Lesson video

Hello everyone, how are you doing today? I hope you're feeling really very good.

My name is Miss Afzal and I'm feeling pretty good today because we are going to be exploring some of the songs of Lord Kitchener.

In particular today, we'll be looking at the song called "London is the Place for Me", and you will need your copy of the lyrics to this song.

So let's pause the video here.

I'll wait for you while you go and get your copy of the lyrics.

Okay, so you are back.

You've got your copy of this song.

What else do you have? Maybe some curiosity, what is this song going to be about? Who is Lord Kitchener? And what else? Maybe some ideas, some enthusiasm.

That sounds great, great mix.

I think we're all ready to begin.

Let's get started.

The outcome for today's lesson is I can infer the potential purpose and audience of a song by studying its historical context.

We have some keywords in our lesson today.

Let's go through them.

My turn, your turn.

Pull factor.

Theme.

Purpose.

Audience.

Quick to hear those words.

Let's find out what they mean.

Pull factor is the attractive aspects or opportunities that draw individuals to a new destination.

Theme is a big idea, topic, or message that recurs within a story.

Purpose is the reason a text was written and the desired impact.

Audience is the people who listen to and engage with the song.

Let's be on the lookout for these keywords.

Let's think carefully about them.

They'll be coming up in our lesson today.

Today's lesson is called exploring the purpose and audience of "London is the Place for Me." It has two parts to it, exploring themes and considering the purpose and audience.

Let's begin by exploring themes.

What do we know so far? Well, we know that "London is the Place for Me" was written by Aldwyn "Lord Kitchener" Roberts in 1948.

There he is on our screen looking fantastic.

Wish I could have heard him sing.

Aldwyn Roberts was born on April the 18, 1922 in Trinidad and Tobago.

Roberts adopted the stage name "Lord Kitchener" after the British military figure, Horatio Kitchener.

In 1948, Aldwyn migrated to England aboard the Empire Windrush.

His arrival coincided with a period of significant change in Britain.

Let's have a look at timeline of some of the key events in British history.

So at one end of our timeline, we can see that World War I took place between 1914 and 1918.

And in World War II was between 1939 and 1945.

Queen Elizabeth II becomes queen in 1948.

1952 was when the British Nationality Act and the National Health Service were established.

And 1966 is when the Notting Hill Carnival was established.

This is an amazing carnival that one day everybody must go to if you haven't already been.

It's my little added bit of information.

Check for understanding.

Match these dates to the historical events.

So the dates we have are 1939 to 1945, 1948, and 1966.

Events that occurred: the National Health Service or NHS for short was established, the Second World War, and Notting Hill Carnival established.

So pause the video while we match the dates to the historical events.

So 1939 to 1945, the the duration of the Second World War.

1948 is when the NHS was established.

And 1966 is when the Notting Hill Carnival was established.

I am so grateful for both of those things, the NHS and the Notting Hill Carnival.

The migration of people, migration means moving from one place to another, from the Caribbean to England during the Windrush period, 1948 to 1971, was driven by a combination of pull factors.

Pull factors refer to the attractive aspects or opportunities that draw individuals to a new destination.

Some of these pull factors included: promised employment in various sectors such as transportation, healthcare, and manufacturing; the potential for higher earnings and improved living standards; the right to live and work in the UK; the opportunity to advance their education and career prospects; shared cultural heritage, linked to British Empire rule; established support networks and communities, set up by people who had migrated earlier.

These are just some of the pull factors.

There are many more.

Now I would like you to reread the lyrics and re-listen to the song, "London is the Place for Me." Pause the video while you do this.

And now I'm wondering, does the song connect with any of the pull factors? What does Aldwyn Lord Kitchener Roberts mention that might tempt more people from the Caribbean to migrate.

So pause the video here while you reflect on these questions.

If you need to, you could reread the lyrics again and answer these questions.

Does the song connect with any of the pull factors? And what does Lord Kitchener mention that might tempt more people from the Caribbean to migrate? Let's hear from Andy.

"Lord Kitchener describes living comfortably and enjoying lots of sport.

This links to the pull factor of potential higher earnings and improved living standards." It's important to note that while these pull factors attracted many people from the Caribbean to England, the reality of their experiences often included challenges such as racism, discrimination, and difficulties and integrating into a new society.

Check for understanding, true or false? There were no opportunities for people from the Caribbean in the UK after the Second World War.

Pause the video while you decide if this is true or false.

Well done if you selected false.

And now I'd like you to justify your answer by selecting one of the following statements.

People from the Caribbean often face challenges and barriers to integrating into a new society.

Many people from the Caribbean gained employment in various sectors such as transportation, healthcare, and manufacturing.

Pause the video while you decide which of these statements best justifies your earlier answer.

Both statements are true.

Indeed, people from the Caribbean did face challenges and barriers.

However, it's the second statement, that people from the Caribbean gained employment in various sectors which is the one that relates to your earlier answer.

Well done if you selected this statement.

A theme is a big idea, topic, or message that recurs within a story.

Identifying themes within a text involves inference.

Themes are not explicitly stated within a text.

There are a few ways to identify themes: considering actions and characteristics of the speaker and people they mention in the song; identifying repetition, actions, emotions, traits; searching for deeper meaning using inference; and considering the overall message of the song.

One of the most prominent themes in a song is optimism.

Optimism is a noun.

It means hopefulness and confidence about the future.

The song expresses a hopeful and positive outlook on life in London.

Kitchener portrays the city as a land of opportunity and a place where dreams can be realised.

What themes do you think are shown within the text? Pause the video and tell someone nearby.

