Prior Learning:

The children may have already have been listening to songs/music mentioning the world around us – the sea, mountains, space, weather, as well as responding with their feelings, which instruments/voices they hear.

Experiences and Outcomes

I have listened to a range of music and can respond by discussing my thoughts and feelings. EXA 2-19a

Skills from CREATE Music Tracker

• Listen and respond to musical pieces of increasing length and listen appropriately to the views of others.
• Listen to a range of live and/or recorded music and respond by expressing personal views.
• Listen to and watch musicians perform a range of musical genres.
• Recognise different ensembles and name the instruments within them.
• Listen to and identify the different sections of the orchestra (strings, woodwind, brass, percussion) and gain a deeper understanding of how the timbre of different instruments can convey different moods/atmospheres.

Activities

Discuss different styles of music and how you recognise them, i.e.
Scottish – you may hear instruments from Scotland like bagpipes, accordion.
Classical – usually played by an orchestra
Pop – played by a band etc.

Play each excerpt in turn, pausing for discussion after each piece, asking the questions:

Can you recognise if it’s a male/female voice? (If there’s only one voice it’s a solo) Or is it a group of voices? How does the song make you feel? Are there any instruments you recognise in the background? Is it loud/quiet? Fast/slow? Are there lots of instruments or a few?  What kind of style is it?

NB Do play each one more than once – you could play a couple of times, then discuss, then play again to listen out for the things you’ve drawn their attention to.

1. Scottish Airs (Highland Pipes and Drums)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7oac68zqdw&list=OLAK5uy_nXjfxe-hfE2Zw2sIdlqEjYgleEc6aya2k&index=15

Starts with snare drum roll, then bagpipes play.

Hopefully the children will recognise the sound as typically Scottish! You could use the music to march to the steady beat.

2. Yellow (Coldplay) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdVAqxNLXiw

Instruments: Acoustic, electric and bass guitars, drumkit

Starts with acoustic guitar, then electric joins in with power chords, then bass guitar with drumkit to add to driving rhythm. Solo male voice singing.

Rock? Band. Male solo voice.

3. Be Our Guest (Beauty and the Beast) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afzmwAKUppU

Orchestral backing. Voices – full chorus (group) singing.

About 20 secs into excerpt it slows down, starts to get faster again until it’s back at the first speed until the end. Big (loud) finish.

Conclude

Throughout the year we’ve looked at: voices (male/female, solo/group), instruments, styles of music (orchestra/rock group etc), music expressing feelings, whether music is loud/quiet, fast/slow.

Encourage the children to use these pointers in their own listening.

Prior Learning:

The children may have already listened to songs where they’ve been asked to recognise male/female voices – and also have been asked to describe how the songs made them feel. This lesson follows on from that, introducing more male/female and group vocal examples.

Experiences and Outcomes

I have listened to a range of music and can respond by discussing my thoughts and feelings. EXA 2-19a

Skills from CREATE Music Tracker

• Listen and respond to musical pieces of increasing length and listen appropriately to the views of others.
• Listen to a range of live and/or recorded music and respond by expressing personal views.
• Listen to and watch musicians perform a range of musical genres.
• Recognise different ensembles and name the instruments within them.
• Listen to and identify the different sections of the orchestra (strings, woodwind, brass, percussion) and gain a deeper understanding of how the timbre of different instruments can convey different moods/atmospheres.

Activities

Remind the children of what they have previously learned about male and female voices.
How do you know it’s male?  (the pitch/tone of the voice is lower/deeper)
How do you know it’s female? (the pitch/tone of the voice is higher/sweeter)
How do you know it’s a solo? (there’s only one person singing)
How do you know it’s a group? (more than one voice singing together)

Play each excerpt in turn, pausing for discussion after each piece, asking the questions:

Can you recognise if it’s a male/female voice? (If there’s only one voice it’s a solo) Or is it a group of voices? How does the song make you feel? Are there any instruments you recognise in the background? Is it loud/quiet? Fast/slow? Are there lots of instruments or a few?  What kind of style is it? (pop, from a musical, classical, country, opera etc)  The children may or may not know about styles, but it’s good to expose them to different types of music.

