Malcolm taught in several Primary and Secondary Schools and found the accompaniments in the school songbooks a bit dull. In 1988 he gathered up 12 of his arrangements and called the collection A Sowp O’ Sangs, dedicating it to his Scottish sister-in-law who had just died from cancer aged 39.
- Hush thee, my Bairnie
- Soldier, Soldier
- Jubilee. No, not the Queen’s reign. The melody is a catchy negro slave song from Southern USA. The slaves worked in the fields with very little sleep and no time off apart from rare holidays, which they called Jubilees – mad days of singing, dancing, eating, a bit of courting and a precious taste of freedom. Malcolm’s accompaniment reveals here his skill as a jazz pianist. (If too difficult in a few places – just improvise!) This song was a top favourite with Malcolm’s pupils of all ages. And the rhythm invites dancing too. voice (easy), piano (moderate)
- Bobby Shaftoe
- King Arthur’s Servants
- The Girl Who Liked Dancing
- Blowin’ in the Wind
- Oh Marlborough’s Gone to War
- River Wilsa
- Janko
- The Wedding Array
- A Manx Lullaby. A simple folk tune over a gently rocking piano accompaniment mostly at the lower end of the piano, but rising as the bird seeks home and its nest. It can be sung with equal effect by children, amateur or professional singers. voice (easy), piano (moderate)
