Victorian Music • Worksheet



Victorian Music Photocopiable Worksheets Theme Pack




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Victorian Music • Worksheet 1

Victorian Britain 1837 - 1901



Queen Victoria became Queen in 1837 and her reign lasted until 1901. This reign was longer than any other monarch in British history. The Victorian period was an age of rapid development and change, both socially and in industry. People in Victorian Britain were able to create great wealth but at the same time there was also great poverty. A child of seven could be made to work long hours for as little as £10 a year in appalling conditions at factories and mills. During Queen Victoria’s reign the British Empire dominated the world stretching from Canada right down to New Zealand. Music in the Victorian period saw a great deal of change too. People wanted to hear new things and the audience for popular music grew and spread throughout all the classes, not just in the rich and privileged classes as before. The Music Hall became a way for people to listen to and enjoy popular songs and music. Concerts in grand new town halls also became a regular feature of city life, offering everyone an opportunity to have an introduction to the world of classical music. The large cities would compete with one another to have the biggest and best town halls, orchestras and organs. In 1877 an inventor called Thomas Edison invented the phonograph which was to revolutionise the way that people listened to music. For the first time music could be recorded and played back. Edison recorded sound onto a cylinder, which was then rotated against a needle. This produced vibrations of sound that were amplified through a large horn. By 1887 a German inventor called Berliner had taken things one step further and the gramophone was born; a forerunner of modern record players. Not quite CD quality sound but a huge step forward! New instruments were developed during the Victorian period and orchestras grew in size. It was an exciting time musically and in these lessons we will learn more about the world of Victorian Music. Phonograph

Things To Discuss & Do: What do you know about life in the Victorian period? Make a list of things that you associate with Victorian Britain and discuss them with the class. What other inventions were made during the Victorian period? How did people travel? What food did they eat? What were the popular toys and games that Victorian children played?

Penny Farthing

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Children Skipping




Victorian Music • Worksheet 2.1

The Victorian Music Hall



People have always come together and made music. Gradually through time these informal get-togethers became more organised. The origins of the Victorian Music Hall lie in the late 17th century when Pleasure Gardens, such as Vauxhall Gardens, offered people music and entertainment as well as food, and most importantly for many of the audience the chance to have a drink! By the 1800’s the gardens had declined in popularity and new Singing Clubs were formed instead. The working classes tended to go to Taverns and the upper classes to so-called Song and Supper rooms. Often comic singers appeared along with solo singers and choruses for an evening’s entertainment. Women were not usually allowed to attend these clubs but were occasionally allowed to view from behind a screened-off area in the balcony. The Taverns were also developing rapidly and many also had music licences and held regular events.

‘The Oxford’ A Famous London Music Hall

In 1843 the Theatre Act was passed and this meant that the Singing Clubs could either become Music Halls with a licence to sell drinks or Theatres without the right to sell drinks but able to show plays. This naturally caused a split and meant that the Theatres became more the haunts of the upper classes who attended plays. The lower classes tended to attend the Taverns, or Music Halls as they became known, as they were looking for a jolly, boozy night out. At first Music Halls were literally just halls with a raised area at one end and a gallery around the other three sides for the audience. Women were eventually allowed to attend, although no lady of repute would want to be seen at the rather riotous evening’s entertainment at the Music Hall. By the 1870’s there were nearly 30 Music Halls in London. The appeal of the Music Hall lay in the many different acts that performed, ranging from acrobats to comedians and of course singers who sang popular songs such as Don’t Dilly Dally On The Way, Come Into The Garden Maude and The Man Who Broke The Bank At Monte Carlo. The main ingredients for Music Hall songs were humour and a catchy tune.

Things To Discuss & Do: -






Discuss with the class why you think the Music Hall was so popular? Why do you think that the upper classes tended to go to the Theatre and the lower classes to the Music Hall? Plan an evening’s entertainment at the Music Hall - what kind of music would you like to hear and what kind of acts would you like to see?

Music Hall Performer

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Victorian Music • Worksheet 2.2

The Victorian Music Hall



Using this poster template plan your evening’s entertainment at the Music Hall - what kind of music would you like to hear and what kind of acts would you like to see?



A Grand Evening’s Entertainment Featuring act 1 - the main event



act 2

act 3

act 4

at

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Victorian Music • Worksheet 2.3

The Victorian Music Hall

Here is the chorus from two popular Victorian Music Hall songs for the class to sing. Add percussion instruments to accompany the singing.

