Conductor

Woodwind

Brass

Strings

Percussion

Light Blue

Blue

Darker Blue

Cream

Pink

Music Hub Activities Newsletter Summer Term Week 12

Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra.

Benjamin Britten (1913-1976)

Key Stage 1

Guided Listening Activity:

Watch the Youtube video of the ‘Theme’ of Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfw-UsE2HS0 There are four sections of the orchestra and each one is playing in a different colour shirt.

Can you match each section to the colour?

This piece of music has several parts. The ‘Theme’ which you have just watched and

‘Variations’ which are played by each group of players of the orchestra.

Benjamin Britten was British. The ‘Theme’ of his piece was written by another British

composer who lived a long time before Benjamin Britten. His name was Henry Purcell.

Britten took the ‘Theme’ and then wrote 13 short variations, each one played by a different

instrument in the orchestra. You are now going to watch and listen to the first 4 variations

played by the Woodwind section. You will first hear the flutes and piccolo, then the oboes, followed by the clarinets and then bassoons: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ku3TRcjLpyY

Stop after 5mins as you will have heard the ‘Theme’ and first 4 ‘variations’.

Key Stage 2

Guided Listening Activity:

Watch the Youtube video of the ‘Theme’ of Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfw-UsE2HS0

This piece of music has several parts. The ‘Theme’ which you have just watched and

‘Variations’ which are played by each section of the orchestra.

Theme: a recognizable melody on which part or all of the composition is based:

Variation: music is repeated but altered in melody, rhythm, harmony, timbre or orchestration.

Benjamin Britten was British. The ‘Theme’ of his piece was written by another British

composer who lived a long time before Benjamin Britten. His name was Henry Purcell.

Britten took the ‘Theme’ and then wrote 13 short variations. Each one played by a different

instrument in the orchestra. You are now going to watch and listen to the first 4 variations

played by the Woodwind section. You will first hear the flutes and piccolo, then the oboes, followed by the clarinets and then bassoons: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ku3TRcjLpyY

Stop after 5mins as you will have heard the ‘Theme’ and first 4 ‘variations’.

When you are listening to the Theme and first 4 variations write words in the boxes to

describe the section of music. Use the word bank to help you or you can use your own words.

Word Bank

Soft Rough Sad Peaceful

Loud Angry Exciting Happy

Sweet Cheerful Surprised

Full Orchestra – Theme

Variation 1 – Flutes and Piccolo

Variation 2 – Oboes

Variation 3 – Clarinets

Variation 4 – Bassoons

Key Stage 1

Research Topic Variations 5, 6, 7, 8 & 9. The String Family

If you continue with the YouTube video that you stopped after 5mins you will be able to hear

all the sting instruments of the orchestra playing. Violin, Viola, ‘Cello, Double Bass and Harp. From the instruments in the Woodwind and String families, choose the one you like the best

and draw it.

Key Stage 2

Research Topic Variations 5, 6, 7, 8 & 9. The String Family

If you continue with the YouTube video that you stopped after 5mins you will be able to hear

all the sting instruments of the orchestra playing. Violin, Viola, ‘Cello, Double Bass and Harp.

Looking at the two pictures below you will see the largest and smallest of the string family,

violin and double bass. Fill in the missing words using the list of words to label the violin.

Key Stage 1 & 2

Digital & Creative Music Making: Key Stage 1 - Make a craft trumpet:

https://www.teatimemonkeys.com/cardboard-tube-toy-trumpet-craft/

Key Stage 2: Make a kazoo trumpet:

http://lovetolaughandlearn.com/fun-with-music-brass-instruments/#trumpet

OR Click on the link https://www.classicsforkids.com/games.html for music games. Choose

which game you would like to play. When you get to the webpage, you can click on the

middle square to explore the instruments of the orchestra.

Key Stage 1

Reading Music Activity: Listen to the Variation 10, 11 and 12 for Brass Instruments. Match the instrument to a

picture.

Key Stage 2

Reading Music Activity: Listen to the Variation 10, 11 and 12 for Brass Instruments and circle the correct words.

Variation 10 French Horns

Variation 11 Trumpets

Variation 12 Trombones and Tuba

Horns play mostly: Short, staccato

sounds: true or false

Trumpets are accompanied

by a snare drum: true or false

Woodwinds accompany by

playing short steady beats: true or false

The music is:

forte or piano

The music is:

Allegro or Lento The music is:

High or Low

Draw notes below that best match the music for each variation. Choose from the pictures:

Var. 11—Trumpet

Var. 10—French Horn

Var. 12—Trombone and Tuba

Key Stage 1

Practical Music Activity: Here is the ‘Theme’ of Britten’s Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra in music notation.

Click here to hear the tune played slowly.

1. Listen to the theme and keep a steady pulse by gently tapping on your legs (or play it

by banging a plastic spoon on a plastic bowl, or tap anything that makes a sound).

2. Listen again and clap/play the rhythm pattern.

3. Say the words in the same rhythm pattern.

Now it’s the sound of percussion instruments. First, it’s the Kettledrums’ turn, Bass Drum and Cymbals are next,

Triangle, Tambourine too, Side drum and Chinese Block sound, Xylophone and Castanets and then the Gong and finally the Whip.

Key Stage 2

Practical Music Activity: Here is the ‘Theme’ of Britten’s Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra in music notation.

Click here to hear the tune played slowly.

1. Listen to the theme and keep a steady pulse by gently tapping on your legs (or play it

by banging a plastic spoon on a plastic bowl, or tap anything that makes a sound).

2. Listen again and clap/play the rhythm pattern.

3. Say the words in the same rhythm pattern.

4. Sing the words with the same rhythm and pitch.

Now it’s the sound of percussion instruments. First, it’s the Kettledrums’ turn, Bass Drum and cymbals are next,

Triangle, Tambourine too, Side drum and Chinese Block sound, Xylophone and Castanets and then the Gong and finally the Whip.

5. Count how many percussion instruments are listed in the song. (These percussion instruments are the same that Britten uses in his Percussion Variation).

6. Listen to the Britten’s Variation 13 for Percussion Instruments. Tick each instrument as you hear it.

7. Challenge: If you play an instrument, try and play the first 3 notes. Now start on a different note and see if you can figure out which 3 notes you must play to make it sound the same as the original theme (i.e. a minor triad).

Further Listening:

Listen to and watch the whole of Benjamin Britten’s Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vbvhU22uAM

You will hear:

1. Theme, where he introduces the whole orchestra 2. Variations (13) where he takes the orchestra apart and introduces the different families

Woodwinds Strings Brass Percussion

Var 1 – Flute and Piccolo

Var 2 – Oboe Var 3 – Clarinet

Var 4 - Bassoon

Var 5 – Violin

Var 6 – Viola Var 7 – Cello

Var 8 – Double Bass Var 9 - Harp

Var 10 – French Horn

Var 11 – Trumpet Var 12 – Trombone and Tuba

Var 13

3. Fugue, where he puts the orchestra back together again with everyone playing

Extension: Listen to the original tune that Britten copied: Abdelazer – Rondeau by Henry Purcell

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/16ndky0F6hMWvJ3Xcbc44Dq/abdelazer-rondeau-by-henry-purcell#:~:text=Abdelazer%20%E2%80%93%20Rondeau%20by%20Henry%20Purcell%20Abdelazer%20%E2

%80%93,dance%20and%20music%29%20of%20the%20late%2017th%20Century.