Author: campbellp2c

P3B

Fun times in P3B. Some of the activities P3B have been enjoying this term, from fractions to woodland boxes and play rite.

Music ‘Lark Ascending’ by Vaughan Williams

Last week we looked at how an image can inspire a composer to write a piece of music.

This week we are listening to a piece by an English Composer called Vaughan Williams. He wrote it in 1914 at the beginning of the first World War. This was a time of great conflict and uncertainty. Even though there were things going on around him he did not like or could control, he could still see the beauty in nature.

The music tells the tale of a skylark singing an impossibly beautiful, almost heavenly, song.

Watch the clip as Molly Rainford introduces Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/ten-pieces/classical-music-vaughan-williams-lark-ascending/znwdbdm

Scottish violinist, Nicola Benedetti is playing the piece. She plays it with such grace and ease, but it is one of the most difficult pieces ever written.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/ten-pieces/classical-music-vaughan-williams-lark-ascending/znwdbdm

Why do you think Vaughan Williams chose a violin to play this piece?

What can you say about the pitch of the violin during the piece and how has he grouped the notes together?

What other instruments of the orchestra can you name?

I love this piece. I hope you do too.

Mrs Campbell

 

 

Music BBC Ten Pieces – The Night Ferry by Anna Clyne

 

This week we are thinking about how art can inspire a composer to write a piece of music.

As we have been studying Grace Darling and how she saved some shipwrecked sailors, I thought this piece of music perfectly captured the mood of the sea that night – dark and stormy.

Follow the link and listen to the music:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/ten-pieces/ten-pieces-at-home/zjy3382

What do you think? Does it make you imagine a ship out at sea being tossed about in the waves?

It’s fascinating to think the composer Anna Clyne began this composition after seeing an image of a wave.  She drew a picture before going to the piano to write the music.

Using materials you might find around your home, follow artist Amy Leung’s step by step guide on how to create a sculpture using ‘Night Ferry’ to inspire shapes, patterns and textures.

You might like to upload a photo of your sculpture to the Ten Pieces website or send a photo to your teacher on SeeSaw.

Another very famous composer called Mussorgsky wrote a whole series of music after he had visited an art gallery. It is called ‘Pictures at an Exhibition’.

Follow the link to see the paintings he wrote music to go along with.

How would you describe some of the music – happy, angry, sad?

 

 

Music to tell a story

Hello Primary 2.

I hope you enjoyed listening and learning to sing ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow‘ last week. Did you work out that the ukulele was the instrument which accompanied the song? It’s looks like a miniature guitar, but has only 4 strings, rather than 6 strings.

person playing brown ukulele
Photo by Richa Sharma on Pexels.com

This week we are learning about how music can enhance telling a story. In class, a little while ago, we listened to Peter and the Wolf by Prokofiev. Each character in the story is played by a different instrument of the orchestra and has their own repeated melody. Some are very high pitched and others very low.

You can listen to the story again here:

 

Can you retell one of your a favourite stories? Choose a story with two or three characters and create a little melody or a rhythm, for each character, played on an ‘instrument’.  (Remember an instrument can be your voice, your homemade percussion instrument or even some kitchen utensils). Every time the character appears in the story you play their melody or rhythm.

Now retell the story and add in your rhythm or melody for each character.                  Good luck and have some fun!

You might like to send a recording to your teacher on Seesaw. We love to hear what you have been up to.

Mrs Campbell

 

Melody and pitch

Melody is the tune. It’s the part of the music that you often find yourself singing along with.

Pitch is how high or low a note sounds. A melody is made up of high and low pitched notes played one after the other. Catchy melodies often repeat the same series of notes over and over.

Watch the following clip

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zcbkcj6/articles/zp99cj6

Is there a melody or tune that you like to sing? Often, if it is a catchy tune the music stays in your head.

This is one of my favourite tunes. I like the way the pitch jumps from low to high when you sing ‘some-where’

Why don’t you try learning this song?

What instrument is playing the accompaniment?

All the best,

Mrs Campbell

 

 

 

 

Music – Basic Rhythms

Hello Primary 2!  

Before Easter I asked you to listen to ‘The Great Escape’ by Bernstein, and work out how many beats in a bar. I hope you all managed to count 4 beats in a bar?

Did you show anyone else at home how to conduct?

Thank you for sending photos of some of the instruments you have been making from recycled materials. There were a great variety of drums, shakers and even some cabasa, using plastic netting from fruit punnets and filled with buttons or shells and rocks! I was most impressed!

This week we are looking at rhythms. Using your percussion instrument, play along, following the beats of the bar of the Alligators and Cats song?

Good luck

Mrs Campbell

Music Challenge

Using the link below, please listen to a short excerpt of Elmer Bernstein – The Great Escape.

https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/best-classical-music-for-kids/

How does this music make you feel?

Can you tell how many beats in a bar? Have a look at the conductor and how he is moving his baton.

Can you conduct along to the music, just like we have been practising in class?

Teach someone else in your family how to conduct 2 beats, 3 beats and 4 beats in a bar.