Beaumont School Music Department

Here is a picture of the basic information we went through today.  Key things to remember: 1) The Music Department is like the home key (tonic).  2) Ms Doan could be compared to chord I and Mr Guinane as chord V (tonic-dominant relationship) The most important thing to remember is that the tonic and dominant are the linchpins of the rest of your life, civilisation and humanity.

Here is the jigs and reels playlist from today's lesson. Homework: Please outlines the key features of Irish jigs and reels (including their differences) in either a short paragraph or diagram/table - whichever style you fancy, as long as it's clear for you so you can revise from it at a later stage. Due: Tuesday 10th July 2012

Tuesday Lunchtime  Full Cast  in room 30 please be prompt Wednesday Lunchtime 60/61 Horton Hears a Who, Biggest Blame Fool, Mr and Mrs Mayor Thursday lunchtime Room 60/61 Fish, Cat, Jojo - It's Possible Friday lunchtime Room 60/61 Cat and Cadets After school rehearsals are still on Tuesday and Wednesday. Tickets on sale to everyone Room 6 Break on Tuesday £7/£4.

After a rather dramatic week of Stravinsky, we turn to a more light-hearted theme of the week of songs from Disney Films. There is a Disney film/song close to everyone's heart so if it's not in the playlist below, please feel free to request your favourite.  Some of you have a very busy week ahead, so returning to the department and hearing Disney might just keep you going! Enjoy!

Hello Year 10! Here are the times this week when you can work on your controlled assessment: Monday lunch Monday after school Thursday after school Friday lunch Friday after school If you come at any of these times, make sure I know please! Remember, I expect a score and recording by the end of this week. Any questions or issues come and see me. Thanks, Mr. Guinane

As you know, clearance afternoon is on Wednesday 27th June.  Mr Guinane and I will both be unavailable as we have a workshop so please can you come and find us for a signature beforehand at either lunchtime or break (you are more than welcome to come in the days leading up to it).  This shouldn't be too difficult as most of you don't owe us any books, and there are just a few of you with some outstanding listening books. See you then.

From the NMC mini-site: New Music 20x12 is a UK-wide commissioning programme consisting of twenty new pieces of music, each 12 minutes in length, celebrating the talent and imagination of the UK’s musical community as part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad.  Each New Music 20x12 piece encompasses an exciting range of composers and music genres and offers a snapshot of the UK’s rich musical life, from jazz, folk and music for brass band to contemporary classical, chamber opera and music written for dance. The works take inspiration from the spirit of the Olympic and Paralympic Games – endeavour, celebration, achievement and collaboration. As we head towards the Olympics, I have started creating a Spotify playlist  (also embedded below) of these new works as they are released by NMC . The pieces are being slowly released throughout the year, so I will be updating it as they are released. If you are interested I recommend you have a listen to...

Finish the evaluation of your composition, following the guidelines as discussed in today's lesson.  If you lose the document (you shouldn't!) it's here . Any questions, tweet us! Due: Wednesday 27th June

Vocal Ensemble, here is a video of the making of Erin's song. She's 9 and part of the "Be the best you can be" programme.  We will be singing this next Wednesday on the VOCES8 B Festival.  

Hi folks, there will be a Big Band rehearsal tomorrow at lunch time, Room 30, please be prompt. Thanks, Mr. Guinane

Here are your compositions from today. Well done! Some tying up in tomorrow's lesson: listen to ‘Yr 9 3-note Comp 1’ on Audioboo listen to ‘Year 9 3-note composition 2’ on Audioboo listen to ‘Year 9 3-note Composition 2’ on Audioboo listen to ‘Year 9 3-note Composition 4’ on Audioboo listen to ‘Year 9 3-note Composition 5’ on Audioboo listen to ‘Year 9 3-note Composition 6’ on Audioboo

Just to remind you that the next instalment of £200 is due by this Friday 22nd June. Thank you to those of you who have already paid!

Please bring in your instruments for Ms Doan's lesson. I won't be here but you will definitely need them. Spread the word! Thanks.

One of the most important and influential composers of the 20th Century, this week the music department will be filled with the sublime, exciting and often challenging sounds of Russian composer Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971). You will hear music spanning the entirety of Stravinsky's composing life; ballets, symphonies, operas, the list goes on. Read about Stravinsky here , find the Spotify link here (also embedded below). Enjoy!

Thank you for voting for us in the Teacher Blog of the Year category. We are delighted to announce that we have been shortlisted for the award and now await the decision by a panel of judges.  Watch this space...

