Elementary School Concerts 2015-2016 Study Guide
Symphonic Sketches of Canada: New Horizons & Hockey! and
Magnificent Melodies with Guest Conductor Evan Mitchell, Associate Conductor Gordon Gerrard and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
Gr. 4-7: November 4, 5 & 6, 2015 Gr. K-3: February 10, 11 & 15, 2016 PRESENTING SPONSOR:
Study Guide
VSO Elementary School Concerts 15/16
Vancouver Symphony Orchestra Founded in 1919, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra is the third largest symphony orchestra in Canada. The VSO performs to an annual audience of more than 200,000 people and performs over 150 concerts annually in the historic Orpheum Theatre, as well as in venues throughout the Lower Mainland. As a cultural staple of the Lower Mainland, VSO Education Programs are experienced by over 50,000 students annually. Maestro Bramwell Tovey has been the VSO’s Music Director since 2000. He is known for his extraordinary artistic leadership and passionate advocacy for music education. In 2008, the VSO won a GRAMMY award and JUNO award and completed a successful tour to China and Korea, the first such tour by a Canadian Orchestra in over 30 years. The VSO’s mission is to enhance the quality of life in our city and region by presenting high-quality performances of classical and popular music to a wide variety of audiences, and offering educational and community programs. In 2018, the VSO’s centenary year, he will become the orchestra’s Music Director Emeritus.
Music Director Maestro Bramwell Tovey
The Orpheum Theatre
Home of the Vancouver Symphony Designed in 1927 by architect Benjamin Marcus Priteca, the Orpheum Theatre is Canada’s last great entertainment palace, and one of Vancouver’s most spectacular heritage buildings. Since its opening, the Orpheum has hosted vaudeville, cinema, musical theatre, concerts, ballet, opera, and children’s shows. The building is a masterpiece of theatre design, with a magnificently painted dome soaring above ornate plaster carvings, gold leaf, and crystal chandeliers. Great care was taken with the acoustics of the building: the sound is so clear that musicians can hear a whisper in the very last row of the highest balcony, and the audience can hear every note played on stage. In 1973, Famous Players slated the Orpheum for demolition, but thousands of Vancouverites wanted to save it. The City of Vancouver responded, rescuing and renovating the theatre. In the fall of 2013, the VSO became the first organization to be inducted into the BC Entertainment Hall of Fame. Look for both the VSO’s and Bramwell Tovey’s stars on Granville street’s Star Walk!
Maestro Bramwell Tovey is the Music Director of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. A musician of striking versatility, Bramwell Tovey is acknowledged around the world for his artistic depth and warm, charismatic personality on the podium. Tovey’s career as a conductor is uniquely enhanced by his work as a composer and pianist, lending him a remarkable musical perspective. During the 15-16 season, Mr. Tovey’s guest appearances include the symphonies of Montreal, Melbourne, New Zealand, and Pacific Symphony, and the Philadelphia Orchestra and New York Philharmonic, reprising his programs with both at Bravo! Vail in summer 2016. The summer also includes returns to the Blossom Music Center, Ravinia Festival, and Hollywood Bowl. In the winter of 2016 he will conduct Korngold’s Die Tote Stadt with the Calgary Opera. Tovey is also known as a champion of new music, both as conductor and composer. As a composer, Tovey was honored with the Best Canadian Classical Composition Juno Award in 2003 for his Requiem for a Charred Skull. New works include a full-length opera for the Calgary Opera, The Inventor, which was premiered in January of 2011. A recording of the work by the VSO with UBC Opera and the original cast was made for the Naxos label and will be released this season. In 2014 his trumpet concerto, Songs of the Paradise Saloon, was performed by the LA Philharmonic and the Philadelphia Orchestra with Alison Balsom as soloist. Mr. Tovey is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music in London, the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto and holds honorary degrees from the universities of British Columbia, Manitoba, Kwantlen and Winnipeg. In 2013 he was appointed an honorary Officer of the Order of Canada for services to music.
VSO Elementary School Concerts 15/16
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Bramwell Tovey Music Director
Members of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra First Violins Dale Barltrop, Concertmaster Nicholas Wright, Assistant Concertmaster Jennie Press, Second Assistant Concertmaster Mary Sokol Brown Jenny Essers Akira Nagai, Associate Concertmaster Emeritus Xue Feng Wei Rebecca Whitling Yi Zhou Second Violins Jason Ho, Principal Karen Gerbrecht, Associate Principal Jeanette Bernal-Singh, Assistant Principal Adrian Shu-On Chui Daniel Norton Ann Okagaito Ashley Plaut Violas Neil Miskey, Principal Andrew Brown, Associate Principal Stephen Wilkes, Assistant Principal Lawrence Blackman Matthew Davies Emilie Grimes Angela Schneider Ian Wenham Cellos Ari Barnes, Principal Janet Steinberg, Associate Principal Zoltan Rozsnyai, Assistant Principal Olivia Blander Natasha Boyko Charles Inkman Luke Kim Cristian Markos Basses Dylan Palmer, Principal David Brown J. Warren Long Frederick Schipizky
Flutes Christie Reside, Principal Nadia Kyne, Assistant Principal Rosanne Wieringa Piccolo Nadia Kyne Oboes Roger Cole, Principal Beth Orson, Assistant Principal Karin Walsh English Horn Beth Orson Clarinets Jeanette Jonquil, Principal David Lemelin E-flat Clarinet David Lemelin Bassoons Julia Lockhart, Principal Sophie Dansereau, Assistant Principal Gwen Seaton Contrabassoon Sophie Dansereau French Horns Oliver de Clercq, Principal Benjamin Kinsman David Haskins, Associate Principal Andrew Mee Richard Mingus, Assistant Principal Trumpets Larry Knopp, Principal Marcus Goddard, Associate Principal Vincent Vohradsky Trombones Matthew Crozier, Principal Gregory A. Cox Bass Trombone Douglas Sparkes Tuba Peder MacLellan, Principal Timpani Aaron McDonald, Principal Percussion Vern Griffiths, Principal Tony Phillipps Harp Elizabeth Volpé Bligh, Principal
◊ Extra musician + Leave of Absence for 15-16 season
Kazuyoshi Akiyama Conductor Laureate
Piano, Celeste Linda Lee Thomas, Principal
Gordon Gerrard Associate Conductor Jocelyn Morlock Composer-in-Residence Marcus Goddard Composer-in-Association Education Staff Joanne Harada Vice-President, Artistic Operations & Education Christin Reardon MacLellan Education & Community Programs Manager Ryan Kett Artistic Operations & Education Assistant Kaylie Hanna Artistic Operations & Education Assistant
Table of Contents About the Orchestra page 2 Instrument Families page 5
Symphonic Sketches of Canada Programme page10 Track Listing page 12 Classroom Activities & Lesson Plans page 16 Magnificent Melodies Programme page 23 Track Lisiting page 26 Sing-A-Long page 28 Classroom Activities & Lesson Plans page 30 Orchestra Puzzle: Appendix A page 44
Study Guide
VSO Elementary School Concerts 15/16
Orchestral conductors stand on a podium with a baton (which looks a bit like a magic wand) in front of the orchestra, constantly communicating directions to the whole orchestra during a performance. The primary responsibilities of the conductor are to set tempo, indicate beats (particularly first or “down” beats) and to listen carefully and critically to the ensemble. Communicating changes that need to be made within the ensemble (such as showing the violins you want them to play louder to balance the sound) requires highly trained listening skills. There are no strict rules for conducting, and you will notice that different conductors have very different styles, however, the very basics of beat indication do follow a set pattern. Maestro Bramwell Tovey is the Conductor and Music Director of the Vancouver Symphony. He led the VSO to break the world record for the largest orchestra performance in an outdoor venue when he conducted over 6,000 musicians in a performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.
A) 4/4 Time Most common Track: 12
B) 2/4 Time Fast music Track: 4
Happy Birthday
Don’t forget to conduct in 3/4 the next time you sing happy birthday for a classmate! It’s a bit tricky so here’s the first four bars to help - make sure to count 1,2 before you start! Traditional
Happy Birthday!
Hap - py birth - day
1
2
3
1
2
to
3
you!
1
Hap - py birth - day
2
3
1
2
to
3
you!
1
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Meet Associate Conductor:
Gordon Gerrard
Gordon Gerrard is a respected figure in the new generation of Canadian musicians. Trained first as a pianist and subsequently as a specialist in operatic repertoire, Gordon brings a fresh perspective to the podium. His passion and dedication to producing thrilling musical experiences have endeared him to his fellow musicians and the public alike.
After two successful seasons as Assistant Conductor of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Gordon has been promoted to the newly created post of Associate Conductor. He has been appointed as Music Director of the Regina Symphony Orchestra effective July 2016. This season, Gordon will lead the VSO in concerts on the Masterworks, Tea & Trumpets, and Kids’ Koncerts series. This season Gordon returns to Calgary Opera to lead their production of Lakmé in November, and he will make his debut with The National Ballet of Canada in their production of The Nutcracker. Guest appearances this season include two Masterworks concerts for the Regina Symphony Orchestra as well as debuts with the Victoria Symphony and the Sudbury Symphony.
VSO Elementary School Concerts 15/16
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VSO Elementary School Concerts 15/16
Orpheum Theatre, Vancouver BC Stage Plan
This is a typical layout for the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra in the Orpheum Theatre and most likely the layout you will see at your school concert.
