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Sing Around the Campfire Trivia Quiz

For many of us, music around a campfire defined our summer camp experiences. While many of the songs varied by camp type and place, there seems to be some similarities as well. This has a specific North American bent.

A multiple-choice quiz by pcaskie. Estimated time: 3 mins.

Author
pcaskie

Time
3 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
269,904

Updated
Apr 10 23

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
6 / 10

Plays
1968

Last 3 plays: Guest 174 (6/10), TinaLou83 (6/10), malcolm1313 (4/10).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. In the "Bear Song," when was the branch caught by the author? Hint

caught it but the branch broke

First try

On the way back down

Didn't catch it, got caught by the bear

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. What color does starboard shine in the tune "Barges?" Hint

Green

Blue

Red

Yellow

NEXT>

Question 3 of 10

3. When the group is split into several sections and each begin the same song at a different time, the song is called what? Hint

Lyrics

A Round

Bad timing

A canon

NEXT>

Question 4 of 10

4. In the song most commonly known as "The Happy Wanderer," what is on the singer's back? Hint

A child

A heavy load

A spider

A knapsack

NEXT>

Question 5 of 10

5. "Frere Jacques" is a popular camp song that roughly equates to "Are you Dreaming Brother John?" in English.

True

False

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Question 6 of 10

6. What stood 90 years on the floor? Hint

A old wooden bucket

A fishing pole

Mother's chest of drawers

My grandfather's clock

NEXT>

Question 7 of 10

7. What is a song sung at the end of the day called? Hint

Vespers

Hymn

Grace

Round

NEXT>

Question 8 of 10

8. These lyrics would most commonly be sung where?

"Morning is here
The board is spread
Thanks be to God
Who gives us bread"
Hint

As a wake up call

At breakfast

At a campfire closing

At any meal as a grace

NEXT>

Question 9 of 10

9. Many of the folk songs of the 60's and 70's are now traditional campfire songs.

True

False

NEXT>

Question 10 of 10

10. The purpose of most closing night campfires is to choose songs that accomplish what emotion? Hint

Get the campers excited about going home

Make the campers miss their parents

Get the campers tired out so they will sleep

Make the campers sad to be leaving camp

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Most Recent Scores

Nov 14 2024 : Guest 174: 6/10
Oct 27 2024 : TinaLou83: 6/10
Oct 24 2024 : malcolm1313: 4/10

Score Distribution

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. In the "Bear Song," when was the branch caught by the author?

Answer: On the way back down

"Ahead of me, I saw a tree,
A great big tree, Oh glory be!
The nearest branch, was ten feet up,
I'd have to jump and trust to luck.
And so I jumped, into the air,
But I missed that branch, a way up there.
Now don't you fret, now don't you frown,
'Cause I caught that branch, on the way back down."

Used as a repeating song where the song leader sings a line and the group sings it back again, this song has been used from hikes, to chow line entertainment to campfires.

2. What color does starboard shine in the tune "Barges?"

Answer: Green

"Out of my window looking in the night,
I can see the barges flickering light.
Starboard shines green and port is glowing red,
You can see them flickering far ahead."

"Barges" can be sung in many different tones from loud and raucous to soft and slow, depending on the mood and the setting of the singing.

3. When the group is split into several sections and each begin the same song at a different time, the song is called what?

Answer: A Round

Rounds have been sung for centuries. The first round most of us learn as children is "Row, Row, Row your boat."

4. In the song most commonly known as "The Happy Wanderer," what is on the singer's back?

Answer: A knapsack

"I love to go a-wandering,
Along the mountain track,
And as I go, I love to sing,
My knapsack on my back."

This common hiking song is often sang at a campfire after a long day on the trail.

5. "Frere Jacques" is a popular camp song that roughly equates to "Are you Dreaming Brother John?" in English.

Answer: False

This is often one of the first foreign language songs a young child learns. While usually sung in French, in English the rough translation is "Are you Sleeping, Brother John?"

6. What stood 90 years on the floor?

Answer: My grandfather's clock

"My grandfather's clock was too large for the shelf,
So it stood ninety years on the floor."

The storyline of this song was the clock was received by the family the day the author's grandfather was born and it stopped working the day he died.

7. What is a song sung at the end of the day called?

Answer: Vespers

There are many different songs that can be used for vespers but most traditionally used is Taps.

"Day is done, Gone the sun
From the lake, From the hills
From the sky, All is well
Safely rest, God is nigh"

8. These lyrics would most commonly be sung where? "Morning is here The board is spread Thanks be to God Who gives us bread"

Answer: At breakfast

This is specifically a morning grace. Interestingly, most camps traditionally sing a grace before every meal. There are many varied graces and some camps make a practice of never repeating the same grace in a week's camp.

9. Many of the folk songs of the 60's and 70's are now traditional campfire songs.

Answer: True

"Blowin' in the Wind," "Where have all the Flower's Gone?," "Puff the Magic Dragon," "Lemon Tree," and "This Land is Your Land" are just a few of the most popular folk songs from the 60's that are now staples around campfires everywhere in North America.

10. The purpose of most closing night campfires is to choose songs that accomplish what emotion?

Answer: Make the campers sad to be leaving camp

Many songs have been written just to evoke the emotion of being sad to be leaving camp. I was so good at developing a last night closing campfire, that I have even been able to make the boy's camp cry. If I didn't have the girl's camp crying within the first 15 minutes, I had failed.

Source: Author pcaskie

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor ralzzz before going online.
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