This gentle song is perfect for including those who may not always activate their voice output devices in a very controlled way! It sounds lovely with a ‘drone’ – which is a continuous sound which does not change pitch. You can record the drone sound, maybe using a voice or a pitched instrument – onto one or more voice output devices. Learners will then be playing the right note for any part of the song.
Alternatively an AAC singer can sing the whole song which has been recorded into the voice output device. It is another of those useful songs which divides easily into four sections. If using it with a device like a 4Talk4 or a GoTalk4, you will need to think up ways of symbolising the words. You could use 4 shades of colour, 4 different shapes or numbers or some words. It is useful to record a ‘lead in’ phrase, so that everyone else knows when to come in e.g.
‘Ohhh – Bair mi o-o-ro van o
Ohhh – Bair me o-o-ro van ee
Ohhh – Bair me o-ro o ho
Ohhh – me bra na doo eem dee’
Since the meaning of the song is broadly ‘I am sad without you’ it could be used as part of a performance. If working with a small group, every time the AAC singer leads and completes the song, then someone leaves the group. Eventually, only the AAC singer will be left on stage! You could easily ‘translate’ the words to suit your setting
e.g. I’ll be sad when you have gone,
I’ll be sad when you have gone,
I will think of you, my friend,
And I’ll sing for you my song’.
Multisensory activity
The quiet sadness of the song can be accompanied by relaxing scents, gentle rocking, stroking with soft materials, slow lights moving around a sensory room, switch controlled vibration to coincide with the pulse of each line – there are many possibilities.
