Green’s Farms Students to Debut “In Wonderful Westport”

UPDATE AND CORRECT Second graders at Green’s Farms Elementary School will perform their original song about Westport, “In Wonderful Westport,” on Sunday, June 14, during the Westport Historical Society’s 18th Annual Hidden Garden Tour and Garden Marketplace.
Music teacher Suzanne Sherman Propp will perform children’s songs from her CD “PLAY.” Kristin Hoebermann photo

The Society invited Green’s Farms music teacher Suzanne Sherman Propp to perform songs from her new CD “PLAY” for children and their families at 1 p.m. and the children will sing the song following her performance. (See lyrics below)

“In Wonderful Westport” has been months in the making. In their music studies, the children listened to songs about cities and the country, but teachers could not find any about suburbs. So Propp and colleague Cheryl Buck decided to write a song with the children about Westport.

“Our first step was to brainstorm ways that Westport is special,” said Propp, who grew up in Westport and is a 1981 graduate of Staples High School. “Fortunately, the kids had no trouble recognizing what is wonderful about our community.

“The song focuses on what makes the town unique, such as the Minuteman statue, the cannons at Compo, Earthplace and the Westport Country Playhouse. They also included the names of several founding families, but acknowledged the difficulty of including all the names that are important to the town.”

After the students wrote their song, they wrote letters to Westport First Selectman Gordon F. Joseloff and the Westport Fire and Police Departments inviting them to the school to join in singing the song.

Schools Superintendent Elliott Landon was unable to attend the May 8 session, but Joseloff did along with four firefighters and two police officers. They met with the second graders, their teachers, and Principal John Bayers to talk about Westport and sing the song together as others taped the performance.

The June 14 performance will be the first time the general public can join in.

The Garden Marketplace on Veterans Green will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Hidden Garden Tour participants picking up their tickets will be able to visit more than 30 vendors selling a variety of home and garden-related items as well as jewelry, accessories, kids stuff and hand-crafted items. 

Food will be available for purchase and admission is free. Lawn chairs and blankets are recommended for the performance.

Propp’s CD is available at www.suzanneshermanpropp.com, on iTunes and at the Westport Barnes & Noble and will also be available on the day of the performance at the Garden Marketplace.
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“In Wonderful Westport”
©2009 GFS Second Graders With Suzanne Sherman Propp and Cheryl Buck

CHORUS:

There are thousands of stories in Westport
Here by the shores of the Long Island Sound
Where the Saugatuck River is flowing
Can’t imagine a much nicer town

VERSE 1:

There’s the Minuteman statue at Compo
And two wonderful cannons to climb
From the days when many brave soldiers
Fought for freedom and peace in their time.

CHORUS

VERSE 2:

At the Playhouse the stories are acted; They’re told in the library near Jesup Green
At Longshore we swim
at EarthPlace we hike
Through the woods & the pathways & streams

CHORUS

VERSE 3:

Thanks to the builders and planners
Whose visions we live out each day
It’s a town of artists and thinkers
And people who know how to play

BRIDGE:

Adams & Avery & Bedford & Bradley
Burr, Coley & Green
Hull, Jennings, Levitt, Luciano
Now we’re all part of their dreams

Nash, Newman, Raymond, Sherwood
Staples, Sturges and Taylor
Wakeman, Wheeler, Winslow & Wright
Yes, we’re all part of their dreams

CHORUS

Can’t imagine a much nicer town (3x)