Instr uments of the Orche st ra
The S t r i n g F a m i l y
The string section is the largest family of instruments in the orchestra, and is made up of four instruments: violin, viola, cello and double bass. They are made of hollow wood, with strings attached; the musicians make sounds either by drawing a bow made of horsehair across the strings, or by plucking the strings with their fingers.
violin
1. The is the smallest stringed instrument and makes the highest sound. There are two sections of violins in the orchestra – first violins and second violins. The leader of the first violins is the concertmaster. The concertmaster works closely with the conductor to coordinate all of the strings.
viola
2. The is the next biggest instrument in the string family, and is sometimes called an alto. It looks exactly like the violin, but is a bit bigger, and thus makes a lower sound.
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cello
3. The , sometimes called the violoncello, is not held under the chin like the violin or viola, but between the player’s knees, resting on a peg, with the neck extending over the left shoulder of the player.
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double bass
4. The is the largest member of the string family – it stands seven feet tall! It also makes the lowest sound of the string instruments. To play it, musicians either sit on a stool, or stand.
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The W o o d w i n d F a m i l y
Like the string family, the woodwind family has four main instruments: flute, clarinet, oboe, and bassoon. These instruments are hollow tubes with holes in them. The musician makes a sound by blowing air into one end, and covering the holes to produce different pitches.
flute
1. The and its smaller sibling, the piccolo, used to be made of wood, but today, are made of either silver or gold. The musician holds the instrument sideways and blows across the hole.
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oboe
2. The is a double-reed instrument that is used to tune the orchestra because of its pure and steady sound. Reeds are made from thin pieces of cane that vibrate when air is blown across them.
clarinet
3. The is a single-reed instrument, meaning it has only one reed, while the oboe has two. The bottom end of the clarinet flares out and is called the bell.
4. 2.
bassoon
4. The is also a double-reed instrument and is the lowest of the woodwind family. The reed connects to the basson by means of a bocal.
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VSO Elementary School Concerts 15/16
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The Brass Fa mily
French horn
1. The is a tightlycurled instrument; if you were to uncurl it, it would be 17 feet long, ending with a widely flared bell. In its usual playing position, the bell points down and back, and is partially closed by the musician’s right hand.
trumpet
Brass instruments are shiny gold or silver-coloured instruments made from metal. The musician makes sounds by buzzing his or her lips in a mouthpiece. High and low notes are created by valves or slides, the size of the mouthpiece, and how the musician uses his or her lips (the embouchure).
2. The is the highest of the brass instruments and has around 4 ½ feet of tubing. It has three piston valves, which allow the player to change the pitch. Of the brass instruments, it plays the melody most often.
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trombone
3. The is the only brass instrument that doesn’t need valves. To change the pitch, the player’s right hand moves a slide up and down; finding the correct pitch depends on the musician’s ability to stop the slide at the correct position.
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tuba
4. The is the lowest of the brass instruments, but isn’t the longest. At 15 feet long, it is two feet shorter than the French horn. It plays lower than the French horn because its tubing has a larger diameter. It has three to six piston or rotary valves that allow the musician to change pitch.
Percussion instruments are the loud instruments in the back of the orchestra that produce sound when they are struck with another object, usually a stick or mallet. There are two types of percussion instruments: definite-pitch instruments make pitches just like the other instruments of the orchestra, while indefinitepitch instruments make neutral rhythmic sounds.
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3. T h e Pe r c u s s i o n Family
The Percussion Family timpani
1. The are the most visible instruments in the percussion family, because they are placed on a platform at the back of the stage, in the centre. Timpani are usually played in sets of four, with each drum a different size and pitch. The player uses a pedal to tighten or loosen the skin on the top of the drum to change the pitch.
bass drum
2.
2. The (pictured), snare drum, and triangle are indefinite-pitch instruments that are hit with a drumstick or a beater.
marimba
3.The (pictured) and xylophone are definite-pitch instruments that are played with yarn-covered or rubber mallets.
3. Study Guide
4.
cymbals
4.The tambourine and (pictured) are also indefinite-pitch instruments, but they do not require a beater to play. The tambourine is struck with the player’s right hand, while the cymbals are crashed together.
VSO Elementary School Concerts 15/16
What is a Symphony Orchestra? When you come to see the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Maestro Bramwell Tovey or Associate Conductor Gordon Gerrard will introduce you to the many diverse instruments found in a contemporary orchestra. Just like the people that make up your community (the students, teachers, staff, volunteers and parents in your school) the instruments of the orchestra are all part of their own families. The word symphony means “sounding together”. An orchestra is made up of a group of musicians - usually seventy to one hundred - playing instruments from four main families: string, woodwind, brass and percussion. A symphony orchestra consists of these different instruments “sounding together”. The louder instruments are at the back of the orchestra, and the quieter ones are in front so that the audience hears a balanced sound. The size of the instrument does not always match the size of the sound it can produce. When you are at a symphony concert, you will notice that large instruments can make soft or muted sounds while small instruments, like the triangle or the piccolo, can ring out above the whole combination of other instruments. A composer produces the sounds he wants by choosing combinations of instruments from each family and writing the sounds that they will play together. Because a symphony orchestra is made up of so many different instruments, and because the musiciains are so well trained to produce a variety of sounds, the composer has a palette of instrumental colour combinations and sound possibilities at their disposal.
Behind the Scenes atwith the VSO! photos by Chris Loh It can be very busy keeping the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra on stage and performing over 140 concerts a year! Did you know that the VSO was founded in 1919 and plays in 16 venues annually across the Lower Mainland of British Columbia? The Vancouver Symphony has 107 full-time employees (73 musicians, 43 staff), more than 150 part-time employees and over 300 volunteers.
From top left to bottom right: Concertmaster Dale Barltrop and Maestro Bramwell Tovey rehearsing at the VSO School; Harpist Elizabeth Volpé-Bligh warms up on the Chan Centre stage Composer-in-Residence Jocelyn Morlock having a moment on the Orpheum Stage Principal cellist Ari Barnes gives violinist & mom Nancy DiNovo a post-concert hug.
VSO Elementary School Concerts 15/16
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Gr. 4-7: Symphonic Sketches of Canada
Symphonic Sketches of Canada: New Horizons & Hockey Wednesday, November 4 Thursday, November 5 Friday, November 6
Study Guide
VSO Elementary School Concerts 15/16
Gr. 4-7: Symphonic Sketches of Canada
Concert Programme Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra Benajmin Britten Peer Gynt: Suite No. 1, Morning Mood Edvard Grieg The Planets: Jupiter Gustav Holst Flame Jordan Nobles The Hockey Sweater Story by Roch Carrier Music by Abigail Richardson Programme subject to change
Symphonic Sketches of Canada New Horizons & Hockey O Canada! It’s the most amazing country in the world! Our nation is known for its culltural mosaic, well-mannered, peace-loving people who say ‘Eh!’, universal healthcare, world-class cuisine (not just maple syrup and poutine), natural resources and scenic wonders, amongst other things. For this concert, we’ve chosen Symphonic Sketches that represent what Canada is, and music that has been written by Canadians. Morning Mood by Grieg represents Canada and its beautiful landscape and rich natural resources. We have the magnificent sunrise over the majestic mountains as we’re hugged by the warm rays of the sun. Holst’s Jupiter represents peace and friendship for all in our very special and unique multicultural society. Did you know Canada officially became a multicultural society in 1971? We’re very fortunate to have people from all around the world living in our great nation. Everyone is equal, and all are encouraged to join in social, cultural, economic and political activities. Composers are often influenced by their culture and their surroundings, so it’s no surprise that the two Canadian pieces on our programme were inspired by hockey! There’s nothing more Canadian than our national winter sport! As the game is a Canadian creation, we have always taken great pride in our national sport and in our excellent hockey players. As you listen to Jordan Nobles’ Flame, experience again those feelings of national pride when we won hockey gold in the Winter Olympics, and prepare yourself for the protagonist’s disappointment in a story we all know well, Roch Carrier’s The Hockey Sweater, with music by Abigail Richardson.
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Meet Guest Conductor, Evan Mitchell
E
van Mitchell is proving to be one of Canada’s most innovative and soughtafter young conductors. Having recently finished hugely successful residencies as Assistant Conductor of the Vancouver and Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Orchestras, Mr. Mitchell assumed the post of Music Director with the Kingston Symphony Association in the 2014-2015 season. He has garnered significant critical success as well as consistent praise for his approach, execution and musical results.
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ver the course of his residencies, Mr. Mitchell conducted over 200 concerts, acted as a Canadian ambassador during an historic two week tour of China, Korea and Macau, and served as an official consultant to the Vancouver Olympic Committee and Assistant Producer for the recording of the medal ceremony national anthems.
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n addition to his musical achievements, Mr. Mitchell has been profiled extensively for his commitment to concert initiatives. He has been personally responsible for the writing, recording and production of behindthe-scenes concert video series, podcasts aimed at the layperson, and visual enhancements during concerts in order to give a richer, more informed experience to concert-goers. His videos have been widely featured abroad for both publicity and educational purposes, and his initiative using smartphones as a “silent tour guide” during live concerts in real-time was hailed as the best technological innovation in the symphony concert hall of 2014 by the CBC.
