Periodic Singing

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There's antimony, arsenic, aluminum, selenium, And hydrogen and oxygen and nitrogen and rhenium,

....

Vital Statistics

Periodic Singing

Date: June 25, 2004

Category: Music

Appearing: Graham Stark, Andrew Cownden

Writing: Tom Lehrer

Music: Tom Lehrer's "The Elements", "Modern Major General" by Gilbert & Sullivan, Performed by Andy Cownden

Location: Oak Bay High Theatre

Synopsis

Mr. Atkinson, Graham's grade eight science teacher, offered an automatic A to anyone who could memorize and sing to the class Tom Lehrer's "The Elements", a list of the chemical elements set to the tune of the Major-General's Song by Gilbert and Sullivan. Graham, seeing this as an easy way to get a good grade, memorized the song and has still not forgotten it. Being a man of his word, Mr. Atkinson did give Graham his A, but the school's science teachers no longer make that deal with students.

Behind the Scenes

"I did a take-down of this one, which means I listened to a recording and tried to figure out the chords. Graham's got a good story about this song, but I'll leave it to him to tell it." - Andy

Trivia

• This video was actually shot twice on different days, and the version shown was from the second day. The first attempt had poor audio and was awkwardly shot. However, with the practice gained from the first attempt, Andy and Graham nailed the second attempt on their first try.
• This song was reprised by Graham and Andy at the LRR Screening chronicled at the first Desert Bus and during the fifth anniversary screening.