Cicely Mary Barker's poems set to music:
A review of A Flower Fairy Alphabet
By Debra Ross
Have you noticed more fairies fluttering around lately? It's one of the latest marketing crazes for little girls; insofar as I can approve of commercial trends aimed at kids, I approve--mostly because it's not necessarily restricted to just a few branded characters.
One of the best aspects of this trend is a resurgence in interests in the work of Cicely Mary Barker, a 1920s-area British artist and poet whose expertise in botany was instrumental in her illustrations of beautifully accurate flowers. For each kind of bloom, Ms. Barker postulated a little fairy as the caretaker of the flower. Her pastel illustrations are detailed and rich, and the costume of each fairy is reminiscent of the flower it represents. And each flower fairy has a fanciful poem that accompanys it.
The circulation of Ms. Barker's books (many of which we also own), such as Flower Fairies of the Wayside, Flower Fairies of the Garden, have actually increased in popularity over the last few years. You can get Flower Fairy paper dolls, a book about how to organize a Flower Fairy Tea Party, Flower Fairy figurines, and a Flower Fairy music box. And in 2003, Music for Little People released a CD of A Flower Fairy Alphabet set to music. Sung entirely by a small troupe of extremely talented children who are accompanied by harp, recorder, penny whistle, and a wide array of acoustic instruments, this compilation of 24 songs is reminiscent of the gentlest of old-time celtic lullabies. It's hard to choose which one is sweetest, but among my daughters, Madison (6) prefers the Bugle Fairy, while Ella (4) will ask me to repeat the song of the Columbine Fairy again and again.
I happen to have quite a low tolerance for children's music; short albums of classic children's nursery rhymes drive me mad after only a short time. (You can only listen to so many iterations of "Jack and Jill" before you wish that they'd both break their crowns and that would be the end of it.) And far too many children's choruses recorded on such albums are long on enthusiasm and short on talent. But not A Flower Fairy Alphabet! We have owned this album for about 18 months; we listen to it at least once or twice per week in the car, and not only are the kids not yet tired of it, neither am I. Its sophisticated, delicate touch and haunting melodies please babies, kids, and adults alike.
(Information here about the composition, creation, history, and additional details about the CD.)
A Flower Fairy Alphabet is not for everyone, though. This music is best if your kids want to do graceful ballet, sing, or relax. Also, it is probably worthwhile to note that despite my best efforts, no little boy over age 4 to whom I have exposed this album has responded with anything other than indifference. But my girls absolutely adore it. I would say that it is wonderful for babies, too. And, as I said, it's a positive pleasure for parents who love language, melody, and a dash of gentle imagination.
As of publication time, A Flower Fairy Alphabet can be ordered from Music for Little People for $12.78, although it retails at $15.98, and you can sometimes find it for less at Amazon.com. Check out the books, too...if your kids like fairies, you won't be sorry.
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© 2005, Debra Ross
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