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ecent career highlights include Principal Conductorship of the World Harp Congress in which Mr. Mitchell conducted eight harp concerti with some of the world’s best harpists. Mr. Mitchell made his conducting debut with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra in the 2011-2012 season after a last-minute cancellation and has subsequently been re-engaged by the Toronto Symphony for multiple concert series. He has also conducted a hugely successful concert with violinist Elizabeth Pitcairn, owner of the Mendelssohn Stradivarius “Red Violin”. After this concert, Mr. Mitchell was offered the Music Directorship of the Prince George Symphony. He was also appointed as Musical Consultant, Chief Program Advisor and Conductor for a partnership with the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts, and the Hunan Provincial Chinese National Acrobats, for an enthusiastically received series of concerts and the first of their kind in North America.
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download the mp3 files at www.vancouversymphony.ca/esc
Symphonic Sketches of Canada: musical tracks Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra Benjamin Britten
Britten wrote The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra in 1946 as part of the score to a documentary film designed for children; the work consequently includes several quiet sections meant for the film‘s narration. The piece begins with the full orchestra playing a sweeping, stately theme based on one by Purcell. Britten then briefly introduces each section of the orchestra: woodwinds, brass, strings, and percussion each play their own variation on the theme.
Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Morning Mood Edvard Grieg
Morning Mood by Edvard Grieg is part of a larger suite of music called the Peer Gynt Suite. The music comes from a scene in a play in which the sun rises slowly over the Moroccan desert. The flute and oboe trade the peaceful melody back and forth, which slowly raises the orchestra to a majestic climax. You can picture the sun breaking through the clouds and the beautiful colours of a sunrise.
The Planets: Jupiter Gustav Holst
Perhaps the best-known of the movements, Jupiter, The Bringer of Jollity, evokes both a sense of fun and, according to Holst, “the more ceremonial type of rejoicing associated with religious or national festivities.” Beginning with a vigorous tune against rapidly moving strings and woodwinds, the movement quickly brings forth several celebratory themes. The central section segues into a stately, ceremonial melody reminiscent of Elgar — in fact, Holst also set this melody as a separate hymn, “I vow to thee my country.” The hymn ends on an unresolved chord that is immediately met by the joyous motifs of the first section, drawing to a brilliant finish.
French horn player Ben Kinsman and violist Emilie Grimes introduce students to their instruments at a VSO Connects session.
Listen to the Symphonic Sketches of Canada Playlist Log-on to the VSO’s Naxos account for free! 1. Go to http://goo.gl/u0jy1d 2. Login with Username: vsoaa Password: vsoaa OR Go to our YouTube Playlist at: https://goo.gl/fEkort Consider that this is a shared resource!
Please do not delete or edit these playlists in any way.
*Please note: The Hockey Sweater and Flame are not available on the Naxos Playlist.
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Flame Jordan Nobles
“I had the pleasure of writing this piece during the 2004 Athens Olympic Games and was inspired by watching the lighting of the Olympic Flame in its birthplace. The aspect of the Olympic games which I admire the most is the tradition of the Olympic Flame: from the lighting of the flame by the sun and a parabolic mirror in front of the Temple of Hera in Olympia to its journey around the world to the site of the Host City of the Olympic Games. “I appreciate not the journey as much as the fact that one runner could not do it alone and it is a collective effort by thousands of torch bearers to bring the flame to the games. In a way, I consider this piece to be my stretch in a similar, musical tradition of bringing classical music to the present.”
The Hockey Sweater Abigail Richardson (Recording available on VSO website only)
The featured 25-minute piece on the concert programme is The Hockey Sweater by Abigail Richardson, based on the story by Roch Carrier. This work was jointly commissioned by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the National Arts Centre Orchestra, and the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra. The story is a tale of childhood, hockey and a disappointing mailorder mix-up in the small village of Sainte-Justine, Quebec, in 1946. The story is based on the real experiences of the author, Roch Carrier, who, like many boys his age in Quebec, was a big fan of the Montreal Canadiens and their star player at the time, Maurice “The Rocket” Richard. When his Montreal Canadiens hockey sweater wore out, his mother wrote a note and sent money to the Eaton’s Catalogue Service to order a new one. At the time, the company did not print French-language versions of their order form, and the boy’s mother did not speak English, leading to a mix-up. A short time later, a package arrives by mail. It’s a new hockey sweater. Unfornately, it’s a sweater for the rivals of the Canadiens -- the Toronto Maple Leafs. As a loyal fan of the Montreal Canadiens, Carrier refuses to wear the new sweater. But his mother will not let him wear his old worn-out one, and she insists that returning the sweater may offend Mr. Eaton, himself a Leafs fan. As a result, the boy has no choice but to wear the Toronto Maple Leafs sweater to his hockey game, feeling humiliated in front of the other players on the ice who are all proudly wearing their Candiens sweaters. Seeing his new sweater, the coach of the team refuses to let the young boy play, and he angrily breaks his hockey stick on the ice before being sent to church, where he prays for God to send moths to eat his new Maple Leafs sweater.
Did you know?
R
och Carrier’s story ‘The Hockey Sweater’ (originally written in French) was published in 1979 under the title ‘Une abominable feuille d’érable sur la glace’ (“An abominable maple leaf on the ice”) in a collection of his works called ‘Les Enfants du bonhomme dans la lune’. It was translated to English that same year by Sheila Fishman and published as part of an English collection of Carrier’s works called ‘The Hockey Sweater and other stories’.
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copy of Roch Carrier’s ‘The Hockey Sweater’ was taken into space by Canadian astronaut Robert Thirsk when he served on a 2009 mission to the International Space Station. Like many Canadians, Thirsk found that Carrier’s classic tale resonated deeply with him and his family, and taking it to space was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up. Study Guide
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Gr. 4-7: Symphonic Sketches of Canada
About the Author: Roch Carrier
R
och Carrier was Canada’s National Librarian and is the beloved author of many Canadian classics for both adults and children. In 1968 he published his hugely successful novel, La Guerre, Yes Sir!. He has written many novels, short stories, plays, film and television scripts, essays, travel books and poetry. Several of his works have become classics and are used in schools and universitites around the world. His much-loved children’s story, The Hocky Sweater, remains a timeless favorite. In 1991, Roch Carrier was awarded the Stephen Leacock Award for Humour for Prayers of a Very Wise Child. Among his many other awards and honors, Mr. Carrier is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, an Officer of the Order of Canada, and the holder of many honorary doctorates. There are also two elementary schools in Ontario that bear his name. All this from the boy who grew up in a village with no library and no books. Now the village has a brand new library -- the Roch Carrier Library.
About the Illustrator: Sheldon Cohen
W
e all know that pictures can speak louder than words and the career of Sheldon Cohen in illustration, animation, film directing and painting is certainly a vivid testimony to this adage.
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native of Montreal, Mr. Cohen’s most notable film is The Sweater (1981), based on Roch Carrier’s classic childhood tale. It won the BAFTA (British Academy Award) and over a dozen other international prizes. In addition to his work in film, Sheldon Cohen is an accomplished painter. Perhaps bestloved for his illustrations in The Hockey Sweater, he has also received the Governor General’s Award for Illustration (1991) and First Prize at the Chicago International Children’s Film Festival for I Want a Dog (2003). Interested in helping students develop their own film ideas, Mr. Cohen spent the 1998-1999 academic year teaching film animation at Harvard University. A compilation DVD containing 30 years of his work has been released by the National Film Board of Canada, entitled FROM BOOK TO FILM: Animated Classics by Sheldon Cohen. His latest work is a memoir published by ECW Press, entitled THIS SWEATER IS FOR YOU! celebrating the creative process in film and art.
About the Composer: Abigail Richardson Composer Abigail Richardson-Schulte was born in Oxford, England, and moved to Canada as a child. Ironically, she was diagnosed incurably deaf at 5. Upon moving to Calgary, however, her hearing was fully intact within months. Abigail has been Affiliate Composer with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and now programs performances for their New Creations Festival. She wrote the wildly successful music for the classic Canadian story, The Hockey Sweater by Roch Carrier. It was the country’s first triple co-commission, by the TSO, National Arts Centre Orchestra, and the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra. Within three seasons her piece has been performed by nearly every professional orchestra across the country, and has been experienced by more than sixty thousand audience members, often with Abigail hosting from the stage. Abigail is currently Composer in Residence with the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, serves as Artistic Director of the HPO’s What Next Festival, hosts community events, and teaches composition for U of T.