Daisy Bell

Sung by Katie Lawrence

`”4n5-v5-x5-;8-&*(`”6'6(-;-;8-c5-n5-v5-x8`”&*(-c_-c5-)8_-+_)`”6n_-)x-x)-v(-'(-&;-^8^-x_`”6)88-x_-)8FG-Q_(-c^-x834 .

Dai -

.

sy,

.

Dai -

All for the love of you! -----

styl - ish mar - riage, ---- I

on the seat

half

.

cra - zy,

.

Marie Lloyd was the Queen of the Music Hall and died in 1922 at the age of 52, worn out by her constant appearances.

sweet

I’m

Give me your

.

.

.

an - swer, do! -----

sy,

can’t af - ford a

of

a

It won’t be a

car - riage, ----

bi - cy - cle built for

But you’ll look

two!

Daddy Wouldn’t Buy Me A Bow-wow Sung by Vesta Victoria

`”6È4}{}A+FF-)&)&-}{}|*GF`”6È)&)|D-DA|}_FF-F6SA|+DD`”6ÈFHGF)W-n4724

bow-wow (bow-wow), Dad-dy would-n’t buy me a

bow-wow (bow-wow), I’ve got a lit - tle cat I

am ve - ry fond of that, But I’d

ra - ther have a bow-wow, wow.

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Dad - dy would-n’t buy me a






Victorian Music • Worksheet 3

Victorian Street Sellers



In Victorian times street sellers would walk through the streets advertising their goods and wares with songs. These street cries could be heard each day in the cities and towns. Here are some examples of popular street cries of the time. Ripe Strawberries Ripe Most fruit was sold by the pound, but strawberries were sold by the pottle which was a kind of cone shaped basket used to measure out the fruit. If you have seen the musical Oliver, you will have heard some of these Victorian street cries including Ripe Strawberries Ripe.

Milk Below Maids Fresh milk was sold by milkmaids from big churns carried on their shoulders. They would cry Milk Below Maids to the servants that were working below stairs in the large Victorian houses.

Knives Scissors And Razors To Grind The knife grinder was a familiar figure on the streets. He would sharpen the knives, scissors and cutlery that became blunt with regular use. His charges usually varied from a penny to three halfpennies depending on the size of the blade and the amount of polishing required.

Things To Do: Imagine you were a street seller today. What kind of things would you sell? Make up some “cries” and a tune to help you sell your wares or goods.




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Victorian Music • Worksheet 3 1 Victorian Music • Teacher’s Sheet

Composition Activities



Discuss with the class different types of people in the Victorian period. Look at differences between the lives of the rich and poor. What kind of things did people do? What jobs? What did they do for recreation? This will give some ideas that should lead into the composition. Divide the class into small groups and ask the children to pick a scenario relating to the Victorian period. Here are some suggestions: Passengers travelling on the first steam train journeys A child working in a mill or factory Life in a big city Victorian street sellers Life in a Victorian nursery Within the scenarios that the children have chosen ask them to plan out a framework for their composition. Explain the need for a well-planned piece that leads somewhere as opposed to noise! Give out sheets of paper for them to plan their composition. Once they have worked out some ideas and discussed the best instruments for the effects and themes they wish to incorporate, let them choose instruments. Once the composing projects are underway, it would be useful in another lesson to encourage the groups to present their working ideas to the rest of the class for discussion and to encourage the exchanging of ideas. When all the groups are finished record the different compositions and play them back to the class for a final critique.




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Victorian Music • Worksheet 4

Gilbert & Sullivan Introduction

Long before the musicals of Andrew Lloyd Webber audiences were being entertained with operettas or musicals by the English team of Gilbert and Sullivan. Sir William Gilbert and Sir Arthur Sullivan established a unique and characteristically English type of operetta during the Victorian period. Gilbert wrote the words and Sullivan wrote the music to these comic musical plays. What made their operettas so popular was the combination of humour and satire with tunes that audiences could remember and join in singing with. Their operettas were performed by the D’Oyly Carte Company, which was formed just to perform the hugely popular works of the duo. Richard D’Oyly Carte was an impresario who also built the Savoy Theatre in London. The actors and actresses who took the lead roles also became very famous. Sir Henry Alfred Lytton, a famous British comic actor of the period, was best known for his roles in their operettas and became so famous that the Prime Minister attended his stage jubilee celebration.



The operettas of Gilbert and Sullivan are still performed today and many societies and groups exist celebrating their unique style. If you search Gilbert and Sullivan on the Internet you will find in excess of 13,000 links to the famous musical partnership.

