiful Day: Sing Books with Emily, the Cabaret.” 

I make a strong committment to each song I perform and completing my Song Craft Worksheet is part of that process,

 Emily’s Song Craft Worksheet

Because the first section of the Song Craft Worksheet involves background research on the song, I’ll share the answers with you so you can know about the song, too.  The more about the song you know (both concrete facts and less tangible artistic choices), the more “authority,” and heart and soul you can put into the singing and sharing of the song with others.  If you are interested in improving your artistic abilities for singing songs in any capacity, just simply filling out the Song Craft Worksheet is a great place to start!  After the background research, the rest of the Song Craft Worksheet gets VERY personal…don’t worry!  I won’t bore you with that.

1 Q: Who wrote the words?
1 A: A. A. Milne

2Q: Who wrote the music?
2A: Harold Fraser-Simson

3Q: When was the song written?
3A: The words were written in 1924, the music 1924/1925

4Q: At what point in the lyricists’ and composer’s career was the song written?
4A: Middle

5Q: What is the song from?
5A: A. A. Milne’s book of poetry, “When We Were Very Young”

6Q: If from a show, what character sang it?
6A: This song was not written for a show, but it was featured on the Muppet Show and sung by Kermit’s nephew Robin

7Q: If from a show, from what situation does the song arise?  Why does the character sing the song?  What function does the song/character play in the story?
7A: NA

8Q:  What other contextual elements of the song are significant?
8A: For me, I adored this song on The Muppet Show record.  I always remembered it.  Now it is a favorite lullaby in the Gleichenhaus house.

9Q: Was the song written for a particular singer?  Why?
9A: NA

10Q: If not from a show, why did the songwriter write the song?
10A: This is a poem in a collection by A. A. Milne.  It is possible that he wrote this poem with his son in mind.  I’ve also read that Mr. Milne wrote his so-called children’s books acutally for the “child” in each adult. 

11Q: What do you feel the lyricist is trying to say?
11A: I think what Mr. Milne is getting at in thi song is that every person needs a place to sit and let his/her mind wander, think, and imagine.  A safe place where we can create worlds of our own and philosophise on the meanings (or non-meanings) of things.  For me, my spot “halfway up the stairs” is that state of consciousness just before we wake in the morning or just before we go to sleep, when your mind can wander freely, play, create, rehearse and enjoy. 

12Q: Does the song tell a story or just express feelings or ideas?
12A: This song wonderfully, elegantly expresses feelings and ideas about a place and a state of mine.

13Q: Who else has recorded this song:
13A: Jerry Nelson (as Robin on the Muppet Show Record), Jack Gilford, Rebecca Zapen, and soon…Emily

The rest of the questions require VERY personal answers and I will spare you those!

Related Articles:

THE WORLD OF A. A. MILNE
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2010/05/04/a-few-favorite-singable-books-the-world-of-a-a-milne/

HALFWAY DOWN (A SINGABLE POEM)
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2010/05/05/halfway-down-a-singable-poem/