Toward World Understanding with Song

A compilation of 39 tracks of music from around the world, all previously released on Folkways Records, this album was originally intended to accompany a book written by Vernice, Robert, and Virginia Nye and designed “to help teachers and parents introduce the study of world understanding to elementary-school-age children.” In addition to children's songs, the examples of other genres (carols, a sea shantey, a spiritual, and more) inform a broader audience.

In addition to songs from the United States, the recording includes musical selections from Canada, China, Iran, Israel, South Africa, Germany, the Philippines, and Indonesia. Iconic folksinger Pete Seeger is the performer (or provides accompaniment) on eight of the 39 tracks.

Track Listing

101	Abiyoyo	The Song Swappers	01:51
102	This Land Is Your Land	The Harvesters	01:43
103	Dry Weather Houses	Louise Bennett	02:40
104	Mountain Call	Alphorn player, Switzerland	01:23
105	Muss I Denn	Martha Schlamme	02:35
106	Que Bonita Bandera	Pete Seeger	03:10
107	Nippa Hut	Luz Morales	01:11
108	Eating Goober Peas	Hermes Nye	01:59
109	Donkey Riding	Alan Mills	01:04
110	Digging Potatoes	Ellie Mao	01:09
111	Moonlight on the Ching Yang River	Chinese Cultural Theater Group	02:31
201	Planting Rice	Luz Morales	01:28
202	The Derby Ram	Gerry Armstrong	01:49
203	Who Did Swallow Jonah?	The Wagoneers	01:06
204	I's the Boy That Builds the Boat	Alan Mills	01:11
205	Ragshe Chubi	Members of Bakhtiari tribe, Iran	03:22
206	So Goes the Train	Ora Dreyer	01:18
207	Train Is A-Comin'	Pete Seeger	03:04
208	Fire Down Below	Cisco Houston	01:12
209	Rooster	Miriam Ben-Ezra, Eli Plotnick	01:06
210	I Had a Rooster	Pete Seeger	03:59
301	Three Craw	Alan Mills	01:50
302	My White Horse	Martina and Maria Diaz	02:14
303	Happy Birthday	Luz Morales	01:05
304	Come and Sing	Alan Mills, Gilbert Lacombe	01:38
305	I'm So Happy	Alan Mills, Gilbert Lacombe	01:07
306	Twelve Days of Christmas	Alan Mills	03:27
307	Lagu Srihardjono	Gamelan orchestra, Java	01:42
308	Under the Shade of a Pine Tree	Orchestra, Puerto Rico	03:02
309	Kumbaya	Pete Seeger	03:04
310	Drums of the Yoruba	Yoruba drummers, Nigeria	02:07
401	How Do the Boers Ride?	Ora Dreyer	02:16
402	Roll Over	The Harvesters	00:49
403	Heiveinu Shalom Aleichem	Miriam Ben-Ezra	00:52
404	Zuñi Harvest Dance	Zuni male chorus with rattles, bells, and drum	02:30
405	Simple Gifts	George and Gerry Armstrong	02:05
406	Study War No More (Down by the Riverside)	Pete Seeger	03:13
407	Holla Hi, Holla Ho	Erica Vopel, Elsa Vopel	01:42
408	Yodel Song (Weggis Song)	Martha Schlamme, Pete Seeger	01:49