Oh, I Do Like to Be Beside the Seaside was composed in 1907 by John A. Glover-Kind. It became a very popular music hall song, and the signature tune of Reginald Dixon, the organist at Blackpool Tower Ballroom.
The song reflects the popularity of the British seaside among working class people during Edwardian times.
In The Wreck of the Titanic, Beside the Seaside is played by the Titanic's orchestra as the ship hits the iceberg. In steerage, we imagine that the song is also being sung by aspiring music hall artiste, Miss Wendy Sharrock (Dinner and Dance>The Iceberg>Miss Wendy Sharrock Entertains>I Do Like to be Beside the Seaside).
The song could lead to work centring on the Edwardian seaside. An excellent focus is the outstanding resource Morecambe and Back . Developed by CLEO and the Morecambe Bay Community Primary School, the resource provides insights for the classroom into rare footage taken around Morecambe by moving picture pioneers Mitchell and Kenyon.
Film 246
'A Panoramic View of Morecambe Seafront'
Film 247
'Parade: West End Pier, Morecambe'
Film 251
'Panoramic View of Morecambe Sea Front (2)
Film 254
'The Seafront, Morecambe'
The resource includes a wonderful soundtrack by Lancashire Sinfonietta composer in residence Michael Cutting performed by members of the orchestra and year 3 and 4 pupils. This includes a number of music hall songs including Oh, I Do Like to Be Beside the Seaside performed by the children in Morecambe's Winter Gardens.
There are also interviews with Edwardian children!
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