NB Do play each one more than once – you could play a couple of times, then discuss, then play again to listen out for the things you’ve drawn their attention to.

1. Cruella de Vil  (101 Dalmations – sung by Dr John)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWpThwwq33k

Instruments: Piano, drumkit, solo clarinet, saxophones
Piano intro, boogie woogie style. Male voice, then drumkit joins in. Clarinet joins in a bit later adding at the end of each line. Next chorus, saxophones join in underneath.
Jazzy, Blues, male solo voice, from a musical Disney film

2. Somewhere Over the Rainbow  (Eva Cassidy)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_eu5Jt0DYc

Instruments: Only guitar
Guitar intro, solo female voice

3. O Fortuna  (from Carmina Burana by Orff)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXFSK0ogeg4

Instruments: Orchestra, big cymbal crashes
Starts loudly, full chorus. Still full chorus but drops down v quietly

Conclude

Point out that these pieces of music are all different styles – Disney (musical), Folk, and Classical (choral) – encourage them to think about that when they hear different types of music at home.

Prior Learning:

The children may have been exposed to different voices/instrument groups through previous listening activities, listening to the radio/tv etc.

Experiences and Outcomes

I have listened to a range of music and can respond by discussing my thoughts and feelings. EXA 2-19a

Skills from CREATE Music Tracker

• Listen and respond to musical pieces of increasing length and listen appropriately to the views of others.
• Listen to a range of live and/or recorded music and respond by expressing personal views.
• Listen to and watch musicians perform a range of musical genres.
• Recognise different ensembles and name the instruments within them.
• Listen to and identify the different sections of the orchestra (strings, woodwind, brass, percussion) and gain a deeper understanding of how the timbre of different instruments can convey different moods/atmospheres.

Activities

Discuss how you know if a voice is male or female.
How do you know it’s male?  (the pitch/tone of the voice is lower/deeper)
How do you know it’s female? (the pitch/tone of the voice is higher/sweeter)

Discuss again how music can make you feel a certain way – happy, sad, like dancing, like an animal etc

Play each excerpt in turn, pausing for discussion after each piece, asking the questions:

Are there voices? If so, can you recognise if it’s a male/female voice(s)? How does the song make you feel? Are there any instruments you recognise in the background? Is it loud/quiet? Fast/slow? Are there lots of instruments or a few?

NB Do play each one more than once – you could play a couple of times, then discuss, then play again to listen out for the things you’ve drawn their attention to.

1. Waltz from ‘Coppelia’ Ballet (Delibes)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dixdXcZouZ8

Instruments: Orchestra, but mainly strings playing the melody (violins)

The excerpt starts quite loudly, then has a moment of quiet, slowing down before taking off again. The music is for dancing to so hopefully the children will pick that up.

2. Sunshine on Leith (Proclaimers) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmELS03_4So

Instruments: Piano only

Starts with piano introduction, then male voice singing (solo), a bit later, another male voice joins in with a harmony.

Sad? Slow?

3. The Aviary from ‘Carnival of the Animals’ (Saint-Saens)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSzQrGp-jDM

Instruments: Piano, woodwind, some strings.

Starts with flute, some strings underneath holding long notes, piano joins in with trills and flourishes, flute and piano conversation, flute playing up and down scales and ‘tweets’.

It’s supposed to represent birds.

Conclude

Encourage the children to always be actively listening when they hear a piece of music – is it fast/slow, loud/quiet, which instruments can they hear? etc

Prior Learning:

The children may have already listened to music expressing emotions. This lesson follows on from that, introducing pieces of instrumental music and asking the children to describe how these pieces of music make them feel.

Experiences and Outcomes

I have listened to a range of music and can respond by discussing my thoughts and feelings. EXA 2-19a

Skills from CREATE Music Tracker

• Listen and respond to musical pieces of increasing length and listen appropriately to the views of others.
• Listen to a range of live and/or recorded music and respond by expressing personal views.
• Listen to and watch musicians perform a range of musical genres.
• Recognise different ensembles and name the instruments within them.
• Listen to and identify the different sections of the orchestra (strings, woodwind, brass, percussion) and gain a deeper understanding of how the timbre of different instruments can convey different moods/atmospheres.

