Music

Assessment

The A Level Music course offered follows the Edexcel syllabus and consists of the following modules: MUSC1: Influences on Music Written paper 1 hour 45 minutes! Section A contains structured listening questions using a CD of musical excerpts. Candidates answer two essay questions, one based on the set work from the compulsory Area of Study Western Classical Tradition (Beethoven Symphony No. 1 movements 1 and 2), and one based on a second Area of Study chosen from:! Choral Music in the Baroque Period! Music Theatre: a study of the musical from 1940 to 1980! British Popular Music from 1960 to the Present Day MUSC2: Composing: Creating Musical Ideas Externally assessed coursework completed in controlled time. Candidates respond to one brief from a choice of three:! Compositional techniques ! Free composition or pastiche! Arranging MUSC3: Performing: Interpreting Musical Ideas Internally assessed coursework Candidates offer two performances from a choice of six, including opportunities for solo, ensemble and/or technology-based performance. MUSC4: Music in Context Written paper 2 hours 15 minutes Section A contains structured listening questions using a CD of musical excerpts. Candidates then answer two essay questions, one based on the chosen set work from the compulsory Area of Study, The Western Classical Tradition, and one based on a second Area of Study chosen from:! English Choral Music in the 20th century! Chamber Music from Mendelssohn to Debussy ! Four decades of Jazz and Blues 1910 to 1950 MUSC5: Composing: Developing Musical Ideas Externally assessed coursework completed in controlled time. Candidates respond to one brief from a choice of three:! Compositional techniques ! Free composition or pastiche! Arranging MUSC6: Performing: A Musical Performance A fifteen-minute recital which is externally assessed Candidates will offer two (or more) contrasting pieces to form a short programme for either solo acoustic performance and/or performance via music technology.