Our musings and personal comments about this occasion will be posted when we have a bit more energy, but for now, I would like to say a huge congratulations to the Beaumont Vocal Ensemble for performing for Her Majesty the Queen today at Hatfield House.  We are enormously proud of you all.  You have made BBC and ITV local news and the Herts Ad article is available here .  Thanks to Tom Holmes for finding the ITV link, click here and then on the video and we are on from 2:08. The BBC coverage (which is better!) can be found on iPlayer here (from 6:45) - thanks Yannick! Well done everyone and thanks to all the Beaumont students who came to wave in support.

Year 10, please bring your instruments to tomorrow's lesson and spread the word. Thanks Miss Doan

For our return to school, this week's "....of the week" is Franz Joseph Haydn, one of the most prominent composers of the Classical period.  Born in Austria in 1732, Haydn is often regarded as the "father of the symphony" and "father of the string quartet", given his prolific output in both of these genres.  Haydn was also instrumental in his development of the piano trio and sonata form (yes!). Haydn spent most of his career as a court musician to the Esterhazy family, whose palace we visited on our Vienna '08 tour.  He has a good friend of Mozart's and Beethoven's teacher.  Read more about him here , access the Spotify playlist here , or it is embedded below. Highlights (well, Ms Doan's) of his output include Symphonies no 103 ("Drum Roll") and 104 ("London"), as well as his oratorio The Creation  and his op. 20 string quartets. Enjoy!

Hope you are looking forward to lesson 1 tomorrow! Exciting.  Mr Guinane has a corker planned for you.  Please bring your instruments. Could you spread the word on Twitter and Facebook too?  See you then!

Because we are very nice, we have taken photos of all the instrumental timetables for next week so you know when your lesson is.  You still must check your time as some teachers do come and change them on the morning of their lesson but this is to give you an idea of what time your lesson might be.  This is a one off and will only happen after holidays etc.  It is your  responsibility to take ownership and organise yourselves.  Years 9 and 10, you must be on the ball especially due to controlled coursework etc. Please come and see Ms Doan if you can't make your lesson and she will get in touch with your teacher. You must do this BEFORE the day of your lesson, not on the day itself.  Regardless of Sports Day arrangements etc, you must go to your instrumental lesson.

Click here for the rehearsal schedule for the final half term!  Please check it carefully- we have put in a lot of extra rehearsals as well as costume calls, band rehearsals and other bits and pieces.  We have been very accommodating about your other commitments up until this point, but from now on, Seussical needs to come first.  Tallulah, please go and see Miss Shepherd on Monday some time, she has a part for you!

I don't know about you, but I was rather moved by Gary Barlow's coverage of how he put together his (and Andrew Lloyd Webber's) Jubilee song, Sing . The sentiment of the song simple and something in which we passionately believe in the Beaumont Music Department: Some words they can't be spoken only sung So hear a thousand voices shouting love There's a place, there's a time In this life when you sing what you are feeling Find your feet, stand your ground Don't you see Right now the world is listening to what we say Sing it louder, sing it clearer Knowing everyone will hear you, Make some noise, find your voice tonight Sing it stronger, sing together Make this moment last forever Old and young Shouting love tonight I would really like to do a Music Department performance of this in the Summer Concert on July 11th.  We can divide up the verses and maybe get the instrumental ensembles going too.  It will be the...

We would love it if you could vote for us for Teacher Blog of the Year. Please click here and cast your vote for www.musicatbeaumontschool.blogspot.co.uk (Teacher Blog of the Year).  Thank you!

Hope you are enjoying the Bank Holiday weekend and have absorbed yourselves in music of different styles!  Here are two more videos courtesy of Reigate Grammar School.  Compare their Agbekor Dance to yours!

For the Diamond Jubilee celebrations, I thought I would post two of the most glorious anthems written for two different coronations.  Whatever you think of the monarchy, there is no denying that the music so much of the music written for royal occasions is so glorious.  It is not possible to give you footage of the music from the actual celebrations (no videos in 1727!!) so here is the music performed on different occasions. 1) George Frideric Handel's Zadok the Priest is one of the four (and probably best known) coronation anthems written for George II in 1727, and has been performed at every subsequent British coronation service.   2) Charles Hubert Hastings Parry's I was glad  was written for the coronation of King Edward VII    and revised in 1911 for that of King  George V , when the familiar introduction was added.  This setting employs antiphonal choir effects and brass fanfares. Apart from the imperia...