Music Department

THE SCHOOL CHOIR

The School Choir is made up of about 40 Year 5 and Year 6 children. They sing to a high standard and this year they won the Thornbury Eisteddfod for the third time, gaining an 'outstanding' award and a cup. Mrs Dash runs the School Choir on a Monday after school for an hour.

Last year (2007) the choir reached 4th place at one point in the BBC's Joseph Choir Search.

April (2007) the choir perfomed jointly with the Harlequin Singers and raised over £2000 for a school in Uganda.

March (2007) the choir performed in Cwmbran in the National Festival of Music for Youth

May (2008) The choir presented an evening of singing to their parents. Among the songs was Tyger Tyger their winning entry for the Thormbury Eisteddfod. Emyr skillfully accompanied the choir on the xylophone.

Click and listen to the choir sing (right-click and save target as)

Make Someone Happy 

Jesu Mara

THE LOWER SCHOOL CHOIR

The Lower School Choir is for the children in Y1, Y2, Y3 or Y4. The children sing lots of fun and exciting songs. Last term the choir performed to their mums and dads in the Pirate ship in the school playground. Mrs Dash and Mrs Vicary run the Lower School Choir on a Thursday after school.

THE MUSIC CURRICULUM

Each class has an hour's music every week. In these lessons, the children listen, perform and compose music as they learn about the seven elements that make up music.

We use the MUSIC EXPRESS scheme of work to support our teaching.

Click here to see an overview of the music curriculum:

Each term there is an interactive music display for each of the seven musical elements: Click on a link for more photographs.

PITCH

STRUCTURE

DURATION

TIMBRE

DYNAMICS

TEXTURE

TEMPO

Florence and Macey are exploring the duration display making  and playing rhythm patterns.

SING UP

Sing Up is a Government initiative to raise the profile of singing in every Primary School.

Each week in our newsletter there is a SONG OF THE WEEK, which can be found on the Sing Up website: www.singup.org

Have a look and join us as we become a SINGING SCHOOL!

CONCERTS

Every year the children who learn an instrument in school get the chance to perform in a concert. This year's performance was on 3 April and the hall was packed with parents, friends and relatives. The evening is a huge success. The children perform on the stage and are warmly applauded whether they play a graded exam piece or a simple tune. Children who have been learning only a few weeks perform alongside those who have been learning since Y4. Everyone's efforts are praised.

WIDER OPPORTUNITIES

Wider Opportunities is a government initative that gives children the chance to learn about music in curriculum time through playing a musical instrument. The children in Y2 and Y3 learn the recorder and this term (April - July 2008) Year 5 are having Samba Band workshops for 10 weeks.

LEARNING AN INSTRUMENT AT ALMONDSBURY SCHOOL

Children in Y2 and Y3 all learn the recorder together as part of their curriculum music. When children reach Y4, they can choose to learn either:

VIOLIN, VIOLA,  CELLO,  DOUBLE BASS

TRUMPET  TROMBONE

CLARINET  FLUTE  SAXOPHONE

KEYBOARD

GUITAR

CLICK ON THE INSTRUMENT NAMES TO HEAR THEM PLAY (You will need Real Player to hear the instruments. Click HERE for a free download)

Lessons are taught by South Gloucestershire Music Staff and there is a charge.

LINKS WITH OUR SECONDARY SCHOOLS

The children in Year 6 have the opportunity to work collaboratively with KS3 and KS4 composing music together. Over a period of 4 weeks the children work together at each other's schools culminating in a final performance to parents. In previous years Almondsbury pupils have worked with students from Marlwood Secondary School. This year (2008) the Year 6 children will work alongside students from the Castle School, Thornbury composing music based on the theme of Journeys and Travelling. The pupils will use minimalist techniques and listen to music composed by Steve Reich and Kraftwerk for their inspiration.

Previous projects:

2003: Guernica (music inspired by Picasso's painting)

2004: National Anthems (children invented their own countires and composed a National Anthem for that country)

2005: Japan and The Sea (Using the pentatonic scale music was composed for Haikus and Tankas about the sea)

2006: Pictures at an Exhibition (Music composed around specific places in Thornbury. Celebration of Marlwood 400)

2007: Blues (children improvised over 12 bar blue chord sequence)

MUSIC GAMES

Click HERE to play some fun music games!