Music

Assessment

The qualification is comprised of three externally assessed units: Listening Exam (40% of the total marks) A written paper based on a playlist of recordings which you control yourself and listen to with headphones, lasting 2h30m, taken in June of Upper Sixth. Questions vary from 1-mark multiple choice to a 30-mark essay. The content of this exam is: AoS 1 – Western Classical Tradition 1650-1910: Baroque Concertos (Purcell, Vivaldi, Bach), The Operas of Mozart (focusing on The Marriage of Figaro) and The Piano Music of Chopin, Brahms and Grieg. AoS 3 – Music for Media (Hans Zimmer, Thomas Newman, Bernard Herrmann, Michael Giacchino, Nobuo Uematsu) This is film and computer game music. AoS 4 – Music for Theatre (Kurt Weill, Richard Rogers, Stephen Sondheim, Claude-Michel Schönberg, Jason Robert Brown) This is a 20th and 21st-century musical theatre repertoire. Performing (35% of the total marks) You work towards a 10-minute, Grade 8 distinction standard solo or ensemble performance on an instrument or voice (recorded in March of Upper Sixth). You have a free choice of repertoire and prepare this independently with the support of your instrumental/vocal teacher. Regular lessons and daily practice are essential to achieve a high mark. Performance opportunities throughout the course (such as lunchtime recitals and class concerts) will enable you to develop your skills. Composing (25% of the total marks) One free composition (in any style) and two chorale harmonisation exercises (in the style of Bach) were both completed between September and Easter of Upper Sixth. Scores (created using Sibelius) of these must be submitted along with a programme note explaining your process and intentions. The total length of these composition tasks must be at least 4 minutes and 30 seconds. Lower Sixth composition lessons are spent developing the skills required for these tasks, with more focused] composition briefs and structured harmonisation activities.