Rhapsody in Blue

This week’s Mid-Week Music is ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ by George Gershwin.
Can you hear the sounds of New York City?

What does this music make you think of?

Send your pictures to kpvirtualconcert@gmail.com

• Click here to find out more!

Rodeo - Hoe-down by Aaron Copland

This music was composed in 1942 for a ballet called Rodeo.
The Hoe-Down features two American square dance tunes and fuses evocative music and dance.

Rodeo takes us to the exciting, dramatic world of cowboys, cowgirls and the American West.

What does this music make you think of?

What sounds can you hear?

Send your artwork to kpvirtualconcert@gmail.com

The Nutcracker by

Tchaikovsky

This week’s mid-week Music features two well known extracts from ‘The Nutcracker’ by Tchaikovsky.

The story of The Nutcracker and the Mouse King was transformed into a magical ballet in 1892 – and is now a Christmas favourite. A bit like a Tchaikovsky 'Toy Story', the enchanting narrative is full of wonderful characters and follows a young girl called Clara who is given a wooden nutcracker as a present. When the nutcracker comes to life as a handsome prince the two have to escape the Mouse King to reach the Land of Sweets, which is ruled by the Sugar Plum Fairy.

The two extracts from the suite give us the chance to look at very different dances: the whirling Russian Dance, based on a Ukrainian folk dance, and the elegant Waltz of the Flowers.

What do you think of as you listen to this music?

Send your pictures to kpvirtualconcert@gmail.com

Earth by Hans Zimmer

This week’s piece of Mid-week music is ‘Earth’ by Hans Zimmer, who has written the music for over 150 films including The Lion King, Madagascar, The Simpsons Movie, Kung Fu Panda and TV series like Blue Planet II.

He composed this piece as a personal celebration of the planet that we live on.

You will find an introductory video and a performance video below.

What part of our Earth does this song remind you of?

Send your pictures to kpvirtualconcert@gmail.com

• Click here to find out more about Hans Zimmer

‘Storm’ by Benjamin Britten

This week’s piece of music is ‘Storm’ by Benjamin Britten, one of the most important and popular British composers of the last century. This piece of music is taken from the opera 'Peter Grimes' , which Benjamin Britten wrote in 1945. It's about a community struggling to make their living by the sea. Peter Grimes is a fisherman but the locals think of him as an outsider and don't trust him.

Here is the link to the introductory video and a video of an orchestra playing the piece:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/ten-pieces/KS2-benjamin-britten-storm-interlude-from-peter-grimes/z4fsv9q

Listen out for: The thunderous timpani and raging brass at the beginning as the storm swells. Also listen for when the harp plays representing the sun shining through the storm clouds.

This week we would like the pupils from nursery - P7 to listen to the music and then draw a stormy picture. Pictures should be sent to kpvirtualconcert@gmail.com by Tuesday 9th February.

Week 3: A Short Ride in a Fast Machine

This week's piece is called ‘A Short ride in a Fast Machine’ by John Adams. This is a piece of minimalist music, which uses repeated patterns of notes over a steady beat. It was inspired by a journey that the composer made in his brother’s new sports car.

Click on the link below to watch the introductory video and to hear an orchestra play this wonderful piece of music.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/ten-pieces/KS2-3/zkthsrd

This week, we would like our pupils from Nursery - P7 to have a go at drawing the type of fast machine that the music makes them think of - maybe it’s a racing car, a train, a rocket, a rollercoaster or something else!

Artwork should be sent to kpvirtualconcert@gmail.com by next Tuesday afternoon. We look forward to seeing the responses!

Week 2: The Firebird by Igor Stravinsky

This week's piece is The Firebird by Igor Stravinsky.

Click on the link below to watch the introductory video and to hear an orchestra play this wonderful piece of music.

KS2: Igor Stravinsky - The Firebird — suite (1911) (Finale) - BBC Teach

This week, we would like our pupils from Nursery - P7 to have a go at drawing the Firebird, after they have listened to the music.

Artwork should be sent to kpvirtualconcert@gmail.com by next Tuesday afternoon. We look forward to seeing the responses!

Week 1: Winter (from the 4 seasons) by Vivaldi

This week we are launching a new, weekly whole-school music activity known as Mid-week music, which will give our pupils the opportunity to listen and respond to a piece of music each week.

An introductory video will be provided along with a video of an orchestra performing the chosen music. We would ask our pupils to listen to the music and then draw how it makes them feel and/or what it makes them think of.

Photos of artwork can then be sent to kpvirtualconcert@gmail.com and will be added to the school website during the following week. This is an optional activity but it is hoped that pupils from throughout the school, from nursery to P7 will have a go at listening to the music.

This week's piece is Winter (From the four seasons) by Vivaldi

Here is the introductory video: https://youtu.be/ixxEbheyvfg

and here is the link to some facts about Vivaldi and a video of an orchestra playing the piece:

Antonio Vivaldi – ‘Winter’ from ‘The Four Seasons’, Allegro non molto (1st mvt) - BBC Teach

Artwork should be sent to kpvirtualconcert@gmail.com by next Tuesday afternoon. We look forward to seeing the responses!