Use the wordsearch to help fill in the missing words in the paragraph below.

Sir Arthur _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ and Sir William Schwenck _ _ _ _ _ _ _ were two of the most famous _ _ _ _ _ _ _ partnerships of the _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ period. Their comic _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ produced by the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company starred the great performers of the day including Sir Henry _ _ _ _ _ _ . Their works include The Pirates of Penzance, _ _ _ _ _ _ _ and The _ _ _ _ _ _ , which is set in Japan.

G S M U S I C A L T V

M I D E A L Q J C E I

T V L S M I K A D O C

H A F B G P T I M X T

E X S D E H B Z O A O

S L C O Z R C F L E R

P O P E R E T T A S I

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I N L Y T T O N N O A

S P B S U L L I V A N




Things To Do: -






Victorian Music • Worksheet 5



Gilbert & Sullivan Biographies

Sir Arthur Sullivan Sullivan was born in 1842 and died in 1900. He was a chorister at the Chapel Royal and was later awarded the Mendelssohn scholarship, which enabled him to study at both the Royal Academy of Music and the Leipzig Conservatory. Sullivan first found fame with his music to accompany Shakespeare’s play The Tempest, which he wrote when he was twenty and was performed at The Crystal Palace in London. At the age of forty one Queen Victoria knighted him. In the period from 1871 to 1896 Sullivan collaborated with W.S. Gilbert on fourteen comic operas. Their first work was Thespis and their final operetta was titled The Grand Duke. Although best remembered for his partnership with Gilbert, he also wrote many serious pieces of music including the tune to the famous hymn Jerusalem. Sir William Gilbert Gilbert who was born in 1836 and died in 1911 was the son of a retired naval surgeon. He wrote the librettos (words) and plots to accompany the music of Sullivan. Incredibly Gilbert was kidnapped in Italy by brigands at the age of two and held to ransom. This was certainly a dramatic start to his life! Beginning in 1861 Gilbert contributed dramatic criticism and humorous verse to the popular British magazine FUN. Being fond of drawing cartoons Gilbert often accompanied some of his written work with drawings, which were signed Bab. Many of the characters in the Gilbert and Sullivan operas were modelled after some of Gilbert’s Bab characters. A collection of these Bab Ballads was later published in 1869. Gilbert was knighted by Edward VII in 1907 and died at the age of seventy-four, while attempting to save a drowning woman.

An example of Gilbert’s BAB drawings. This one illustrates a scene in H.M.S Pinafore.

Things To Do: What year was Sir Arthur Sullivan born? Where was Sullivan a chorister? Where did Sullivan study music? What famous hymn did Sullivan write the music to? What year did Sullivan die? When was Gilbert born? What happened to Gilbert when he was 2? What magazine did Gilbert write for? Which monarch knighted Gilbert in 1907? What year did Gilbert die and how?

______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________

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1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.






Victorian Music • Worksheet 6

The D’Oyly Carte Company



In 1871 the manager of the Gaiety Theatre in London asked the composer Arthur Sullivan to compose some music to a libretto by William Gilbert. The result was Thespis which was such a success that it ran for sixty three performances. Alas afterwards neither Gilbert nor Sullivan thought of collaborating on any further works and they went their separate ways. However, in 1875 Richard D’Oyly Carte who was the manager of the Royalty Theatre in London was looking for a work to use as a curtain raiser to Offenbach’s La Periochole. He contacted Gilbert and Sullivan and the result was the one act musical drama Trial by Jury. It was a great success and D’Oyly Carte quickly realised that this partnership could prove to be very profitable for all concerned and suggested that Gilbert and Sullivan continued writing together. D’Oyly Carte’s first commission was The Sorcerer produced in 1877. This was quickly followed a year later by H.M.S. Pinafore, The D’Oyly Carte Opera Company was formed to perform the works of Gilbert and Sullivan and it soon became the most popular type of musical theatre of the Victorian age. Over the next couple of decades Gilbert and Sullivan wrote a succession of hit operettas including The Pirates of Penzance, Patience, Iolanthe, Princess Ida, The Mikado, Ruddigore, The Yeoman of the Guard, The Gondoliers, Utopia Limited and The Grand Duke. D’Oyly Carte built the Savoy Theatre in 1881 and he was arguably the most successful Victorian impresario. An impresario is someone who organises public entertainment. He died in 1901 but his Opera Company has continued to flourish and still performs the works of Gilbert and Sullivan to this day.