Activities

Remind the children of what they have previously learned about the link between music and feelings.
Why does music make you feel a certain way?  Is it because of the instruments playing?
How loud/quiet they are? Whether the music is fast/slow?
Does how you are feeling yourself affect your perception?

Play each excerpt in turn, pausing for discussion after each piece, asking the questions:

How does it make you feel? Have you a picture in your head? Can you imagine something happening? Are there any instruments you recognise? Is it loud/quiet? Fast/slow? Are there lots of instruments or a few?  Can you hear any voices?  Most answers will of course be valid as it’s their perception but, there are a few definites i.e. which instruments are playing!

NB Do play each one more than once – you could play a couple of times, then discuss, then play again to listen out for the things you’ve drawn their attention to.

1. Sheep May Safely Graze (Bach) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1nyzGR3tUE

Instruments:   Organ, flute(s), violin solo

Starts with flutes and organ in background. Violin takes over the melody, then it swaps between it and flutes for the rest of the excerpt. Quite slow.

Peaceful, calming, relaxing?

2. Fuego Caribe (Ritmo Alegria) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5t9oiLV6_MU

Instruments: Piano, trumpet, saxophones, various percussion insturments

Starts with piano solo, percussion joins in (agogo), then bongo/conga drums, trumpet solo, saxophones play underneath. Saxes take melody, lots more percussion (shakers, guiros, cabasas, claves)  Quite fast. Carnival, dancing, happy, cheery?

3. Pavane (Faure)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeCxKGHwYQo

Instruments: String Orchestra (children will possible only say violins)

Sad, slow? (It’s in a minor key which is why it sounds ‘sad’

Conclude

Point out that these pieces are all instrumental – no singing or words. Encourage the children to always 9 actively listening when they hear a piece of music – is it fast/slow, loud/quiet, which instruments can they hear?

Experiences and Outcomes:
I have experienced the energy and excitement of presenting/performing for audiences and being part of an audience for other people’s presentations/performances. EXA 2-01a

I can sing and play music from a range of styles and cultures, showing skill and using performance directions, and/or musical notation. EXA 2-16a

I can use my voice, musical instruments and music technology to experiment with sounds, pitch, melody, rhythm, timbre and dynamics. EXA 2-17a

Inspired by a range of stimuli, and working on my own and/or with others, I can express and communicate my ideas, thoughts and feelings through musical activities. EXA 2-18a

I have listened to a range of music and can respond by discussing my thoughts and feelings. EXA 2-19a

Lesson Outcomes
After this lesson, pupils will be able to:

• Listen and reflect on a piece of orchestral music
• Invent their own musical motifs and structure them into a piece
• Perform as an ensemble
• Learn musical language appropriate to the task

Curriculum Checklist
Learners will:

• Play and perform in ensemble contexts, using voices and playing musical instruments
• Improvise and compose music for a range of purposes using the interrelated dimensions of music
• Listen with attention to detail and recall sounds with increasing aural memory

Activities

Warm up. Begin with a quick focusing game and then talk through everything you have made so far. You should have a list like this:

• Rondo piece: The ride (A: trills, swoops, tune; Episodes: ‘falling’ ‘heroic’ ‘explosions’)
• Group 1: Before the ride (narration and leitmotifs)
• Group 2: Why they rode? (narration and leitmotifs)
• Group 3: What happened next? (narration and leitmotifs)

Put these sections back together. Working in small groups first and then slowly bringing the class and bigger pieces back together. Make sure everyone knows what they are doing in each piece.

Ask your children to come up with an order for their pieces so that they tell a story that makes sense and practice your pieces in this order adding in any additional narration or leitmotifs as required.

Finally, invite another class in to hear your finished work – the story of the Valkyrie Sisters!