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Gr. 4-7: Symphonic Sketches of Canada
Roch Carrier Calls Symphony Treatment of The Hockey Sweater a Gift Roch Carrier’s The Hockey Sweater is a recollection of his childhood in small-town Quebec in the 1940s. He wrote it in 1979, and the next year it was turned into an animated short for the National Film Board. The drawings used in the animated film were also used to make it into a children’s book, which is probably read to the vast majority of Canadian kids. Carrier’s story is nothing short of iconic, so it doesn’t come as a huge surprise that the Toronto Symphony Orchestra wanted to put it to music. We spoke to Roch Carrier to see what he thinks of Abigail Richardson’s take on it. What can you tell us about the new symphony adaptation of The Hockey Sweater? This story has had many, many lives. It was for the radio, then the animated film and then the film to a book for children. And now, it’s being done by a really good symphony orchestra; it’s an adventure that I could have never imagined How did Abigail Richardson approach you about putting The Hockey Sweater to music? I was approached by the Toronto Symphony. I didn’t know the musician (Richardson) so I got some information about her and I listened to some of the music she’d written. I loved what I could hear. I was sure she was very talented. But I wondered “What does this woman know about hockey?” The TSO brought the composer to my small town and I showed her the skating rink. Then we went to a cabin where there was a stove and I told her that that’s how we would heat our hands when we were skating in the cold. I told her what it was like to play on that rink and the sound of the skates on the ice. I was amazed by how curious she was. She was so interested in all of the little information in order to create mood and the characters of the people in the story. It’s amazing; it’s funny and sad and joyful music and it tells The Hockey Sweater story. What’s it like to have a story that’s basically read by every kid in Canada? It’s amazing that children read the story and then they have children and read it to them. It’s a gift, it’s a miracle. People tell about their experiences reading it. Sometimes I hear some very touching stories when I’m doing a reading. During one school presentation, this gentleman in the back approached me afterwards. He said, “Women, you know, they talk, it’s easy for them, but it’s difficult for men to talk to their children. So I took your book and I told my son that we’d read it together. That’s how I learned how to talk to my son.” Sometimes I’ll be asked to sign books and they’ll ask me to sign it to #1 or #2 or #3, so I’ll ask if it’s for a hockey player. This woman told me, “Oh no! It’s for my grandchildren and I have three of them.” Do you currently have a #9 Canadiens jersey? I have a huge collection of hockey sweaters, many teams, many, many, many. And just today, my wife bought me some big plastic boxes to pack them in, to protect them from the moths. (As in the story, young Roch prays that the moths take his Maple Leafs sweater.) What else can you tell us about the symphonic adaptation? I would like to say that Abigail really, really helped. The maestro was very understanding. He’s got all the musicians of this great orchestra and he’s telling me what I need to do. I would like to thank him. It’s amazing to see all these dedicated musicians. They were so supportive and understanding and I want to say thank you to all of them.
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Gr. 4-7: Symphonic Sketches of Canada
Classroom Activities Watch the National Film Board Video of The Sweater
Visit your school library for a copy of Roch Carrier’s beloved Canadian children’s story, The Hockey Sweater. Read the story to the class and discuss. Watch the film, based on the story, by visiting the National Film Board of Canada’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZyDsF-Gp3o (English) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shyFWU8pCjs (French) Then, look forward to hearing the story at the concert, and listening to the music composed by Abigail Richardson.
Virtual Museum of Canada’s Online Archive: Roch Carrier
To help you get in the spirit of the VSO’s performances of The Hockey Sweater, check out the Virtual Museum of Canada’s online archive about Roch Carrier and how he came to write the famous story: http://www.historymuseum.ca/cmc/exhibitions/cpm/catalog/cat2208e.shtml (English) http://www.museedelhistoire.ca/cmc/exhibitions/cpm/catalog/cat2208f.shtml (French)
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Music and Nature: Grieg and Beethoven
Symphonic Sketches of Canada Intermediate Lesson Plans
Canada’s natural environment has been a unifying feature of the country’s cultural identity for centuries. It has shaped perceptions of our nation, at home and abroad. Canada is a country blessed by nature: abundant lakes and rivers, vast forests and prairie fields, majestic mountains, and deep ocean waters. But, nature means different things to different people. For some, nature is the local green space in their community. For others, nature is the trail that meanders along the stream in the countryside. Nature is often a theme in music as composers portray gurgling brooks, claps of thunder, roaring rivers, powerful gusts of wind, sweet bird songs, and the magnificence of the rising sun. INTEGRATED SUBJECTS: Language Arts – Social Studies – Visual Arts – Music MATERIALS: recordings of Grieg’s Morning from Peer Gynt and Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony white art paper oil pastels art prints of country scenes of different regions of Canada a book about Beethoven TIME REQUIRED FOR LESSON: 2-3 class sessions (50-minute periods), including building background knowledge LESSON OVERVIEW: Students discover how music can create a visual image in one’s mind as they listen to Grieg’s Morning Mood and Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony – Pastoral. As the image takes shape, the students create a visual representation of their image to include the aspects of nature which the composers included in these wonderful compositions. THE LEARNING SEQUENCE: 1. Without revealing the title of the piece, play Grieg’s Morning from Peer Gynt. Ask the class what it sounds like. Reveal the title and play the music again. How does the title reflect what is heard? What do they hear in the music that fits their idea of “morning”? Try to steer the discussion towards nature. 2. Show a picture of Beethoven and ask questions such as: What did he do? Where did he live? What was his family life like? What happened as he got older? Read one of the books about Beethoven to the class. 3. On the board, draw a web with the word pastoral in it. Ask students, “Does anyone know what the word pastoral means? Is there a similar word that may give you a hint? (For example, pasture or pastor, the shepherd of a congregation.) What if I write the word countryside under the word pastoral – what comes to mind?” Pastoral refers to the countryside, including shepherds and the herding life. Have students brainstorm and create their own word webs. Write on the board the words they suggest, such as beauti-
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ful, peaceful, serene, calm, nature, trees, tall grasses, hills, valleys, ponds, and any number of animals. 4. Listen to Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony. 5. Discuss what the symphony represents; talk about each of the five movements. I. Arrival to a countryside II: A brook III: Villagers IV: Thunderstorm V: Shepherd boy after the storm For this lesson, you’ll focus on the first two movements. 6. Play the first movement again. Lead a short discussion on ways we experience nature every day (walk past trees on the way to school, see and hear birds, watch fish swim in a pond, and so on). Ask who has been to a beautiful countryside. Discuss what the feeling may be if you see a beautiful countryside. What is the difference between nature we see every day compared to the countryside? 7. Play the second movement again. Ask what it may feel like to be standing by a brook. 8. Activate prior knowledge of regions of Canada from Social Studies 5. Show art prints of country scenes from different regions of Canada. Discuss the different regions of Canada. What’s similar? What’s different? What makes each region unique? 9. Provide students with art paper and oil pastels. Ask them to imagine the countryside which Beethoven wanted to create with this symphony. If Beethoven were in one of the Prairie provinces, what would his country scene picture look like? If he were in the Maritimes, what would it look like? Let student choose a region of Canada to imagine as they listen to the music and draw their picture. Play the first two movements as the students draw. 10. Remind students they will need to recall Beethoven’s interpretation of the countryside when they share their picture. ASSESSMENT: Students create a visual representation of the first two movements of Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony, incorporating characteristics of their region of Canada, with oil pastel crayons. They will share about their finished product and recall the interpretative parts of the symphony. INCLUSION / ELL: Try to use a variety of books of different reading levels to build background knowledge for all students. I also draw along with them on my own image for those who need support to have as a reference. TEACHER TO TEACHER: Present and leave the art prints on display for the students to reference as they create own representation.
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SUGGESTED BOOKS: Helen Bauer: Beethoven for Kids: His Life and Music Barbara Nichol: Beethoven Lives Upstairs Sam Rogers: What’s So Great About Beethoven?: A Biography of Ludwig van Beethoven Just for Kids! Mike Venezia: Ludwig van Beethoven (Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Composers) SUGGESTED RECORDING: Leonard Bernstein with the Vienna Philharmonic I. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcSuSk4d6Gs II. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvoTz1rdO3A III/IV. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Bapr_61oCk V. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2OaDJ6jnzI EXTENSION ACTIVITIES: 1. Show the class Walt Disney’s interpretation of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 in Fantasia. What are some similarities and difference between their art and the movie? 2. Listen to Franz Liszt’s piano transcription of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6. Is the orchestral version or piano version more successful in ‘painting’ pictures of nature? A recording can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_8Y_8qthEI (Glenn Gould). 3. There are many other classical pieces inspired by nature. Below is a list to get you started. Explore some of these with your class. What do they hear? Did the composer do a good job of portraying nature in music? Antonio Vivaldi – The Four Seasons Imaginative, tuneful musical portraits of the seasons. Claude Debussy – La Mer An Impressionist painting of the sea; a sensuous and colourful portrait of the light playing on the waves and the swell of the surf. Ferde Grofé – Grand Canyon Suite A panoramic, cinematic portrait of a day spent camping at the top of Arizona’s Grand Canyon Bedřich Smetana - Vltava, or The Moldau, from Má vlast In this piece, Smetana uses tone painting to evoke the sounds of one of Bohemia’s great rivers. Jean Sibelius – Tapiola This tone-poem evokes a wintry, almost supernatural Finnish pine forest, as well as a terrifying snowstorm. Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov – The Flight of the Bumblebee Follow the insect’s frantic aerial journey. 4. On a T-chart, make a list of sounds kids have heard in the difference music examples, and a list of other nature sounds they would like to hear. Using classroom instruments, have students work in groups to re-create sounds of nature from both sides of the chart. Have them combine sounds to create a nature soundscape. Students can perform their soundscapes for each other and for invited guests.
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Canadian Composers: Group Research Project Canada has such an amazingly diverse culture, and this is reflected in our music. Canadian composers have been writing in a wide variety of musical genres, and have been influenced by so many musical traditions, including symphonic music, jazz, music from cultures around the world, and so much more. In addition to the many well-loved folksongs from across our vast nation, as well as the classical repertoire we’ve come to know and love, we could move from the east coast to the west and also encounter the old sea shanties sung by our Newfoundlanders, the Celtic flavors of Nova Scotia and PEI, the traditional French songs of early settlers in Quebec, amazing jazz music in the clubs of Toronto, the guitars and fiddles of the Prairie cowboys and the pop, rock and movie music that rises out of beautiful British Columbia. Someone needs to compose all of this music, and Canada is rich in contemporary composers. They are yours to discover! INTEGRATED SUBJECTS: Language Arts – Music MATERIALS: Internet access for research CD player and computer with internet access and speakers TIME REQUIRED FOR LESSON: 2-3 class sessions (50-minute periods) for research, plus an additional 2-3 class sessions for presentations LESSON OVERVIEW: Through their own research and from watching presentations, students will discover and learn of the diversity of the music of 20th century and contemporary Canadian composers. THE LEARNING SEQUENCE: 1. In lessons leading up to the start of the group research project, play musical examples of works composed by Canadian composers. 2. Divide the class into groups of three or four students. Each group will be responsible for researching two composers from the list below. This should povide each group with a unique view of our Canadian musical landscape.
