Rusty the Rooster – Canada

harp player . the Friendly Giant’s puppet companion

“Look up  … waaaaay up!“

Anyone who grew up in Canada between 1958 and 1985 will immediately start humming the folk song Early One Morning nostalgically remembering being a child listening to this tune being played on recorder and harp.

The iconic CBC programme, The Friendly Giant, was a delightful and calm children’s TV show that featured Bob Homme (1919-2000) as Friendly the Giant and his puppet friends Jerome the purple-spotted giraffe and… Rusty the Rooster who played a wee harp.

Let me set the stage. Harp glissandos swirl as we gaze upon the giant’s castle. Two lines of the theme song, Early one Morning, are played on harp and recorder. The tune continues with rolled chords and arpeggios on solo harp as the drawbridge of the castle is slowly lowered and the doors to the castle open grandly. We are welcomed into the giant’s living room featuring a stone fireplace, one little chair, one bigger chair to curl up in, and a rocking chair to rock in. The camera pans waaaaay up to the giant chatting away in his calm, soothing voice and we meet Rusty the rooster, often needing help getting out of his bookbag dwelling that was hung next to the castle window. Shortly Jerome, the giraffe, pops his head in through window and the show continues with gentle ad lib conversation, humour, stories, reading books, and music. Friendly the Giant plays recorder, Jerome sings and plays various instruments and Rusty, besides playing harp, also wields a mean accordion and guitar! The music played during the show was all over the map, Classical, Celtic, folk, jazz (remember The Jazz Cats?!). The show would end as it began but in reverse order putting the chairs away, raising the drawbridge and concluding with Early One Morning on harp and recorder and in the darkening night sky the fairytale cow jumps over the moon.

From what I understand, the music was played live off the floor each episode including the opening and ending excerpts and variations of Early One Morning. The harpist was John Duncan (1904-1998), a harp player and harp builder living in Toronto.

As a Canadian harp player, the number of times I have been asked to play this theme song is unmeasurable… simply because I am playing the harp and their experience of a harp was hearing that theme song when they were a child!! I was once interviewed by the Winnipeg Gazette and asked why I wanted to play harp. I wasn’t about to admit that Rusty was my muse. I still won’t admit it. But…

Wait… was that my introduction to Celtic tunes as well?!?!???!!!

– by Sharlene Wallace, Canadian harpist continuing the Canadian tradition of harp playing as inspired by a rooster (or not).