Beaumont School Music Department

Hot on the heels of a fantastic tour to Prague, the Orchestra and the Vocal Ensemble will be performing at SASSMA on Tuesday 8 th March 2011 in the Alban Arena. I would like to have the following meetings this week (as well as rehearsals) so please read and digest: Monday lunchtime : Brief meeting for sopranos and altos of Vocal Ensemble Tuesday breaktime : Meeting for everyone in the Orchestra - some of you will need to collect a permission slip Wednesday after school : Vocal Ensemble rehearsal as usual Friday after school : Orchestra as usual for everyone Please make sure you arrive promptly. After you have read this, please pass the message on! Thanks and see you tomorrow or Tuesday. Miss Doan

As well as the information on your itinerary , I thought it might be useful to make some final reminders and make some suggestions about our long journey! Make sure you have your currency and please do not pack this in your suitcase! Please can instrumentalists all bring a MUSIC STAND (folding stand). Label it with your name and bring it along on Saturday morning so we can put them in a box. Make sure you wear comfortable clothes (and warm) for the coach journey; jeans are not advisable as they can become very uncomfortable after some time! You may bring your own pillows if you wish! Please bring any DVDs which you feel might be popular, otherwise we will bring the Music Department selection, which includes Wagner's Die Walkure, Mozart's Cosi fan tutte and Bach's Christmas Oratorio (both of which are on Miss Doan's Desert Island Discs) . Please bear in mind that we can only watch DVDs with a rating of U, PG or 12. Please make sure you refer to the checklist on the ...

The Beaumont School Vocal Ensemble is looking forward to appearing in this week's St Peter's Lunchtime Concert before setting off on their tour to Prague with the rest of the Beaumont School Music Department. The programme will include sacred music, close-harmony arrangements, as well as vocal and instrumental solos. As well as being treated to the usual high standard of live performances, there will be an opportunity to purchase the Ensemble's recent CD, Cantique , as featured in this month's edition of Music Teacher Magazine . The concert start at 1pm; entrance is free with a retiring collection towards Grove House Hospice . If you would like a preview of the programme, click here . We hope to see you there!

Hello Big Band, First off, I would like to thank everyone for their hard work and commitment this half term. Big Band rehearsals have often been heavily disrupted for various reasons, but focus in rehearsals despite sometimes small numbers has always been excellent. This is the main reason we will sound great in Prague! However, before we go away you could do me a huge favour and do some listening in your spare time, to make sure you really know the pieces and their sound, it will improve the overall sound of the band in Prague. So, if you are able, please listen to the following things this week (all links to Spotify): Gordon Goodwin Big Band - Count Bubba : the original, not quite the version we play, but very useful to hear nonetheless. Freddie Hubbard - Red Clay : again the original, but good for hearing how groovy this piece is! Mark Murphy - On The Red Clay : another version of Red Clay (vocal), a fantastic piece of jazz with a cracking band behind the singer. Count Basie - S...

Write a short essay answering the following question: How does Bach use and develop the three different motifs in the opening subject of the Gigue in the first half of the movement? Due: Thursday 3rd March 2011

Using the notes from the lesson, you need to give an overview of how Bach uses the elements of the fugue in his Gigue, as well as how he creates a variety of keyboard textures. Please refer to specific bar numbers as well as keys and chords (where necessary). This will save you time when it comes to revision. Due: Thursday 10th February

Please listen to the various movements we will be singing in Prague so please have a listen: Kyrie Sanctus Agnus Dei

As we are only 2 weeks away from leaving for Prague, you might want to start listening to Puccini's Madame Butterfly , which we will be going to see at the State Opera. It's a good idea to know what's going on in advance of the evening and familiarise yourself with the glorious music. Click here for a synopsis and here for the recommended recording on Spotify .

As mentioned in today's lesson, the best thing for you to do is to download the playlist to both of these and listen to them in more detail. You now know which extracts are from the Baroque or Classical periods, so now you can listen out for the features of each period . This will be very useful revision. Click here for the Baroque or Classical? playlist . Click here for the Whose composition form is it anyway? playlist . Baroque classical quiz games View more presentations from hanhdoan .

This week you need to: 1) Continue with your harmony 2) Once you get your recordings and feedback, please read and digest and act upon the advice. In the meantime, please continue to practice. I would like a different piece next week please.

Mr Guinane's small jazz band should click here to listen to Miles Davis' Venus De Milo . Enjoy and see you next Tuesday lunchtime - same time, same place. WELL DONE on today's rehearsal. Mr Guinane .

As requested in today's lesson, here are the links to Verdi's Aida and Don Carlos . I don't know which acts you need so have given you the whole opera. Click on the relevant opera to open the playlist in Spotify .