DIDDLE DIDDLE DOODLE DOO 

THE CD

Diddle Diddle Doodle Doo - is an album of 22 traditional nursery rhymes and childrens songs which are set in modern arrangements. Released in October 2005, they are sure to be a hit with our younger citizens because they carry with them a tinge of humour in the shape of authentic animal noises. There is, however, a reason behind  their inclusion. The first sounds that parents use to begin the process of teaching language are the sounds of animals which young babies soon learn to mimic. It’s only a short step from animal sounds to associating simple tunes with those sounds,  so babies begin to shape their first words. So there is a serious educational intent with the CD which was  arranged and recorded by Brian Melville at Record X, which is the recording arm of Solway Music Resources. (www.solwaymusic.co.uk)

THE SINGER

Caroline Sweeney normally would be found singing jazz round venues in Cumbria in the beautiful Lake District area of England UK - so why the nursery rhymes, I ask, and so she tells me: -

"I currently work with children aged 4-11 as an after school club leader at Dean C of E Primary School as well as doing supply teaching and leading school art projects so when I was approached by Brian to try vocalizing his arrangements I felt very much at home with these songs"

She also enjoys teaching art to primary children and hopes to coordinate school projects in the future. Art and painting remain a true passion following her degree at Falmouth College of Arts.

However singing has always been something she loves to do and she has been singing in choirs for a long time. She has sung with the Cockermouth Harmonic Society for about four years and has been given a singing bursary with them for three of those years. I have taken lessons with Mary Miller. 

Branching out into other musical fields over the last year and a half she has been learning to sing some wonderful new jazz songs with Brian Melville, the arranger of Diddle diddle doodle doo (now there's that name again).

Caroline concludes, "We have started to record jazz for a possible CD next year and I have been getting used to performing live. It has been great fun - just something I love to (dare I say) doodle doo!!

DIDDLE DIDDLE DOODLE DOO - THE PRODUCER/ ARRANGER

The whole idea of the CD came from Brian Melville from Mawbray near Maryport also in Cumbria England

Brian Melville is a multi-talented musician who recently took early retirement from a long career in teaching in Cumbria having originally gone to school in Wigton at The Nelson Thomlinson School.

Wearing another hat many people around Cumbria will have seen him perform solo or as part of his jazz combo. His fame is spreading beyond Cumbria and, only last week, his band returned from a musical weekend in Birmingham.

Brian says, "Children begin the learning of music from nursery rhymes. They are such an important part of the early music processes" He recently encouraged a local school to issue a CD of their own version of popular songs and recorded them after many rehearsals to produce a great fund raiser for that school.

He has performed in Germany and also written a musical which played at the Edinburgh Festival, not to mention years of school concerts and recordings so he is ideally placed to help local schools through his newly set-up company Solway Music (www.solwaymusic.co.uk). He already has a waiting list of schools anxious to use his expertise but I have a feeling they might have to wait a while.

This nursery rhyme CD is set to be a big success and already he is planning another volume. However even he is forced to admit that Diddle diddle doodle doo TWO might be a bit of a mouthful - but at least it will be as tuneful!