The performance unit gives students the opportunity to develop their technical and performing skills as a soloist. Students can choose music in any style on any instrument(s) and/or voices(s) for their assessed performance. Through composition, students develop their understanding of the principles of rhythmic, melodic and harmonic construction and musical forms, leading to the creation of a piece in response to a chosen brief, covering a wide range of musical styles and genres. A score and recoding of the composition is submitted. In year 2 students have the option of completing a technical study instead of a composition. Pupils develop musical understanding through: listening to and analysing set works from the Edexcel Anthology of Music; exploring the important musical features, and the social and historical context of a variety of composers and musical genres.