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Widdecombe Fair

(2003, Children's music, by David Jones, Bill Shute, Label: Festival Five Records)
  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 9, age appropriate for kids over 10; suggested age 10.
  • Is it any good?

    3.0
  • Common Sense says

    An authentic but dark collection of folk songs.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 10 and Up

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    Real life situations, some dark with emotional intensity, reflecting life in old England, including poverty, killing animals, death.
  • Violence:

    References to hanging, drowning, death, ghosts, the devil.
  • Sex:

    Not an issue.
  • Language:

    Not an issue.
  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Not an issue.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Widdecombe Fair

Parents need to know that these traditional ballads, work songs, and sea shanties are soulful and have educational value, but the content is not entirely appropriate for very young children and the spare folk arrangements and overall similarity in the songs may lack appeal for older children wanting a more varied, contemporary sound. Overall, it's dark and mournful -- not upbeat.

Read our full review by Christine Walker and Dennis Hysom

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about how people use songs to preserve stories and ease difficult times.

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