Candle 37: A Song to Sing

I received a delightful gift in my inbox this morning from Carolyn Joan Lau (Class of 1981), which she'd like to share with all BBGSians. Carolyn is a landscape designer based in KL, who found a pre-Independence songbook that was used by schoolkids in colonial Malaya, containing the origins of our beloved School Song. Curious to find out more..read on! Thanks for sharing, Carolyn...


Dear Joanna

Here is something to add to the Back2BBGS blog, more so for you younger ones. (Joanna says: Thanks for the compliment, Carolyn. It's been ages since anyone described me as young!)

I found this old song book in an old Ipoh junk shop. The cover is as old as my generation - hope we're weathering better than this book!

There are so many odd songs in it that us older girls used to sing in primary school - with Mrs Singham at the piano (Pri 1) - that we can never shake out of our heads. School concerts were such a blast - done properly - and so much fun.

More importantly, do note that our school song was adapted from "Land of Our Birth" (words by Rudyard Kipling). Many schoolkids in the Federation of Malaya, and later Malaysia were singing this!

BBGS We Pledge To Thee

BBGS we pledge to thee
Our love and toil in the years to be
When we are grown and take our place
As loyal women with our race

Father in Heaven who lovest all
O help Thy children when they call
That they may build from age to age
An undefiled heritage

Teach us to bear the yoke in youth
With steadfastness and careful truth
That in our time Thy grace may give
The truth whereby the nations live

Teach us delight in simple things
And mirth that has no bitter springs
Forgiveness free of evil done
And love to all men 'neath the sun


Our school song is adapted from a hymn (Presbyterian Hymnal) entitled Land of Our Birth after the Second World War.