Looking for music for campfire songs

[kittle 10]

Our SM would like to try and introduce the boys to singing songs at campfire. My son has said that if we can find him the music that he will practice them and try to learn some. He (son) only plays chords on the guitar. If someone can point me in the right direction, I would appreciate it.

[Kudu 186]

The very first Boy Scout campfire song (first sung by Scouts at Baden-Powell's Brownsea Island experiment on August 1, 1907) is "The Scout's Chorus" (Eengonyama). This is a chant that the African Zulus used to sing to their Chief. It may be shouted on the march, used as applause at games and meetings and camp fires, or as a war dance that encircles the campfire, as described in the article.

 

The best way to teach the song is to work with a few Scouts that already like to sing. Then you or the Scout with the strongest voice teaches the Troop the chorus part first: "Invooboo. Ya-Boh! Ya-Boh! Invooboo!"

 

Then he sings the solo "Eengonyamagonyama" and uses his arms to bring everyone in for the chorus.

 

He sings the solo for a few rounds, then another Scout who likes to sing takes over the solo, and so forth.

 

To send a chill down everyone's spine, have a younger Scout with a piercing high soprano voice take the solo after a couple of older Scouts with deeper voices. I find the sopranos by asking the younger Scouts "Who likes to scream real loud?"

 

The Scout's Chorus is very impressive when your Troop chants it marching to flag ceremonies at summer camp or Camporees, especially if they keep the beat with Scout Staves.

 

In the olden days I taught it to my Beaver Patrol as soon as I got to Wood Badge so that we in turn could teach it to the whole Troop.

 

The Scout's Chorus has opened more than a few doors for me over the years.

 

See The Kudu Net:

 

http://kudu.net/outdoor/campfire/songs/war_songs.htm

 

Kudu

 

[Hal_Crawford 15]

The Boy Scout Songbook

 

http://www.scoutstuff.org/BSASupply/ItemDetail.aspx?cat=01RTL&ctgy=PRODUCTS&c2=BOOKS_LIT&C3=BK_MISC&C4=&LV=3&item=33224&prodid=33224^8^01RTL&

 

has a lot of campfire appropriate songs, many with chords. Some are not in guitar friendly keys so it will help if he know how to transpose using a capo. Waltzing Matilda, for instance is in E-Flat which is no fun but transposed to C it isn't hard at all. If he hasn't learned to do this yet he should; it will expand the range of songs he can play.

 

I found out that with G, Em, C and D7 (or C-Am-F-G7, if he can handle a barre chord) you can fake your way through almost any folk song. I don't recommend trying the process in front of the troop but with a little work at home he can probably develop a pretty good repertoire.

 

The other folk music tip I learned as a teen (doing co-ed camping with my church group) is there is always a girl who can sing looking for a guy with a guitar.

 

Best of luck to your young troubadour.

Hal