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Bryan Adams Susan Aglukark Jean Coulthard John Estacio David Foster Jacques Hétu Gary Kulesha Sarah McLachlan Jocelyn Morlock Oscar Peterson Jeffrey Ryan Harry Somers Healey Wilan
Murray Adaskin Stephen Chatman John Estacio Malcolm Forsyth Srul Irvin Glick Diana Krall Alexina Louie Colin McPhee Barbara Pentland Imant Raminsh R Murray Schafer Shania Twain Neil Young
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3. In their research, ask students to address the following: - Was your composer born in Canada? If not, what is his/her heritage? What part of Canada is now his/her home? - Does the composer’s cultural background influence his/her compositions? If so, how? - What other elements of his/her life may have influenced their compositions? - Where did he/she study music? - What is the musical focus of this composer? Does he/she compose in one genre or in multiple genres? Have the compositions been flavored by the places the composer has lived in Canada? Or perhaps by parts of Canada that the composer appreciates? - List one or two of each composer’s compositions. For each composition, a) Play an excerpt of each for the class during your presentation. b) What can you tell the class about this piece of music? c) Can you identify the instruments being played? d) Are there any solo instrumental parts? What are they? Why do you think the composer chose this specific instrument? e) What is the form of this piece? (Can you hear several sections in this piece? Eg. ABAC, AABA, etc.) f) What is the tempo? How does it affect the mood? What is the overall mood of the piece? 4. Have students present their work to the class. ASSESSMENT: Students will present their research to the class, along with their analysis of the composer’s works. INCLUSION / ELL: Using technology supports, such as Don Johnston’s Solo 6 (available through SET-BC), will help unique learners with note taking and report writing. You may also want to have print materials at different reading levels available as an alternate to researching on the internet. SUGGESTED SOURCES: 1. Composer sites: many contemporary composers have their own websites that can be found through an Internet search. Students may even be able to contact living composers and ask them questions! 2. Historica Canada: www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca 3. Canadian Music Centre: www.musiccentre/ca/composers 4. CBC Music: www.music.cbc.ca 5. Canadian League of Composers: www.composition.org EXTENSION ACTIVITIES: 1. Invite a local composer to talk to your class. 2. Learn and perform a piece or two of one of the Canadian composers studied in class.
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Gr. K-3: Magnificent Melodies
Magnificent Melodies Wednesday, February 10 Thursday, February 11 Monday, February 15
Listen to the Magnificent Melodies Playlist Log-on to the VSO’s Naxos account for free! 1. Go to http://goo.gl/sYrcSn 2. Login with Username: vsoaa Password: vsoaa OR Go to our YouTube Playlist: https://goo.gl/bVCFLA Consider that this is a shared resource! Please do not delete or edit these playlists in any way.
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Gr. K-3: Magnificent Melodies
Magnificent Melodies What is Melody? Concert Programme
Possibly one of the most common illnesses of all time, it has affected everyone. It spreads like wildfire, and once you catch it, it is almost impossible to get rid of. There’s no way to protect yourself. We’re all defenseless. But don’t worry; it’s not the black plague or a new breed of swine flu. It’s just a catchy melody.
Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra Benajmin Britten Méditation from Thaïs Jules Massenet Bolero Maurice Ravel Symphony No. 8 “Unfinished”: I. Allegro moderato Franz Schubert Carmen: Les Toréadors Georges Bizet Die Walküre: Ride of the Valkyries Richard Wagner Lohengrin: Bridal Chorus Richard Wagner Symphony No. 94 in G “Surprise”: II. Andante Franz Haydn 12 Variations on “Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman” Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No. 9 “From the New World”: II. Largo Antonin Dvořák
A melody is an arrangement of notes or sounds that is pleasant to listen to. A melody begins, moves and ends. It has direction, shape and continuity. The up and down movement of pitches conveys tension and release, expectation and arrival. The melody is usually the tune, or the part that has the words in the song. Sometimes a melody can be happy, and sometimes it can be sad. Sometimes a melody can be very high, and sometimes it can be very low. Sometimes a melody can be very fast, and sometimes it can be very slow. A melody can be all these things, and everything in between! There are as many different melodies as there are people in the world. Some melodies can be similar, but each is unique in its own way. In our spring programme, we’ll explore melody: what it is, what it does, and how it makes us feel and bring back memories.
Programme subject to change
Cover design for Carmen: Chanson du Toréador published by Choudens, Paris.
Georges Bizet b. October 25, 1838, Paris, France d. June 3, 1875, Bougival, France French composer Georges Bizet is best known for the realistic opera Carmen, a work that established itself as the model of opéra comique. He was motivated by the need to bring realism to French opera he considered frivolous. Though his work is associated with opera comique, it is more serious than the vast majority of that category. To learn more about Carmen, please visit NPR’s website: http://www.npr.org/2010/03/19/124785673/bizets-pop-culture-carmen
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Gr. K-3: Magnificent Melodies Benjamin Britten b. November 22, 1913, Lowestoft, England; d. December 4, Aldeburgh, England Unquestionably Britain’s greatest 20th century composer, Britten excelled in virtually all genres, but is especially known for his vocal and choral music and operas. Britten loved his country and his compositions reflect his fascination for the sea, his enthusiasm for English tradition, and his concern for young people. His major works include The Ceremony of Carols, Peter Grimes, War Requiem, Billy Budd, Hymn to St. Cecelia (which he felt he owed to himself since he was born on St. Cecelia’s Day) and The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart b. January 27, 1756, Salzburg, Austria; d. December 5, 1791, Vienna, Austria Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a child prodigy who started keyboard lessons at the age of 4 and began composing when he was 5. He travelled and performed for the rich, for royalty and for the public all around Europe, but spent the last 10 years of his life in Vienna. Unlike any other composer in musical history, he wrote in all the musical genres of his day and excelled in every one. When he died at the age of 35, he left behind a collection of more than 600 compositions, including symphonies, operas, concertos, chamber music and more. Many of these pieces are considered to be the finest works in the classical style. Jules Massenet b. May 12, 1842, Montaud, France; d. August 13, 1912, Paris, France Today, Jules Massenet is best known for the operas Manon and Werther and the solo violin Méditation, from Thaïs. During his lifetime, however, Massenet was one of the most prolific and celebrated operatic composers on earth. The public anxiously awaited his output, and Massenet became both wealthy and famous practicing his craft. His legacy endures because of his ability to create music which portrays the intimacy of human relationships and the emotions and conflicts that arise from them. His gift for melody is reflected in a variety of arias that are among the most beautiful in the French operatic repertoire. He was also a brilliant orchestrator, a skill which allowed him to capture the moods and colors of a wide variety of places and eras. In addition to opera, Massenet composed songs, oratorios, ballets and orchestral works, as well as chamber music and works for solo piano. Franz Schubert b. January 31, 1797, Vienna, Austria; d. November 19, 1828, Vienna, Austria Franz Schubert was born in Vienna, Austria. In addition to playing several instruments, Franz also sang very well. When he was 10, he was accepted at the Imperial and Royal Seminary, which trained boys for the Court Chapel Choir. That choir still exists today as the Vienna Boys’ Choir. Schubert wrote his first symphonies for his school orchestra, and for friends of the family who used to get together to play -- the whole Schubert family was very musical. Schubert wrote piano, choral, and chamber music, but is probably most famous for composing over 600 songs. Antonin Dvořák b. September 8, 1841, Nelahozeves, Bohemia ; d. May 1, 1904, Prague, Czechoslovakia
Saint-Saëns
Antonin Dvořák was one of seven children. Dvořák’s parents recognized his musical talent, and at the age of six he began his musical training. He studied music in Prague and graduated as an accomplished violin and viola player before he was 20 years old. In 1875, after hearing a performance of Dvořák’s second string quintet, Brahms contacted a music publisher in Vienna who commissioned Dvořák to write his first set of Slavonic Dances, which became an immediate success. In 1892 Dvořák moved to America to accept a position as head of the National Conservatory of Music. While in America he wrote his Symphony No. 9 “New World Symphony”. The New York Philharmonic’s premiere performance created a sensation at Carnegie Hall in 1893.
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Gr. K-3: Magnificent Melodies Franz Joseph Haydn b. March 31, 1732, Rohrau, Austria; d: May 31, 1809, Vienna, Austria Haydn’s childhood was an extremely musical one, singing together frequently as a family and with neighbors. At a very early age his parents recognized their son’s musical talent and accepted an offer to allow schoolmaster and choirmaster Johann Matthias Franck to train young Franz as a musician. His big break came when he was asked to be the court conductor for Prince Esterhazy, a wealthy Hungarian with an orchestra of his own. Haydn worked for the Prince for 30 years composing many symphonies and other works. Perhaps more than any other music composer, Haydn is known for his wit. The mostBritten popular example is found in his Surprise Symphony when his light simple melody is suddenly interrupted by a loud chord, “surprising” the audience. Considered to be one of the greatest composers of the classical era, he is referred to as the “Father of the Symphony”. Richard Wagner b. May 22, 1813, Leipzig, Germany; d. February 13, 1883, Venice, Italy Born in Germany on May 22, 1813, Richard Wagner went on to become one of the world’s most influential composers. He is famous for his epic operas, including Tristan and Isolde, and the four-part, 18-hour Ring Cycle. He died of a heart attack in Venice on February 13, 1883. Grieg The Ring Cycle was ahead of its time in that it combined literature, visual elements and music in a way that would anticipate the future of film. Film composers, including John Williams, were inspired by Wagner’s use of leitmotifs. Richard Wagner is best-known for Tristan and Isolde, The Ride of the Valkyries and Bridal Chorus, also commonly called Here Comes the Bride.