What themes do you think are shown within the text? Okay, I'm wondering what themes you came up with.

Other themes in "London is the Place for Me" might include: migration, appreciation, inclusion, pride, comfort and belonging.

There are many possible themes that can be drawn out from the song.

Readers may interpret themes and their importance differently.

Check for understanding.

Match each theme to how it is conveyed in the song.

So the themes we have are: comfort, belonging, appreciation, and how they're conveyed in the song.

Lord Kitchener shows gratitude for the welcoming nature of London and its people.

Kitchener suggests that people from the Caribbean will have financial stability and feel like a millionaire.

Kitchener feels a deep connection to the city and considers it his true home.

Pause the video while you match each theme to how it is conveyed in the song.

So did you match comfort to: Kitchener suggests that people from the Caribbean will have financial stability and feel like a millionaire? Did you match belonging to: Kitchener fuel's a deep connection to the city and considers it his true home? And did you match appreciation to: Lord Kitchener shows gratitude for the welcoming nature of London and its people? I hope you made these connections.

A take-away idea within a song may link to themes that are explored and developed in it.

It may include a key message, insight, or perspective that the artist has communicated to the reader or listener.

What are your take-away ideas from reading and listening to the song "London is the Place for Me"? You can pause the video and share with someone nearby.

What are you taking away from this song? Okay, let's hear from Aisha.

"Lord Kitchener reflects a positive and grateful attitude to the city." Yeah, thanks for sharing that one.

And here's Jacob, "The song conveys a sense of excitement and optimism about starting a new life in a place perceived as full of promise." Thanks for sharing those ideas and I hope you enjoyed sharing your take-away ideas as well.

Here us some take-away ideas that you might have mentioned: The song expresses pride and admiration for the cultural and historical connections with Britain.

Having a supportive community and social networks can help when moving to a new country.

Hearing about positive aspects of the city make it sound like a desirable place to live in.

As our reading experiences are unique, your ideas will be too.

Thank you for sharing your take-away ideas.

And now let's move on to considering the purpose and audience.

Lord Kitchener wrote "London is the Place for Me" from the perspective of someone who had been to London, even though he had not yet visited the city.

Why he did this we will never truly know.

Here are some possibilities: He wanted people to think he had been to London.

He wanted to encourage other people from the Caribbean to join him.

He wanted to have a song to play once he arrived in London so he could entertain people.

He wanted audiences to like him.

Audience is one of our keywords, and audience are the people who engage with and listen to the song.

So which reason do you think is most likely and why? And do you think Lord Kitchener did this for another reason? Pause the video here and share it with your partner.

Okay, thanks for sharing your ideas there.

I wonder which one you selected or maybe you came up with a different idea.

To determine the purpose and audience of "London is the Place for Me", we can consider both the music and the lyrics.

Purpose is one of our keywords.

It means the reason the song was written and its intended impact.

We can: Identify themes and messages in the lyrics.

Consider the tone.

Is it formal, informal, positive or negative? Consider what we know about the artist, their perspective and voice, what they might be trying to convey.

The purpose and audience of a song can change over time.

When the context of a song changes, so can its purpose and audience.

Check for understanding.

How can you identify the purpose and audience of "London is the Place for Me." Focus just on the song's title.

Identify themes and messages in the lyrics.

Consider the tone of the song.

Pause the video while you decide how you can identify the purpose and audience of "London is the Place for Me." Well done if you selected identify themes and messages in the lyrics and consider the tone of the song.

The title alone doesn't provide sufficient context about the song's themes, tone, or intended audience.

And now it's time for your next task.

I'd like you to answer the following question.

What do you think the purpose of the song was for audiences in 1948 and now? When discussing the audience in 1948, use information we know already about the context in which the song was written.

When discussing the modern audience, think about what we can learn from the song now.

You may wish to refer to themes and messages, the tone of the song, and what we know about the artist.

So pause the video here while you complete this task.

What do you think the purpose of the song was for audiences in 1948 and now? And share with someone nearby.

Okay, it's good to be back with you.

I am curious.

What do you think the purpose of the song was for audiences in 1948 and now? Let's hear from Laura.

"For the 1948 audience, I think the purpose was to encourage people from the Caribbean to migrate to the UK, highlighting London as a place of opportunity and comfort." Yeah, really good thinking now, Laura.

Thanks for sharing that one.

And here's Izzy, "The song today serves as a reminder of experiences and is a tribute to the contributions that people from the Caribbean made to Britain." Here, here, Izzy, I love your answer that we can see the song is a tribute to the very significant contributions that people from the Caribbean have made to Britain.

Lord Kitchener wrote many songs about his experiences in the UK.

Not all of them were as positive and optimistic as "London is the Place for Me." So it could be worth exploring some more of his songs to really get a sense of his different perspectives on his experiences in the UK.

In our lesson today, exploring the purpose and audience of "London is the Place for Me", we have covered the following: the migration of people from the Caribbean to England during the Windrush period, 1948 to 1971, was driven by a combination of pull factors.

Lord Kitchener wrote "London is the Place for Me" from the perspective of someone who had been to London even though he had not yet visited the city.

To determine the purpose and audience of a song, we can consider the music and the lyrics.

The purpose and audience of a song can change over time.

When the context of a song changes, so can its purpose and audience.

Thank you everyone for joining in with this lesson.

I've really enjoyed exploring purpose and audience of "London is the Place for Me" with you.

And thank you so much for sharing all of your ideas and opinions and what you're taking away.

I look forward to seeing you at another lesson soon.

Bye for now.