2014, Weeks 3 and 4: Finale to William Tell Overture.

William Tell shoots an apple off his son's head.

Here is a video of an orchestra playing the finale of the William Tell Overture. We practised sitting very still and quiet while watching the orchestra and pretended we had paid a lot of money to go to a concert theatre  to watch them play.



  Sometimes, at special performances, it's OK  - and expected - for the audience to cheer and clap and dance to the music. This is usually when the orchestra is playing really popular and exciting music at an outdoor family concert. Check out this video of a very colourful outdoor concert, and see how the conductor encourages the audience to join in.

Here is an orchestra from the Philippines playing the finale of the William Tell overture. Watch how the conductor tells the orchestra to play quietly.  Can you see - and hear - the triangle being played?

Here's your chance to practise your air guitar to the Finale of the William Tell Overture.

Here's an interesting graphic animation of the sound of the music. Follow an instrument from the beginning to the end.

And a Line Rider video to get into the Winter Olympics feeling.

This is a listening map to show you the changing dynamics (loud or soft) in the William Tell Overture. 

 Here's a video made by school children. Look at how the children use their faces and body language to help tell the story.

A body percussion video to follow 
A story of William Tell. There are many versions of the story. This is one of them. And another story - just for listening. 

Here's a very old television programme about one version of the William Tell story.
It's 24 minutes long - but it gives a good idea of the background. It may be a bit different to the version of the story we did in class.

And here's a high school choir having a bit of fun with the William Tell Overture.

Here's a map of Europe. Can you find Switzerland and Austria? The borders of these countries were very much different in the time of William Tell -  in about 1307 - but it gives you an idea.  

Check out your air drum skills with this video.

Here's a video for Mums - based on the Willliam  Tell overture.

And here's a Danny Kay version of William Tell 

Vocabulary from this week's lesson:
tyrant - a bully
ambush - to hide and then  attack someone by surprise
quiver - a container for arrows
 

2014, Weeks 1 and 2: March of the Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky

We are learning about the instruments of the orchestra: what they look like, what they sound like, and what section of the orchestra they belong to. 

Here are some of the things we learnt about in our first music lessons this year.


Here is a video of an outdoor concert of the March of the Nutcracker. The conductor is Seiji Ozawa from Japan. 

We pretended we were playing some of these instruments, and we pretended we were the conductor. 

How many instruments can you name?



Here is a video showing some of the instruments which are played in the March of the Nutcracker.

It also includes some symbols to show you when the music is getting louder or softer, or when the music sounds as if it is going up or down.
 

Here is a video of the part of the Nutcracker ballet which has the dance for the March of the Nutcracker.  It shows a group of boys and girls at a Christmas party. Watch for the ways that the boys show they expect to grow up to be soldiers. 

Here is the heavy metal electric guitar version of the March of the Nutcracker so you can practise your air guitar. 

Here are some of the new words we learnt in the first lesson: 

Sections of the orchestra: 

brass: trumpet, tuba, French horn, trombone  

woodwind: flute

percussion:cymbals

strings: violin, double bass