Maurice Ravel b. March 7, 1875, Ciboure, France; d. December 28, 1937, Paris, France Joseph-Maurice Ravel was a French composer best known for his piece Bolero (1928), which he considered a trivial piece of music. He was expelled from the Conservatoire de Paris because he could not meet their competitive requirements, and would continue to have trouble with critics. Ravel joined a group of other musicians called the Apaches. His masterpiece Pavane for a Dead Princess (1902) was performed with the group. Ravel became friends with Claude Debussy and they often compared works. But fans of each composer began feuding, so they decided it was best to stop seeing each other. Ravel went on to compose until 1932. His arrangement of Mussgorsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition brought him great profit. In 1928, he made a four month tour to America, where he met and became friends with George Gershwinn. Critics in America were much more receptive of Ravel’s work and boosted him to international acclaim. He died in France in 1937 after an experimental brain surgery.
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download the mp3 files at www.vancouversymphony.ca/esc
Magnificent Melodies: musical tracks Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra Benjamin Britten
Britten wrote The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra in 1946 as part of the score to a documentary film designed for children. The piece begins with the full orchestra playing a sweeping, stately theme based on one by Purcell. Britten then briefly introduces each section of the orchestra: woodwinds, brass, strings, and percussion each play their own variation on the theme.
Thaïs: Méditation Jules Massenet
The Méditation is a solo piece for violin and orchestra that was created to be an entr’acte – a contemplative work that was to be played between the scenes of Act II of the opera, Thaïs. The opera is about a woman who meets a monk. The monk tries to convince her to become a nun, but ends up falling in love with her. The Méditation is played as Thaïs is trying to decide whether or not she wants to become a nun.
Bolero Maurice Ravel
One of the most recognizable orchestral works of the twentieth century, Ravel’s Bolero came about when the dancer Ida Rubenstein asked Ravel to write music for a ballet. While on holiday in St. Jeande-Luz, Ravel went over to his piano and sketched out a simple melody with one finger, saying to a friend, “Don’t you think this theme has an insistent quality? I am going to try and repeat it a number of times without any development, gradually increasing the orchestra as best I can.” And he did just that. Bolero opens pianissimo with a repeated rhythm in the snare drum, establishes its one theme and then repeats it many times, each repetition adding more instruments and growing louder and louder, until at the end the raw emotional power is overwhelming.
Symphony No. 8 “Unfinished”: I. Allegro moderato Franz Schubert
It was not until his Eighth Symphony that Schubert began writing in his own unique style of symphonic composition. He included key complexities and unforgettable melodies, but his Eighth Symphony remained unfinished. No one knows exactly why he left it incomplete, but it still stands as one of the most beloved symphonies of all time. One theory explaining why the Eighth Symphony was left unfinished is that Schubert recognized many similarities between his score and Beethoven’s 2nd Symphony. He feared he would be accused of plagiarism. Another is that he simply felt he could not create additional movements that were as good as the first two. Still, other people feel he may have had so many ideas in his head that he put it aside in favor of exploring other ideas.
Carmen: Toréador Song Georges Bizet
There is a legend that the Toreador Song was not part of the original score, and that Bizet added it at the urging of the management of the Paris Opera Comique in order to make the opera more popular. Supposedly, Bizet grumbled, “Well, if they want tripe, we will give them tripe”, and dashed off the song. It’s a good thing he did, as this has become one of the most popular arias for baritone in the operatic literature. Here, Escamillo, a suave, rock-star type of that time and place, wows his adoring audience of smugglers and soldiers with this song about the pleasures and thrills of the bullfighter’s profession.
Die Walküre: Ride of the Valkyries Richard Wagner
In Norse mythology, the Valkyries are divine, exceptionally beautiful golden-haired maidens serving the gods of war. Riding winged horses, they wear helmets and bear spears. Their main mission is to gather the souls of valiant warriors who have died in combat and lead them to Valhalla, the Hall of the Gods.
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Lohengrin: Bridal Chorus
Richard Wagner The Bridal Chorus from Lohengrin has for many years accompanied thousands of brides on their promenade to the altar. In the opera, however, it is sung after the ceremony by the women of the wedding party. It is generally recognized as “Here Comes the Bride” and may be second in wedding ceremony choices only to Felix Mendelssohn’s Wedding March from A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Symphony No. 94 “Surprise”
Franz Joseph Haydn Haydn’s music contains many jokes, and the Surprise Symphony includes probably the most famous of all: a sudden fortissimo (super loud) chord at the end of the otherwise piano (soft) opening theme in the variation-form second movement. The music then returns to its original quiet dynamic, as if nothing had happened. Haydn denied he had written the famous chord to make sure his audience stayed awake, but claimed he wanted to put on a better show than his former student, whose rival concert series had opened the week before.
Symphony No. 9 “From the New World”
Antonín Dvořák In Dvořák’s New World Symphony, something you should listen for is the famous English horn solo. The English horn is a woodwind instrument that is very much like an oboe; in fact, it’s played by an oboist, and it has a low, mournful sound that is just perfect for the slow movement melody. Czech composer Antonín Dvořák wrote his New World Symphony in 1893, while he lived in the United States. It is one of the most popular symphonies ever written. When you listen to it, you’ll know why. It’s full of wonderful melodies and interesting sounds, and the English horn is certainly one of them.
Twelve Variations on “Ah, vous dirai-je Maman”
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart The twelve variations on the French song Ah, vous dirai-je Maman, K.265, were probably written during Mozart’s stay in Paris in 1778. The song Ah, vous dirai-je Maman, well known in Paris at least since 1761, is better known to us as Twinkle, twinkle, little star, and bears a remarkable similarity to Baa, baa, black sheep. Mozart’s variations include, as they should, a minor variation (the eighth of the set), an Adagio (the eleventh), and a final Allegro.
Did you know? The piano is also included as part of the percussion family, because sound is produced when the strings are hit by hammers.
First Violinist Yi Zhou, Principal Flute Christie Reside and Violist Emilie Grimes strike a pose outside the Orpheum Theatre. Photo by Chris Loh
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Maestro Gordon Gerrard and the Vancouver Symphony would like YOU to be a part of the concert! We would like you to learn the main theme of Dvořák’s New World Symphony, with special lyrics by Kaylie Hanna. The music and words are below. To help you learn the song we’ve included a recording on our website. Visit our Elementary School Concert pages at: www.vancouversymphony.ca/esc
Sing-Along Lyrics By Kaylie Hanna
Melody, melody. Sing a lovely song. Sing with me, sing with me, All our voices strong. Some are high, some are low, Others in between. Hear us sing, hear us sing Perfect harmonies. Such a sound, such a sound. Making music flow. All around, all around, Ev’rywhere we go.
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The melody from the second movement of Dvorak’s New World Symphony is commonly known as “Goin’ Home” and is often mistakenly considered a folk song or traditional spiritual. Played by the English horn, the beautiful melody was adapted into the spiritual-like song by Dvořák’s student, William Arms Fisher, in 1922.
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Melody has...
PITCH
INTERVALS
RANGE
DIRECTION
A melody can have high notes. A melody can have low notes. A melody can have both high notes and low notes, or notes in between. Intervals tell us how far apart two pitches are. Some pitches can be very close to each other, and some pitches can be very far apart. The range tells us the distance from the lowest note to the highest note. Songs can have a limited range, like Mary Had a Little Lamb. Other songs have a wide range, like Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Some melodies go up. Some melodies go down. Other melodies go up and down, like a wave.
MOTION
Some melodies have move in stepwise motion, while other melodies may skip around.
PHRASES
A phrase is a musical sentence, containing one complete idea. A song will be made up of many phrases.
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Classroom Activities Activity #1: Ravel’s Bolero has a new melodic line for us to see and hear. This melody will be one of the easiest to recognize of all the ones on our concert — because it is repeated over and over again. Look at the beginning notes of the theme:
Connect the note heads and discover what the line looks like. Does it move up — or down? Do the notes move by steps or leaps? Now, place a check mark above the highest note and the lowest note in the line. Notice how far apart the notes are on the staff. (The staff is the five lines on which the notes are written.) Count the number of staff lines between the highest and the lowest note. You are looking for the vertical distance, not the horizontal distance. On the staff, draw the highest and the lowest notes, one above the other.
Activity #2: The next theme we will look at is from “The Ride of the Valkyries” by Wagner:
Can you describe how the themes are different from each other? Look at each of these characteristics of the two melodies: • Melodic direction - up or down or both up and down • Melodic motion - steps or leaps • Melodic line - slow curve, zig-zag, straight line • Melodic range - the distance between the highest and lowest notes Be a Style Detective! Look at the melodies in Activities #1 and #2. Are these melodies played similarly or differently? How do you know? Style Detective Answer: The melodies are played differetly We can see this through the composers’ markings: accents, dynamics, slurs, staccato.