Additional resources and a more detailed lesson plan can be found here on the BBC Ten Pieces website;

https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/ten-pieces/classical-music-richard-wagner-ride-of-the-valkyries/zdyfmfr

Experiences and Outcomes:
I can sing and play music from a range of styles and cultures, showing skill and using performance directions, and/or musical notation. EXA 2-16a

I can use my voice, musical instruments and music technology to experiment with sounds, pitch, melody, rhythm, timbre and dynamics. EXA 2-17a

Inspired by a range of stimuli, and working on my own and/or with others, I can express and communicate my ideas, thoughts and feelings through musical activities. EXA 2-18a

I have listened to a range of music and can respond by discussing my thoughts and feelings. EXA 2-19a

Lesson Outcomes
After this lesson, pupils will be able to:

• Listen and reflect on a piece of orchestral music
• Invent their own musical motifs and structure them into a piece
• Perform as an ensemble
• Learn musical language appropriate to the task

Curriculum Checklist
Learners will:

• Play and perform in ensemble contexts, using voices and playing musical instruments
• Improvise and compose music for a range of purposes using the interrelated dimensions of music
• Listen with attention to detail and recall sounds with increasing aural memory

Activities

Warm-up. Begin this lesson by reminding your class of the story of Wagner’s piece – eight sisters are riding winged horses into battle. Explain that this lesson is going to be about telling the rest of the story.

Split back into your three groups and label the groups 1, 2, 3. Give out paper and pens and ask each group to write one section of the story as follows –

• Group 1: Before the ‘ride’: what are the sisters doing?
• Group 2: The reason for the ‘ride’: why do the sisters set off?
• Group 3: After the ‘ride: what happens next?

Encourage each group to write their section of the story as just three short sentences. For example, Group 1 might have something like –

• The sisters were knitting
• A pigeon flew in with a message
• The sisters jumped up and screamed

Remind your children about the concept of leitmotifs – short, musical ideas that describe things within a story. Ask each group to underline one word in each of their sentences that could be turned into a leitmotif. For the example above it might be ‘knitting’, ‘pigeon’ and ‘screamed’.

When this is achieved, ask each group to invent a short leitmotif for each underlined word. So, ‘knitting’ might become a fast, ticking woodblock, ‘pigeon’ could be a swoop up and down a glockenspiel and ‘screamed’ could be a screech on a clarinet.

Ask each group to practise reading their words aloud and adding the leitmotifs in at an appropriate time. They can do this however they like – i.e. simply play the motifs after the word is mentioned, layer them up to create a piece or something else.

Finally, hear each group and make any tweaks required. As always, encourage your children to keep a record of their work

Additional resources and a more detailed lesson plan can be found here on the BBC Ten Pieces website;

https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/ten-pieces/classical-music-richard-wagner-ride-of-the-valkyries/zdyfmfr

Experiences and Outcomes:
I can sing and play music from a range of styles and cultures, showing skill and using performance directions, and/or musical notation. EXA 2-16a

I can use my voice, musical instruments and music technology to experiment with sounds, pitch, melody, rhythm, timbre and dynamics. EXA 2-17a

Inspired by a range of stimuli, and working on my own and/or with others, I can express and communicate my ideas, thoughts and feelings through musical activities. EXA 2-18a

I have listened to a range of music and can respond by discussing my thoughts and feelings. EXA 2-19a

Lesson Outcomes
After this lesson, pupils will be able to:

• Listen and reflect on a piece of orchestral music
• Invent their own musical motifs and structure them into a piece
• Perform as an ensemble
• Learn musical language appropriate to the task

Curriculum Checklist
Learners will:

• Play and perform in ensemble contexts, using voices and playing musical instruments
• Improvise and compose music for a range of purposes using the interrelated dimensions of music
• Listen with attention to detail and recall sounds with increasing aural memory

Activities

Warm up. Begin again in a circle and remind your class of the elements they have explored so far. You can turn this into a game by encouraging your pupils to clap back their rhythms, mime playing their tunes and create gestures to help remember elements like ‘swooping’, ‘wobbling’ etc.

Here’s a list of what you should have –

A section:
Trills/ wobbles
Upward swoops
Big tune

3 episodes:
Falling
Heroic notes
Explosions 

Get the instruments out and put these sections back together, then explain that Wagner uses a classic shape for his piece called ‘Rondo form’ (A-B-A-C-A-D). Your full class piece is the A section. Can your children replicate Wagner’s piece by deciding on an order for their group ‘episodes’ and alternating them with the A section? 

Try out several versions until you have all agreed on the ‘best’ one and write it up on the board. Explain that Wagner varies his ‘A sections’ – sometimes the A section creeps back in, sometimes it crashes back in. Sometimes it is very loud, sometimes soft. The length of his A section varies too.

