Jenkyns’ songs for children can best be described as art songs for the youngest singers. Their ranges and technical requirements are just right for the younger age groups and their lyrics as in The Five Little Mice are perfectly gauged for their performers. NB The Five Little Mice come to a sad end in this tale courtesy of a watchful cat.Peter Jenkyns was a 20th century British composer singer and educator who wrote a series of songs for primary-aged children sensitively arranged and with appropriate lyrics. Jenkyns was the headmaster of two primary schools outside of London for whose choirs he composed songs for the St Albans’ Schools Music Festival. He wasalso a highly-regarded Gilbert and Sullivan patter-song singer and he founded a local Gilbert & Sullivan society which is still thriving.