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Activity #3: Think of your favourite song and sing or hum it to yourself. Does your voice get higher in some parts and lower in others? Does it sometimes stay the same? The melody is often the most singable and memorable part of a song and is made up of a series of pitches (either high, medium, or low) and duration (long or short). Composers throughout history have explored different ways to express their ideas through their melodies. As listeners, we can try and understand more about the music we are listening to by drawing what we are hearing. All you need is your favourite song playing in the background and a pencil and a piece of paper. Start in the middle of your page and sketch out what you hear, paying extra close attention to the direction (up, down or no change) the notes are moving. The line that you just drew is called the melodic contour, or the shape of the melody. Once you are satisfied with your melodic contour sketch, it is time to get creative. Look at your sketch and see if it reminds you of anything. Think outside the box! It could be a crack in the sidewalk, the skyline in a city, or even the profile of someone’s face. Create an image using your melodic contour and send it to the VSO; we would love to see what you come up with! For an extra challenge, pick a piece from the concert and sketch out the melodies that you hear. If you feel overwhelmed by all the instruments, focus on just one instrument and listen to what they are playing.
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Moving Melodies by May Lu
Melody Primary Lesson Plans
The goals of this lesson closely align with the BC Ministry of Education’s Prescribed Learning Outcomes for primary music (K-3). Music (K-3) Students represent personal thoughts, images, and feelings experienced in classroom repertoire Students demonstrate an awareness of rhythmic patterns and melodic phrases Students participate and respond to music performances and activities Cross Curricular Connections: Drama (K-3) Students explore ideas and roles through imagination and play English Language Arts (K-3) Students explore a variety of ways in which ideas can be expressed Students use oral language to discuss and work together towards a class goal Physical Education (K-3) Students follow procedures and directions to work together and be safe in physical activity Goals: As a result of this lesson, students will: • Compare and list the different ways of communication and describe how music can be used as a form of communication • Describe their opinions of the melodies presented and use musical terms to justify their opinions • Demonstrate their understanding of the differences between ostinato and melody through movement and/or use of classroom instruments Materials: Activity A • White board or chart paper to record brainstorm • YouTube videos listed in the teacher’s tool kit Activity B • YouTube video of Maurice Ravel’s Bolero • Projector for the video and the orchestra layout (appendix A) • Classroom instruments (if available) Procedure: Activity A: Communicating and sharing ideas through different mediums 1. Brain storm as a class the various mediums we use to share and communicate our ideas with others (text, speech, non verbal gestures, etc) 2. Introduce the lesson by letting students know that the class will be exploring different ways we communicate and share our ideas with each other. Create a class brainstorm of the mediums of communication students encounter on a regular basis (print found on the packaging of their snacks, street signs, in the classroom; listening to instructions; waving good bye to their parents, etc) 3. Extend the discussion using the following activity • Communicate with students using speech (eg: ask students to sit down, tell students the shape 32
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of the day, etc) Discuss the benefits and drawbacks of using this mode of communication. • Communicate with students using print (eg: write today’s date on the board, write the next set of instructions on the board) Discuss the benefits and drawbacks of using this mode of communication. • Communicate with students using actions (eg: wave, raise arm/clap hands to get the class’ attention) Dis cuss the benefits and drawbacks of using this mode of communication. • For younger students, the teacher can brainstorm what messages are communicated through actions 4. Tie the discussion to music and ask students what are some ways composers or musicians communicate ideas to their audience? (possible answers include lyrics, use of different instruments, tempo, etc) 5. Tell the students that we call these ideas themes. Themes can be melodic or rhythmic and composers often used these to connect their work. 6. Listen to some melodies in classical works (found in the teacher’s tool kit) Ask the students what they think the composer is trying to communicate to them based on the mood (eg: somber, happy, furious), images (eg: water, birds, chase) tempo (eg: fast, slow), of the piece. Encourage students to use musical terms, such as pitch, rhythm, or dynamics, to explain their answers. For example, “I think the mood in Vivaldi’s “Autumn” is happy because of the upbeat tempo and the loud dynamics.” Or, “when I hear Vivaldi’s “Autumn” I picture falling leaves because of the notes the violin plays.” This activity can be translated into a writing assignment. 7. Alternatively, younger students can draw pictures of what they hear in each excerpt. Students are encouraged, with teacher assistance, to sketch a contour of the melody that they hear (eg: does it go up then down, or vice versa?) and use different colours or lines to show changes in instrumentation or new melodies, Activity B-1: Exploring Ostinato and Melody This activity is divided into 2 sections; a movement introduction to help students visualize an ostinato and melody working together, and a playing section where students can apply what they learned to classroom instruments. Introduce and discuss what an ostinato is. 1. Tell students that composers often used different layers of sound to create a piece of music. The layers can be divided into the different sections of a symphony (eg: hearing the string section and brass section and how they interact with each other) or they can be divided into an ostinato section and a melodic section. 2. One of the best works to demonstrate an ostinato and melody working together is Maurice Ravel’s “Bolero” which the students will hear at the concert and explore in more detail in section B-2. 3. To start the movement activity, divide the class into 4-5 groups. One group will be assigned as the ostinato group. Depending on the class, students in the ostinato group can come up with their own ostinato or the teacher can provide one for them. Encourage the ostinato section to stick to one movement to begin with (eg: students stamp their feet or clap their hands) Remind the ostinato group that they will be performing the whole way through even when other groups stop. 4. The other 3-4 groups will be the “melody section” and perform their movements superimposed on the ostinato. Students in the melody groups can create their own movement/sound or the teacher can provide one for each group. Students in the melody section are encouraged to use a different body percussion and sound from the ostinato section. For example, if the ostinato group is stamping their feet, students in the melody groups could either clap, snap, click their tongues, wave their arms, etc. Study Guide
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5. Allow time for each group to practice their movement, making sure they start and end together. During this time, inform students that you will be the conductor and as a class agree on gestures that signal start and stop for the students. 6. Gather the students and rehearse as a class. Starting with the ostinato group, the teacher will signal the other groups to join in. Depending on the class, the teacher can signal one group at a time to start and stop before the next group starts, or as a challenge, multiple groups can start at the same time but stop at different times. Activity B-2: Deconstructing and Mapping Maurice Ravel’s Bolero in the classroom For students to get the most out of this activity, thoroughly read the listening guide found in the teacher’s tool kit while following along to the video of Maurice Ravel’s Bolero (https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=KK23BhEQVyU). The timings listed correspond to the video link. Teachers should focus on the constant rhythm pattern played by the snare drum and how the two melodies travel across the orchestra. 1. Play the aforementioned YouTube video of Maurice Ravel’s “Bolero.” Let the class watch and listen to around 2 minutes of the recording and ask students if they hear the ostinato (ie: repeated pattern) and if they can tell which instrument is playing the ostinato. 2. Using the rhythm found in the teacher’s tool kit, clap the rhythm with the class. Tell the students that this is the first layer of the piece. 3. Enlarge/project the image found in Appendix A so the whole class can see. Draw students’ attention to the various instruments found in the orchestra. Label the instrument that plays the rhythmic ostinato. 4. Using the melody provided in the teacher’s tool kit, sing or play the melody on an instrument for the class. Alternatively, teachers can play the video from (0:28-1:21) for the students to hear the melody. 5. Repeat the melody a couple times and encourage the students to sing along. 6. Play the video again (from 0:28-1:21); ask students what instrument is playing the melody. 7. Choose a student to place an identifying mark on the flute section of the projected map. (A sample of what the final product looks like can be found in appendix A-1) 8. Play the video from (1:22-2:12) and ask students what instrument is now playing the melody. Start a discussion with the class about the melody that they have now heard twice. Are the two melodies the same? Are the students able to hear the differences in timbre? Encourage students to come up with words to describe what the flute and clarinet sounds like (eg: the flute sounds light; the clarinet has a warm/smooth sound) 9. To help students understand difference in timbre, provide a simple phrase (eg: The weather is nice today) and ask 2 or 3 students to repeat the same phrase. While the words spoken by each student are identical, the way it sounds is not. 10. Explain that with practice, students can hear the difference in instrumentation just like they can tell their friends’ voices apart. 11. Place a similar identifying mark on the clarinet section and draw an arrow showing the direction the melody has traveled (ie: from the flute to the clarinet). The melody markers chosen by the class should remain consistent to differentiate between the two melodies. 12. Play the video from (2:18-3:06) Ask the students if the melody is the same or if it is different. Play the new melody a couple times for the class and discuss how these two melodies are similar and how they are different. 13. Place a different identifying mark on the bassoon section. Discuss why the marker for melody B 34
