Prime Minister Jacinda Adern is pregnant. The announcement of her “happy surprise” got RNZ Music staff thinking about lullabies that she and her partner Clarke Gayford could play or sing to soothe their wee one.
Jacinda Ardern sworn in as the 40th Prime Minister of New Zealand. Jacinda Ardern and Clarke Gayford with Jacinda's nieces outside Parliament. Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King
Studies show that singing to a baby can be beneficial for the child’s health and development and help to reinforce the bond between parent and child.
Here's an easy lullaby to start with - Hush is a Kiwi take on a classic lullaby by Joy Cowley and Andrew Burdan with version in Te Reo Maori.
And here's another in Te Reo Maori that’s sung all around the world thanks to NZ soprano Dame Kiri Te Kanawa.
Brahms’ famous Cradle Song has an instant effect on some wee ones.
Mozart’s music is popular with parents worldwide, and his playful variations on Twinkle Twinkle Little Star can be a fun addition to the traditional nursery rhyme.
The magic of many voices combined is heavenly. American choral superstar Eric Whitacre has composed an exquisite piece called Sleep, which might see you nod off before baby.
It's hard to go past the calm-inducing of Stephen Foster’s Slumber my darling performed by American blue-grass singer Alison Kraus with cellist YoYo Ma.
French countertenor Philippe Jaroussky has an angelic voice and his version of the Italian lullaby Ninna Nanna will melt any mood.
The soothing sound of Manuel de Falla’s Nana is based on an Andalusian cradle song that de Falla’s mother sang to him as a child.
Then there's the tender Estonian cradle song Kuus, Kuus Kallike by Arvo Pärt.
For local sounds for little ears you can't go past the selection picked out by RNZ Music's Kirsten Johnstone and New Horizon's William Dart has sampled a number of New Zealand releases aimed at kids, enjoyable also by kidults including tracks by Levity Beet and Daniel Styczek, Anika Moa, Mr Roberelli, and a collection of conservation songs created for and sung by the Ōhope Beach School Choir.
