LURID LUDWIG

KS3 Year 8/9 Performance and Composition Unit     Oyh

Beethoven can sometimes be a tricky topic to present to pupils, this unit makes it enjoyable and interesting for your students. ‘Lurid Ludwig’ is a short piece based on Beethoven’s 5^th Symphony. It has 2 pupil parts – 1 is based on the 5^th symphony theme, part 2 is imitating part 1 with added interjections of Fur Elise and the 9^th Symphony theme. The teacher accompaniment part and backing track give a modern rhythmic support to the pupil performances. With the unit comes a composition task which asks pupils to explore further the thematic material presented in ‘Lurid Ludwig’.

The unit gives teachers an opportunity to examine imitation and thematic development, as well as developing the more obvious performance and peer appraisal aspects of the curriculum.

 Included on the CD are the following:

 1  A short introductory powerpoint presentation

  1   Teacher’s score

  ee    Pupil parts 1 and 2

  ¶    Additional parts – Guitar tabs, Bb, Eb, Bass Guitar, Piano

  @e   Composition task sheet

 9    Backing tracks with and without pupil parts

           Click here to listen to a sample of 'Lurid Ludwig'

JINGLE PACHELBELLS

KS3 Performance Unit    

Jingle Pachelbells is a group performance task that can involve vocals and instrumentalists, or just  vocals.

The instrumental part is a simple arrangement of Pachelbel's Canon that forms an accompaniment to the vocal parts. This could be omitted in classwork and played by the teacher (or just use the backing track).

The vocal melody has two parts - boys and girls - sung to the tune of Jingle Bells. The modern lyrics centre around the break-up of the singers' romance at Christmas time, the boy is the injured party...

        "Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle all the way,

          Oh what fun it was until you left me this way, oh..." 

The unit was created to engage boys particularly in vocal work at Christmas time. The overall effect is very much in the style of a modern pop ballad. It is presented in two keys suitable for unbroken and older boys voices. The boys' melody sits as close to middle C as it can for the unbroken boys' voices and the alternative part used with broken voices is a 4th lower. The aim of the unit is not to stretch vocal ranges or technique, more to develop confidence and singing in harmony with another part (the girls)

 Included on the CD are the following:

1  A short introductory powerpoint presentation

1   Teacher’s score  (2 versions to suit boys' voices)

ee    Pupil parts (boys' and girls' vocal lines)

e   Instrumental accompaniment parts, for keyboard (and strings should you have any in class!)

e  Additional parts – Guitar tabs, Bb, Eb, Bass Guitar

9    Backing track for class rehearsal

THE LONG-TERM BLUES

KS3 Performance/Arranging Unit    

The Long-Term Blues is a (short) instrumental arrangement based on the 12 bar blues structure. It has four basic parts - Bass, Chords, Tune, Improvisation. The unit requires pupils to learn these parts and then create their own structure to perform them in. Depending on the teacher's assessment focus there is scope to examine:

• Accuracy of melody playing (solo or group)

• Understanding/playing of chords

• Sense of ensemble

• Improvisation skills

• Understanding of structure

 Included on the CD are the following:

1  A short introductory powerpoint presentation

1   Teacher’s keyboard accompaniment part

1   Teacher’s detailed notes on suggested delivery and lesson structure

ee    Pupil score of The Long-Term Blues, improvisation guidance

@ Peer appraisal/evaluation sheet

e  Additional parts – Guitar tabs, Bb, Eb, Bass Guitar, differentiated keyboard part

9    Backing track for class rehearsal