Music

Course summary

In Lower Sixth and Upper Sixth, girls will follow the syllabus for Edexcel. This comprises the following three components: Performing: You will perform pieces adding up to a minimum of 8 minutes of continuous performance (30% of total A level). The performance will be recorded after 1st March of Upper Sixth. Composing (30% of total A Level): You will develop musical ideas culminating in one composition from a choice of briefs set by the examination board based on the different Areas of Study or a free composition. This composition should be at least 4 minutes in duration. If you are choosing from a brief, then you will start this composition in Upper Sixth, but if you are choosing to do a free composition, you can start it in Lower Sixth. Your second composition will assess compositional technique and will be at least 1 minute in duration. For this, you will learn how to harmonise a chorale in the style of J. S. Bach. The brief for the second composition is released in April of the Upper Sixth year. Appraising: You will study 3 set works from the following 6 Areas of Study: o Vocal Music o Instrumental Music o Music for Film o Popular Music and Jazz o Fusions o New Directions This culminates in a listening examination in the summer of Upper Sixth lasting 2 hours (40% of total A level) divided into the following components: Section A: Areas of study and dictation consisting of listening questions related to set works and melodic/rhythmic dictation. Section B: Extended response consisting of 2 essay questions – one on a piece of unfamiliar music and another writing in detail about a set work concerning other works. At the end of Lower Sixth, you will be marked on a 6-minute performance; a composition; a harmonization in the style of Bach and a paper testing your knowledge of the set works studied and related unfamiliar music.