This weeks theme photo with all the kids sitting on stage with the "Health Fairy" reminded me of Sunday School concerts.
I have one lonely photo from my grandmother's album this week;
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| 1922 Winiam Methodist Sunday School concert Emily Pilgrim, Edie Gniel, Doreen Wohlers, Ella Voight, Dorrie Westendorf, Eva Pilgrim (my Grandmother), Sylv Rowett & Myrtle Pilgrim |
From the Back of the photo;
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CHORUS
"All the Little Pansy Faces
Growing in the garden there
Look at you with eyes of longing
For you are their lady fair
And when you come out to greet them
leaning like a queen above
All the little pansy faces
Look at you with eyes of love"
My Grandmother's cousin wrote about a School concert:
"We had great concerts at the
school, Marge and I tried to sing a duet once but Marge's voice
squeaked and we got the giggles; with Marge singing a line while I was
giggling, then I would sing a line while she giggled. Was
supposed to sing 2 verses but struggled to get thro one.
We got a great ovation tho with the audience laughing at us".
This post may have nothing to do with the "health fairy" but if you have time, please take a look at my post about my great great grandmother, Nurse Edith Geyer.
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What a fun photo! I love the story about the two girls giggling through their performance.
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't surprise me with my great Aunt. She is 90 years old now and she still has such a fun sense of humour :)
DeleteAs well as being my grandmother's cousin she married my grandfathers brother so is also my great Aunty.
DeleteGiggling girls! Love the photo although they don't seem to be enjoying themselves much. Somebody must have just yelled at them or called them pansies.
ReplyDeleteMaybe they are trying to look with "eyes of longing" but don't really know how?
DeleteLove the photograph. It reminded me of when for a Brownies concert, we dressed up in very similar headresses, made out of green and yellow crepe paper, to recite Wordsworth's "To a Daffodil".
ReplyDeleteI remember mum making us some spectacular costumes from crepe paper but unfortunately I can't locate any photos.
DeleteThe little pansy faces are cute. That is a funny story about the giggles too.
ReplyDeleteYou can just imagine the two girls giggling away and an audience of parents joining them :)
DeleteThe pansies don't look very happy. Doreen appears to be hoping the earth will open up and swallow her. Given the lovely story about the concerts, I'm wondering if they were told not to smile.
ReplyDeleteI agree Fi. I hope they put on smiles during the performance :)
DeleteOnly through Sepia Saturday could we enjoy such a regular flow of interesting and out of the way photo-curiosities. Thanks for sharing your pansies.
ReplyDeleteThanks Brett. I agree and think that Sepia Saturday is such a good idea. Thank you Alan and Kat for starting it :)
DeleteHi Sharon, OMG ... I love those flower petals around their faces ... I imagine them to be made from wire and felt. What a wonderful picture and the memories of getting the giggles in front of the audience. This is a priceless post!
ReplyDeleteKathy M
Thank you Kathy. I was thinking that it could be crepe paper? It looks like folds in the flower petals?
DeleteI have to agree, those girls with their solemn faces surrounded by crepe paper bought a smile to my face. Lovely story too.
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping by Marilyn. It was a little country town (if it could even be called a town) so this was probably all the school age children that their were in the area back in 1922
DeleteMaybe the flower faces were uncomfortable. They look hot and irritable.
ReplyDeleteA very astute observation Kristin. In December it would have been very hot with temperatures of up to 46 degrees Celsius (114F) and an average of 29C (84F)
DeleteIt is indeed a wonderful photograph and a perfect match for the theme. I love the memory from your grandmothers' cousin as well.
ReplyDeleteThank you Alan. I am looking forward to next weeks theme too as the Pilgrim family were very big on cricket :)
DeleteI'm surprised the Sunday School concert was not more biblical. I too enjoyed the photo and the story of the giggling girls. When I get the giggles, there's no stopping.
ReplyDeleteThe same thought had entered my mind. I had wondered if my grandmother was confused and labelled the picture incorrectly and if it was a primary school concert? We will never know now.
DeleteFunny, the girls made up their own show; sure it was a good comedy. Love the old photos you have got. Very precious memories.
ReplyDeleteThank you Titania. I am also very lucky that my grandmother wrote on the back of all her photos so they tell me so much.
DeleteLove this old photo. School plays are such a wonderful category. I find old school photos, but never from plays. You're lucky to have such an image with family connections. I wonder how long the petals lasted. I'm guessing there aren't any around today.
ReplyDeleteMy grandmother was a hoarder (thankfully) but not that much of a hoarder!
DeleteThis is just too cute for words! What an amazing photo to have of your grandmother!
ReplyDeleteThank you Teresa. Gran would have been 12 years old. Two years later she left school (she only had 6 years schooling) to help her mother with the younger children.
ReplyDeleteAll the little pansy faces!!! My very dearest grandmother used to sing this to me when I was little, and point to a wee watercolour painting of pansies as she did so. I still have the picture, and for years have been trying to find the words to the song so I can pass it down through the family. Now I have the chorus at least. I don't suppose you've got the rest of the words???
ReplyDeleteSorry but the only the chorus was listed on the back of the photo.
DeleteHi Sharon
ReplyDeleteHave managed to find all the words at last! Just in case anyone else wants them, they are:
PANSY FACES
Written and composed by Harry B. Smith & William H. Penn
Performed by Ellaline Terriss (1871-1971)
From monologues.co.uk Music Hall Lyrics Collection
There's a garden where the roses red are blooming,
And perfuming all the air,
It belongs with all it's arbours cool and shady,
To my lady young and fair,
When she visits there as queen of all the roses,
And reposes for a while,
'Tis the pretty purple pansies that my lady loves the best,
With their faces looking up to smile.
Chorus: All the pretty pansy faces,
Growing in the garden there,
Look for you with eyes of longing,
For you are their lady fair,
And when you come out to greet them,
Leaning like a queen above,
All the little pansy faces
Look at you with eyes of love.
There the lily of the valley seems a-ringing,
Bells a-swinging all for you.
There the marigold says, 'Do not marry gold, dear,
I am told, dear, 'tis not true.'
All adore her, from the daisy almost hidden,
That unbidden, dares to love;
But the pretty purple pansies with their human faces turn,
To smile at her, their queen above.
Chorus:
That is great. Thank you. I will put these words with the photo.
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