Rachel Uffelmann

Elementary Orchestra
CMP Plan, Summer 2015

The Fox Went A-Fiddlin

Traditional Folk Song
Arranged by Carrie Lane Gruselle
FJH Music Company/ ST6208
Analysis
Broad Description
This arrangement for string orchestra is based on the folk song The Fox Went Out on a Chilly
Night, which is originally from the 15th century.
Background Information
The theme of the folk song is about a fox who forages in the night for food in the village to bring
back to his family in the den. The folk song has two early versions which both were from the 15th
century and appeared to have been an English poem. The first version was called The Fox and
the Goose and was said to have been around the year 1500. The second version was called
The Fake Fox and was also said to have been in the early 1500s. The folk song has been
recorded by many artists over the years. Some of the most famous recordings are from Harry
Belafonte (1954), Burl Ives (1956), Peter, Paul and Mary (1993), Nickel Creek (2000) and
Garrison Keillor (2011).
Carrie Lane Gruselle is currently an elementary and middle school orchestra teacher in Wisconsin
and is involved with ASTA and CMP. Her arrangements for elementary and middle school
orchestras are played throughout the nations.
Additional Choral/Instrumental Information
The most modern and popular text that is used for performances for this folk song is:
The fox went out on a chilly night,
he prayed to the Moon to give him light,
for he'd many a mile to go that night
before he reached the town-o, town-o, town-o,
he had many a mile to go that night
before he reached the town-o.
He ran till he came to a great big pen
where the ducks and the geese were put therein.
"A couple of you will grease my chin
before I leave this town-o, town-o, town-o,

a couple of you will grease my chin

before I leave this town-o."
He grabbed the grey goose by the neck,
throwed a duck across his back;
he didn't mind their quack, quack, quack,
and their legs all a-dangling down-o, down-o, down-o,
he didn't mind their quack, quack, quack,
and their legs all a-dangling down-o.
Old Mother Flipper-Flopper jumped out of bed;
out of the window she cocked her head,
Crying, "John, John! The grey goose is gone
and the fox is on the town-o, town-o, town-o!"
Crying, "John, John, the grey goose is gone
and the fox is on the town-o!"
Then John he went to the top of the hill,
blowed his horn both loud and shrill,
the fox he said, "I'd better flee with my kill
or they'll soon be on my trail-o, trail-o, trail-o."
The fox he said, "I'd better flee with my kill
or they'll soon be on my trail-o."
He ran till he came to his cozy den;
there were the little ones eight, nine, ten.
They said, "Daddy, better go back again,
'cause it must be a mighty fine town-o, town-o, town-o!"
They said, "Daddy, better go back again,
'cause it must be a mighty fine town-o."
Then the fox and his wife without any strife
cut up the goose with a fork and knife.
They never had such a supper in their life
and the little ones chewed on the bones-o, bones-o, bones-o,
they never had such a supper in their life
and the little ones chewed on the bones-o.

Elements of Music
Form
The piece is mainly strophic form with a few extra transitions. It starts with a four measure
introduction before the A section is introduced at measure 5. The main A section is about fifteen
measures long and there is a brief two measure transition that happens before the A section
happens again at measure 22 with different parts playing the melody. In measure 36, the four
bar introduction is played again with all the parts playing the same rhythm. At measure 40, this
is what I call A (or A prime). The melody repeats but is in different sections and the
accompaniment parts are different than before. It continues like that until there is a coda that
happens at the end. The tune is based on a folk song so the reason it is strophic is because there
are verses and a refrain.

Rhythm
Meter is written as 4/4 time (Common Time) but is usually performed in cut time. There
are mostly quarter, eighth and half notes throughout the piece. The pattern quarter eighth
eighth quarter eighth eighth is consistent throughout the piece and found in each
instrument section.
Melody
There is one main melody throughout the whole piece and it gets passed around through
the different sections. It is relatively quick and does skip notes. There are transitions that
happen throughout the piece in between the melodic sections and they are usually two
or four measures long.
Harmony
The piece is in D Major and stays there until the end. There is emphasis on I, IV and V
chords throughout and this helps to give the piece a feeling of strength, power and unity.
The cello and bass play a continual ostinato throughout and this helps to give the
violins and violas a strong accompaniment.
Timbre
Created by a blended effect of five string instruments playing together. The variations in
color come from the texture, articulations and the balance between sections. The colors
are primarily bright and reflects the energetic and fun feel of the piece.
Texture
The texture of this piece is a mixture of homophony and polyphony. Gruselle uses bits
of imitation, melody and countermelody and unison playing throughout the piece to
create a mixed texture.
Expression
There is much use of dynamics and articulations throughout the piece. The piece is marked
f or ff when the sections are playing unison rhythms. The accompaniment parts are marked
mf while the melody is marked f. The short transition measures are marked p or pp. There are
also crescendo and decrescendo markings throughout. A few staccato markings are used
in the transition measures as well as accents.
The Heart Statement
The heart of The Fox Went A-Fiddlin lies in the continuous use of fiddle rhythms and articulations
that tell a story through the music.

