Useful Information for Students and Parents
Curriculum Outline Years 7 – 9
All entry and shell students have two academic music lessons every week. In the lower remove, boys have a double lesson each week for either the first or second half of each term, studying drama for the other half of term. The shell and lower remove are taught in half sets of around 12 pupils in each class. Most projects contain an aspect of performance and composition in addition to the acquisition of technical vocabulary, musical skills, stave notation and compositional techniques. Many projects also include GCSE-style and standard listening questions relating to the studied topic.
Entry
The principal focus for study in the entry is rhythm. This is approached from a variety of angles including performing, composing and studying different rhythms. Whilst some activities are taught orally there is a strong emphasis on ensuring all boys are able to read and write rhythms notated on the stave. Danse Macabre by Saint-Saëns is used as a vehicle for considering the rhythms of the waltz, orchestral instruments, programme music and for music appreciation generally. The world music component in the entry year is Samba. Following exercises in text-setting, one of the major composition projects in the entry year is a three-part spoken piece, involving a number of textural and structural composition techniques, which is performed at the end of the project.
Shell
IT is introduced in the shell year, where boys are taught to manipulate the Sibelius Computer Software notation programme. The principal focus is pitch, including a study of intervals, both on the stave and by aural recognition. Melody and texture are studied using Pachelbel’s Canon and Indonesian gamelan music as models in listening, performing and further composing projects. In the second half of the year the boys study a variety of melodic development techniques using the use of motif in Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony as a model. A final fanfare composition project finishes the year via a motivic analysis of the introduction to Orfeo by Montiverdi and a comparison with other fanfares.
Lower Remove
The lower remove contains three distinct yet consequent projects:
- African Drumming and Vocal Music, taught mostly by oral tradition, using listening, performing and composing projects.
- Blues, involving an introduction to chords, performing the blues chord sequence, improvising using the blues scale and composing a song to a set text.
- ‘Pop’ Song. Following a study of Beat It by Michael Jackson, the boys consider structures in song and some typical chord progressions, in addition to revising text-setting and melody-writing before finishing the year by composing and performing their own songs in groups.
In the lower remove each module has a number of GCSE-style listening questions to prepare those wishing to study the subject further by familiarising students with the approach and breadth of GCSE, in addition to covering a significant amount of the required vocabulary and techniques for the studied topics.
GCSE Music
At UCS we use the Edexcel Specification. Full details can be found at:
http://www.edexcel.com/quals/gcse/gcse09/music/Pages/default.aspx
This is quite a broad course, but with a lot of vocabulary and skills to be gained by studying the musical elements in each piece. Whilst there is something for everyone, students are encouraged to consider what they will learn from every style, as it is not sufficient to approach the course thinking that you are only interested in one type of music.
Listening, appreciation, analysis, performing and composing elements are pursued via 12 set works divided into four areas of study:
Area of Study 1 – western classical music 1600-1899
Handel: Chorus: And the Glory of the Lord from Messiah
Mozart: 1st Movement from Symphony No. 40 in G minor
Chopin: Prelude No 15 in D flat major, Op. 28
Area of Study 2 – music in the 20th century
Schoenberg: Peripetie from Five Orchestral Pieces, Op. 16
Bernstein: Something’s Coming from West Side Story
Reich: 3rd Movement (fast) from Electric Counterpoint
Area of Study 3 – popular music in context
Miles Davis: All Blues from the album Kind of Blue
Jeff Buckley: Grace from the album Grace
Moby: Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad? From the album Play
Area of Study 4 – world music
Capercaillie: Chuir M’Athair Mise Dhan Taigh Charraideach (Skye Waulking Song) from the album Nàdurra
Rag Desh as performed by: A Shankar, S D Dhandhada and H Dhandhada & Wertheimer and Gorn
Koko: Yiri
Assessment is in three parts, the first two of which are done as coursework.
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Performing |
Composing |
Listening & Appraising |
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You will need to play one solo piece and one ensemble piece. These are recorded, with the possibility of doing a number of takes, rather than playing ‘live’ to an examiner |
You will need to create two compositions relating to two different areas of study. |
You will sit a 90 minute written paper with questions on your prescribed set works. Questions such as these are asked:
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A level Music
At UCS we use the OCR specification. Music can be studied at two stages: as a one-year course leading to an AS qualification, or by following this, for a further year, with the A2 examination course leading to a full A-level qualification.
Each stage comprises three components: Performing, Composing and Listening.
AS Music
Unit G351: Performing Music 1
Unit G352: Composing 1
Unit G353: Introduction to Historical Study in Music
A2 Music
Unit G354: Performing Music 2
Unit G352: Composing 2
Unit G353: Historical and Analytical Studies in Music
More details can be found on the OCR examination board website at:
http://www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/type/gce/amlw/music/
Students and parents are strongly advised to speak to the relevant teachers for a more individual explanation and overview of the course and the suitability of any individual.
Coursework deadlines for each examination are carefully scheduled by the music department considering a number of factors and these are given clearly to the candidates at the beginning of each course. For further information please email your son or daughter’s music teacher.
Resources (some of which are provided by the school)
GCSE resources
Edexcel GCSE Music by John Arkell & Jonny Martin (Pearson) (Provided by the school at the beginning of the course)
Edexcel GCSE Anthology of Music edited by Julia Winterson (Pearson) (Provided by the school at the beginning of the course)
There are, of course, many other materials specifically written and provided by UCS teachers, in addition to our own scheme of work designed to meet the needs of our students.
Other suggested reading material includes:
Edexcel GCSE Music Study Guide by Paul Terry (Rhinegold Education)
Edexcel GCSE Music Revision Guide by Alan Charlton (Rhinegold Education)
A level resources
Many of these are bespoke and written by the teachers concerned. Please contact the unit teacher if you require further information.
Useful books include: (some of these may be provided by the school)
Harmony in Practice by Anna Butterworth (The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music)
Stylistic Harmony Work Book (Second Edition) by Anna Butterworth (Oxford Music Examination Workbooks)
371 Harmonized Chorales by Bach/Riemenschneider (Schirmer)
Online Resources
The BBC provides an interesting array of extra study materials from their GCSE Bitesize WebPages
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/music/
to more advanced programmes on specific pieces, which are also excellent to use for contextual study.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006tn54 (Discovering Music Programmes)
Grove Music Online (part of Oxford Music Online, to which the school subscribes)
Arguably the leading resource for first musical research into any topic for A-level to undergraduate degree level
Naxos Music Library The school pays a subscription allowing examination students access to a library the equivalent to over 54,330 CDs
JSTOR www.jstor.org ‘With more than a thousand academic journals and over 1 million images, letters, and other primary sources, JSTOR is one of the world's most trusted sources for academic content.’ An extraordinary resource for advanced students and those preparing for Oxbridge or other university/conservatoire music study.