Encourage your children to borrow at least one of these ideas from Wagner and adapt at least one of their A sections accordingly.

Practise performing your new rondo piece until it is nearly perfect.

Additional resources and a more detailed lesson plan can be found here on the BBC Ten Pieces website;

https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/ten-pieces/classical-music-richard-wagner-ride-of-the-valkyries/zdyfmfr

Experiences and Outcomes:
I can sing and play music from a range of styles and cultures, showing skill and using performance directions, and/or musical notation. EXA 2-16a

I can use my voice, musical instruments and music technology to experiment with sounds, pitch, melody, rhythm, timbre and dynamics. EXA 2-17a

Inspired by a range of stimuli, and working on my own and/or with others, I can express and communicate my ideas, thoughts and feelings through musical activities. EXA 2-18a

I have listened to a range of music and can respond by discussing my thoughts and feelings. EXA 2-19a

Lesson Outcomes
After this lesson, pupils will be able to:

• Listen and reflect on a piece of orchestral music
• Invent their own musical motifs and structure them into a piece
• Perform as an ensemble
• Learn musical language appropriate to the task

Curriculum Checklist
Learners will:

• Play and perform in ensemble contexts, using voices and playing musical instruments
• Improvise and compose music for a range of purposes using the interrelated dimensions of music
• Listen with attention to detail and recall sounds with increasing aural memory

Activities

Warm up. Start the lesson with a quick clap around the circle and a reminder of the three ideas you worked with during the last lesson.

Explain that Wagner called these short music ideas leitmotifs and he used leitmotifs all over his music to describe characters, emotions, places, things etc. In Ride of the Valkyries he includes short sections of music using new leitmotifs. These are there to give his piece structure.

Demonstrate these three new ideas:

• New idea 1: ‘Falling’

A short passage that falls down in pitch from high to low

• New idea 2: ‘Heroes’

Loud, long notes

• New idea 3: ‘Explosions’

Big bangs coming out of long trills (wobbles)

Split back into the same three groups as last time and ask each group to make a short new section using these ideas. These ideas are deliberately much vaguer so there is more scope for you children to invent something unique.

Bring the class back together and hear their work. Make any tweaks needed so that everyone knows what they are doing and the pieces have a definite beginning, middle and end. Call these sections ‘episodes’ and keep them separate for now.

If you have time, put the ‘A section’ back together from last week and finish the lesson with a quick performance of it. Again, write down carefully what you have done.

Additional resources and a more detailed lesson plan can be found here on the BBC Ten Pieces website;

https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/ten-pieces/classical-music-richard-wagner-ride-of-the-valkyries/zdyfmfr

Experiences and Outcomes:
I can sing and play music from a range of styles and cultures, showing skill and using performance directions, and/or musical notation. EXA 2-16a

I can use my voice, musical instruments and music technology to experiment with sounds, pitch, melody, rhythm, timbre and dynamics. EXA 2-17a

Inspired by a range of stimuli, and working on my own and/or with others, I can express and communicate my ideas, thoughts and feelings through musical activities. EXA 2-18a

I have listened to a range of music and can respond by discussing my thoughts and feelings. EXA 2-19a

Lesson Outcomes
After this lesson, pupils will be able to:

• Listen and reflect on a piece of orchestral music
• Invent their own musical motifs and structure them into a piece
• Perform as an ensemble
• Learn musical language appropriate to the task

Curriculum Checklist
Learners will:

• Play and perform in ensemble contexts, using voices and playing musical instruments
• Improvise and compose music for a range of purposes using the interrelated dimensions of music
• Listen with attention to detail and recall sounds with increasing aural memory

Activities

Warm-up. Begin with your class sitting in a large circle. Pass a clap around the circle and have a race to see how fast you can pass it. Try clapping two times each, going clockwise and anti-clockwise, passing a stamp or a vocal sound etc. Ask your children to suggest ‘flying’ sounds and gestures to pass around the circle too.

Remind your children about Wagner’s piece and the story behind it. Explain that you are now going to begin making your own version of it on instruments.