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should be different from melody A. 14. Briefly review what the map looks like at this point (Compare the class’ map to the example found in Appendix A-1; there should be two melody markers at this point) 15. Connecting what students already know about patterns from other subject areas, ask students what melody (A or B) will be played after the bassoon. Students can also guess which instrument will play the melody next. 16. Bring the students attention at 5:02 and ask how the pattern changed again (there are now 2 instruments playing the melody) 17. Continue starting and pausing the video and mapping the melody until the piece is complete Assessment: • Can the student name some of the ways/tools composers use to communicate their ideas? • Is the student able to explain how they feel and the images that come to mind when they are listening to the pieces? • Does the student understand what an ostinato is? • Can the student map out the instrument order, with teacher assistance, found in Ravel’s Bolero? YouTube Links for section A: A.Vivaldi’s “Autumn” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7hGiZ579cs G. Rossini’s “William Tell Overture: Finale” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7O91GDWGPU E. Grieg’s “Peer Gynt Suite: In the hall of the mountain king” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQxsyA6s90Y E. Grieg’s “Peer Gynt, Suite: Morning Prelude” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bihp6gwTdeg Mozart “Rondo alla Turca” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geER3iQDO5k
Teacher Tool Kit Dynamics: The levels of sound, loud or soft, in a piece of music. Melody: A particular, identifiable association of notes and pitches; a tune Ostinato : A musical pattern that is repeated. The pattern could be a melodic pattern (melodic ostinato) or a rhythmic pattern (rhythmic ostinato). Pitch: The frequency of a note; high or low sounds Rhythm: The arrangement of notes according to their relative duration and relative accentuation. Tempo (Italian: time) : The speed at which a piece of music is played. Theme: A melodic or rhythmic idea which is used as a fundamental unit in music. Timbre: The character or quality of a musical sound Study Guide
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Bolero: Listening Guide The timings of this guide correspond with the recording of Ravel’s Bolero: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KK23BhEQVyU) 0:28-1:21 Flute; melody A 1:22-2:12 Clarinet; melody A 2:18-3:06 Bassoon; melody B 3:12-4:01 Eb clarinet; melody B 4:07-4:56 Oboe d’amore; melody A 5:02-5:50 Trumpet AND flute; melody A 5:56-6:44 Tenor sax; melody B 6:51-7:38 Soprano sax; melody B (Appendix A-1 stops after the saxophone; teachers are encouraged to continue mapping) 7:45- 8:32 Piccolo AND French horn; melody A 8:39-9:27 Woodwinds; melody A 9:33-10:20 Trombone; melody B 10:26-11:12 Woodwinds (high register);melody B … Rhythmic ostinato in Bolero
Melody A in Bolero
Melody B in Bolero
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Schubert’s “Unfinished” Symphony: Exploring the melodic contour of themes from the first movement by Jelena Lee Goals: As a result of this lesson, students will be able to: -demonstrate awareness of melodic contour and describe it in basic terms -recognize the main melodic themes of Schubert’s “Unfinished” Symphony, and the instruments of the orchestra that play them -respond to melodic contour with high and low movements -read, follow, and create various listening maps Materials: Recording of Symphony no. 8 in B Minor, D.759, “Unfinished”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mnrHf7p0jM Projector, white board or large flip chart Images of mountains, water waves, and pyramids (attached) Listening Maps A and B for Schubert’s “Unfinished” Symphony (attached) A strand of yarn for each student, approx. 60-70 cm in length Procedure: Part 1: Introduction to Melodic Contour 1. Hum the tune of “Hot Cross Buns” without the words while doing the following body movements: Touch your head on the word “hot”, touch your hips for “cross”, and touch the floor for “buns”. Touch the floor for each syllable “one a penny” (4 times), touch your hips for each syllable “two a penny” (4 times), and repeat the actions for “hot”, “cross”, and “buns”. Ask the students to guess the name of the tune. Once guessed, do the actions while singing the words. 2. Tell the students that they will be learning about melody. In order to discover what melody is, ask the students to think of their favourite song. They are most likely going to think of the singer’s part or perhaps a memorable instrumental riff. If they can remember how a song goes, then we can say they are thinking of a melody. When we think of “Frère Jacques” or “Mary Had a Little Lamb”, we are most likely thinking about the melody (and not the harmonic accompaniment or background music). Therefore, melody can be defined as a memorable tune or memorable series of pitches. 3. Ask the students to listen and try to guess the following tune: Hum the tune to “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” without the words while moving your hand to represent higher and lower pitches. Once guessed, invite the students to sing the melody with the words and hand motions as a group. 4. Inform the students that when we move our hands to show higher and lower pitches, we are showing the shape of the melody with our hands. Show the students images of things that have horizontal shape (images of water waves, mountains, and pyramids attached) and have the students draw the shape of these objects in the air with their hands. Then say, “Did you know that melody has shape too?” 5. Melody has shape (melodic contour) that may move up, down, or stay the same. Note: If your students are not familiar with the concept of high and low notes, there are two songs from Denise Gagne’s Musicplay curriculum that are available for purchase on iTunes: “High-Low” from Musicplay Grade 1 Music Program Greatest Hits Part 1, and “I Can Sing a High Note” from Musicplay Grade 2 Music Program Greatest Hits Part 1. 38
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6. Sing or play “Hot Cross Buns” again (and other familiar tunes they know) and ask the students to identify which phrases go higher, lower, or stay the same. Draw the melodic contour on the white board for the students to follow while they sing, using the examples 1-3 provided. Note: enlarged examples may be photocopied and used as flashcards for assessment. 7. Distribute a strand of yarn to each student. Placing the yarn in front of them on a flat surface, observe the students ability to manipulate the yarn according to the contour you call out (or model for them musically): high to low, low to high, stays the same.
Part 2: Introduction to Schubert’s “Unfinished” Symphony with Listening Maps 1. Say, “We are going to listen to a piece of music composed by a great composer named Franz Schubert. Schubert composed many different types of music including songs for solo voice, orchestral music, sacred music, and piano music. The piece we are listening to today is a work for an orchestra called a symphony. This is Schubert’s Symphony no. 8, but is commonly known as his “Unfinished” symphony. Have you ever had homework you forgot to complete? Well Schubert never finished this symphony. He completed the first two parts (movements) but never finished the third movement”. 2. Inform the students that a “theme” is the main melody we recognize in a piece of music. Say, “There is more than one theme in Schubert’s unfinished symphony. Each theme has its own character and evokes a different kind of feeling. Often a new theme is played by different instruments. As we listen to the recording, raise your thumb up (then down quickly) when you think you hear new Study Guide
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instruments or a new theme.” Instruct the students to listen with their eyes closed to avoid distractions while the recording is played (0:00-3:00, or more if attention span allows!) 8. Project or print Listening Map A for students to see. Tell the students that a listening map is a picture or pictures of what the music sounds like. Tell the students, “This is a listening map of Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony.” Point to the listening chart and ask the students to follow along while they listen to the recording (0:00-0:57). Ask for student volunteers to point to the chart as the recording is played. 3. Project or print Listening Map B for students to see. Tell the students, “This listening map shows the shape of the theme played by the oboe and clarinet. Good listening maps show when the music goes lower, higher, or stays the same”. Inform the students that the oboe and clarinet belong to a special department of the orchestra called the woodwinds! Teacher points to the map while the students listen to the recording (0:25-0:39, theme is restated 0:40-0:57). 4. Create actions and movements that show the melodic contour of the oboe and clarinet theme. Part 3 (Sing-along to main theme) The third and main theme is introduced by the cellos, and then played by the violins (1:20-1:59). It is probably the most well known of all Schubert’s melodies. Try singing this tune with the following words: “This is the symphony that Schubert wrote and never finished”.
Assessment: 1. Is the student able to identify which phrases go higher, lower, or stay the same? 2. Is the student able to create contour with the yarn? (high to low, low to high, stays the same) 3. Is the student able to hear the change in sounds (instrumentation) and follow Listening Map A? 4. Is the student able to identify high and low sounds on Listening Map B? Does the oboe and clarinet theme start high or low? 5. When the melody goes higher in pitch, does the student respond with high movement? When the melody lowers in pitch, does the student show movements that are closer to the ground? Extension: Create your own listening map! Have students design and create a listening map of the third main theme (see Part 3), or of a familiar tune they know. Each listening map should indicate where the melody is higher, lower, or stays the same. In partners, students will explain and show each other how to “conduct” his or her listening map by pointing to the map as they sing the tune or play the recording.
Jelena Lee and May Lu were VSO Community Based Field Experience Practicum Students and have recently graduated from the University of British Columbia’s Faculty of Education. 40
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VSO Elementary VSO Elementary Concerts School School Concerts 15/16 15/16
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Appendix A: VSO Study Guide: Orchestra Puzzle
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Appendix A VSO Study Guide: Orchestra Puzzle
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Appendix A: VSO Study Guide: Orchestra Puzzle
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Send your comments, questions and concert reviews to Christin, Ryan & Kaylie: Education Department Vancouver Symphony Orchestra 500 - 843 Seymour Street Vancouver, BC V6B 0G4 Or by email:
[email protected]
Books for Teaching & Reading: Oscar Lives Next Door: A Story Inspired by Oscar Peterson’s Childhood Bonnie Farmer & Marie Lafrance OwlKids, 2015
Lives of the Musicians: Good Times, Bad Times (and What the Neighbors Thought) Kathleen Krull & Kathryn Hewitt HMH Books for Young Readers, 2013
I Know a Shy Fellow Who Swallowed a Cello Barbara Garriel & John O’Brien Boyds Mills Press, 2012
Story of the Orchestra : Listen While You Learn About the Instruments, the Music and the Composers Who Wrote the Music! Robert Levine & Meredith Hamilton Black Dog & Leventhal, 2000
Listen to the Birds: An Introduction to Classical Music Ana Gerhard & Cecilia Varela The Secret Mountain, 2013. Why Beethoven Threw the Stew, and Lots More Stories About the Lives of Great Composers Steven Isserlis Faber & Faber, 2001 M is for Music Kathleen Krull & Stacy Innerst Harcourt Inc., 2009
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Can You Hear It? William Lach Harry N. Abrams, 2006. When Marian Sang Pam Munoz Ryan & Brian Selznick Scholastic Press, 2002 The Composer is Dead (with CD) Lemony Snicket & Carson Ellis HarperCollins, 2009.
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