There are hundreds of sparrows, thousands, millions

There are hundreds of sparrows, thousands, millions. John Gowans* (1934-2012).  This lively song comes from a musical, Take-Over Bid, which was presented at a Salvation Army’s annual council for officers in 1967. In the musical it is sung by three children, and it is suitable mainly for children. It has a tune, HUNDREDS AND THOUSANDS, written by Gowans’ colleague John Larsson (1938-2022), and an ingenious internal rhyming in line 2 of each of the first three (of four) stanzas (‘penny… many’, ‘fair...wear’, ‘space...place’). The use of rhyme and repetition helps to establish the song clearly in the minds of young singers, and carries the central theme that is reiterated at the end of each...