Demonstrate the following two ideas; these are taken from the beginning of ‘Ride of the Valkyries’:

Idea 1: The trill (or wobble)

Throughout the piece there is always a set of instruments providing a feeling of excitement and suspense by playing rapid trills.

Idea 2: The upward swoop

To give the idea of flying there are many fast, upward swoops. These occur prominently at the beginning of the piece –

Choose one child to come forward and have a go at playing one of these ideas using whatever instruments you have in class. If you are lacking in pitched percussion, ask them to try and make the same effect using something unpitched – the ‘wobble’ could become a ‘rumble’ on a drum and the ‘swoop’ could become a flourish on maracas for example.

Now, demonstrate the third idea. This is the most complex of the three.

 Idea 3: The 3-note tune

Wagner takes a three note chord (known as a triad) –

(on a xylophone, take off all the notes leaving behind all the C, E and Gs)

  …opens it up with a spiky rhythm –

(any rhythm will work, the children can invent their own)

 … and keeps going upwards (inverting) –

(keep playing the same pattern until you’ve used up all the notes available)

Choose a child to come forward and try this out. They can use whatever rhythm and pattern they like.

Split into three working groups and challenge each group to make a short, exciting piece using these three ideas. Tell them that the ‘wobble’ must be constant, the ‘swoop’ happens only occasionally and there should be one big, loud version of the ‘tune’.

Bring the class back together, hear each group separately making any tweaks needed to make the pieces as exciting as possible. Challenge your class to join their group pieces together to make one big, exciting piece. Call this the ‘A section’

Finish the lesson by encouraging your class to write down carefully what they have done and who played what. They can do this as a simple list, make a clever diagram or a graphic score.

Additional resources and a more detailed lesson plan can be found here on the BBC Ten Pieces website;

https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/ten-pieces/classical-music-richard-wagner-ride-of-the-valkyries/zdyfmfr

Experiences and Outcomes:
I have listened to a range of music and can respond by discussing my thoughts and feelings. EXA 2-19a

Lesson Outcomes
After this lesson, pupils will be able to:

• Listen and reflect on a piece of orchestral music
• Invent their own musical motifs and structure them into a piece
• Perform as an ensemble
• Learn musical language appropriate to the task

Curriculum Checklist
Learners will:

• Play and perform in ensemble contexts, using voices and playing musical instruments
• Improvise and compose music for a range of purposes using the interrelated dimensions of music
• Listen with attention to detail and recall sounds with increasing aural memory

Activities

Prepare your class

Explain to your class that you are going to begin a 6-week music project focusing on a fantastic piece of music by a composer called Richard Wagner and full orchestral performance online. Try to keep the name of the piece a secret

Have a class discussion about what you have just heard and seen. Tell your class that the music is describing something. Can they work out what it is?

Discuss their ideas before telling them that the music is all about an epic journey: mythical creatures are transporting eight sisters through the night and into battle.

Watch the orchestral performance again. Afterwards, ask the following questions –

• What mythical creature might is the music be describing? (If they don’t know about mythical creatures, ask them to combine two animals to make a new one!)
• Is it travelling quickly or slowly?
• What kind of landscape are they passing through?
• Can you use two adjectives to describe the ride? Is it a calm and safe, or something else?

Listening task

Give out paper and art materials. Ask your children to draw this dangerous ride through the night that is being described by the music. They must draw up to eight sisters travelling on the back of mythical beasts and also fill in their surroundings. As your class work on this keep the music playing in the background for inspiration.

When this is achieved, encourage some of your children to introduce their artwork and ideas to the class and discuss them.

Now play the recording one last time. This time ask your class to listen out for short musical ideas that describe the movement of the beasts, (i.e. the swirling violins at the beginning). Encourage them to add a gesture or mark on their drawing for every one of these sounds to make their art-work ‘move’.

Finish your lesson by watching the introductory film with Christopher Eccleston and discuss what Wagner is actually describing – the eight sisters (warrior women) are being transported by winged horses, through woodland and towards a battlefield.

Additional resources and a more detailed lesson plan can be found here on the BBC Ten Pieces website;

https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/ten-pieces/classical-music-richard-wagner-ride-of-the-valkyries/zdyfmfr