Music Selection
Why Study This Piece?
This piece will introduce students to the style of fiddle playing and they will learn specific
bowing styles. All instrument sections get to play the melody throughout and students will gain a
better understanding of balance. This piece also helps students understand how articulations
can add texture to a song and why composers use them. It is a Grade 1 piece for beginning
string orchestra players and they will also learn about folk songs.

Things to Teach
This piece will teach fiddle style bowings, dynamics, crescendo and decrescendo, staccato and
the use of accents.

The Plan
Introduce the Piece
Before learning this piece, the students will have played quarter, half and eighth notes before.
They will also understand a bit about balance and melody.
I will have the students write down their thoughts about fiddle music and have them share those
with the class. I will also ask the students if they know any fiddle music and they will share with
the class what they know.
I will play a recording of The Fox Went A-Fiddlin and we will have a short discussion about what
they have heard. I will then share that this will be one of our spring concert pieces!!
Skill Outcome
Students will demonstrate fiddle style bowings.
A. Strategies
1. Count and Clap: The students will receive lines of rhythms on paper. They will
write down the counting of the rhythms and then will practice counting out loud
and clapping the rhythms together. These rhythms will have quarter, half, eighth
notes and rests throughout.
2. I Play, You Play: The teacher will play a rhythm on open strings and the students
will be asked to play back what they heard. Open strings will be used at first but
then different fingers and notes will be added. After doing this several times, I will
have the students be the leaders. They will play a rhythm of their choice and the
class will play it back. They will choose the next student leader.
3. Warmups: The teacher and students will come up with a warmup that uses some
of the fiddle style bowings introduced in the I Play, You Play game.
4. Play by Ear: The students will learn the melody of The Fox Went A-Fiddlin by ear
in class. We will alternate between singing the melody and playing the melody until
everyone understands.

B. Assessment
1. Visual and Aural Assessment: I will have the students clap and count out loud
as a large group and also as a small group.
2. Visual and Aural Playing Assessment: While doing I Play, You Play I will check to
see that each student is catching on to the rhythms. I will ask small groups of
students to play rhythms and then ask individual players to demonstrate. I will
also be checking their bowings as well.

3. Warmups: While playing warmups I will walk around to see if all students are
on task and playing the correct rhythms and using the right amount of bow.
4. Partner Bow Checks: I will have the students pair up. They will demonstrate to
each other the rhythms and will help each other with their bow placements.
4. Melody Group Time: While learning the melody by rote, I can check to see if the
students are understanding the tune. I will ask certain students to demonstrate the
tune in class.

Knowledge Outcome
Students will compare and contrast dynamics.

A. Strategies
1.
2.
3.
B. Assessment

Affective Outcome
Students will learn how different rhythms can tell a story in music.

A. Strategies
1. Why did the Fox go A-Fiddlin?: Before learning the text to the song, the students
will have a discussion about the story behind this piece. Why did the Fox Go
A-Fiddlin? They will write down their ideas on an index card and then share with
the class. We will discuss these as a group and as a class, they will come up with
what they think the story is about.
2. Listening: The students will listen to other versions of the folk song and will discuss
the different arrangements. They will share their thoughts on an index card and then
also share them with the class. They will make a list of what the similarities and
differences are in the versions they heard.
3. I will play another fiddle tune for the class and ask them to write their own story
about it. Why did you come up with that story? What in the music made you think
of that story? Did the music evoke certain images in your mind?

B. Assessment
1.

Take Out the Piece

- That is about an animal
- That talks about fiddling
- That has a quarter eighth-eighth pattern
- That has a decrescendo and crescendo
- That is a folk song
- That has staccato
- That is fast