Things To Discuss & Do: Think about the audience for Gilbert and Sullivan shows - discuss what you think would encourage them to come and see Gilbert and Sullivan’s Operetta The Pirates of Penzance? Design a poster for the Gilbert and Sullivan’s operetta The Pirates of Penzance by the D’Oyly Carte Company in 1884 at the Savoy Theatre in London.




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Victorian Music • Worksheet 7

The Pirates Of Penzance



The Pirates of Penzance or The Slave of Duty was one of Gilbert and Sullivans most famous comic operas. It tells the story of Frederic, a young man who has been apprenticed to a band of pirates due to a mistake made by his rather deaf nurse called Ruth. Frederic decides that he wants to leave the pirates and live an honourable and decent life; something that none of his pirate friends can understand. Matters are further complicated by Frederic meeting and falling in love with Mabel the daughter of the Major General. There are many comic twists as Frederic is torn between his love of Mabel and his rather over-developed sense of duty towards his former comrades, hence the subtitle Slave of Duty. The Pirates of Penzance was first performed in 1880 with the famous singer/actress Marion Hood playing the part of Mabel. She was to later take the lead in many Gilbert and Sullivan productions. The opera ran for over a year to a packed theatre. Many of the songs or arias have become very well known and loved by audiences throughout the generations since it was first performed.

A Policeman’s Lot Is Not A Happy One

The Pirates of Penzance has all the hallmarks of a Gilbert and Sullivan collaboration including lively, rousing choruses with memorable tunes and humour that also slyly comments on Victorian society and values. The comic misunderstandings and mishaps are resolved with a flourish in the end and everyone lives happily ever after.

Listen To: With Cat-like Tread sung by the Policemen A Policeman’s Lot Is Not A Happy One also sung by the Policemen I Am The Very Model Of A Modern Major General sung by Mabel’s Father Poor Wandering One sung by Mabel The Paradox Trio sung by Frederic, Mabel and the Major General

Things To Discuss & Do: -

The Major General

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Once you have listened to the songs listed above write down and discuss the features of the music. What effects do Gilbert and Sullivan use? What instruments can you hear? What kind of texture does the music have? Is it loud or soft? Fast or slow? Do you think you get a good idea of the characters from the kind of songs that they sing?






Victorian Music • Worksheet 8

H.M.S. Pinafore



H.M.S. Pinafore or The Lass that loved a Sailor is a comic opera in two acts. It was first produced in London in 1878 and proved to be an instant hit with audiences. H.M.S. Pinafore has a nautical theme and is set aboard her Majesty’s ship Pinafore. It is a tale of true love frustrated by class and circumstance. The handsome young sailor Ralph is in love with Josephine, the daughter of Captain Corcoran, and plans to elope with her. Josephine has been promised by her father to Sir Joseph, the Admiral of the fleet. Alas Ralph is overheard by the evil boatswain, Dick Deadeye, who reveals the plan to Josephine’s father. The Captain also has another problem, as Buttercup, a comic character who is certainly not as sweet sounding or looking as her name suggests, is madly in love with him but because of her class the Captain feels he cannot marry her. It is eventually revealed after many twists and turns that the Captain and Ralph had been accidentally switched at birth. Sir Joseph, the Admiral of the fleet, decides that because of this mix up Ralph should be Captain and Josephine’s father a mere Able Seaman. Thus all obstacles of class are removed and Ralph can marry Josephine with the now ex captain free to marry Buttercup. Sir Joseph marries his cousin Hebe. Now you may think this plot sounds very far fetched and indeed when you look at many of Gilbert and Sullivan’s stories logically they make very little practical sense! Their appeal lies in the comic twists and turns that eventually conclude in a happy ending and a cheerful finishing chorus with everyone onstage.

Listen To: We Sail the Ocean Blue sung by the crew I’m Called Little Buttercup sung by Buttercup When I was a Lad sung by Sir Joseph I am the Captain of the Pinafore sung by Captain Corcoran O Joy O Rapture Unforeseen sung by the whole cast

Things To Discuss & Do: Discuss the characters in H.M.S. Pinafore. Which characters do you most like and identify with? Buttercup and Sir Joseph Do you think that the music gives you any clues about the characters? How does Gilbert and Sullivan try to present the characters using the music and words?




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Victorian Music • Worksheet 9

Edward Elgar

The composer Edward Elgar was born in 1857 and died in 1934. He was one of the most famous composers of his period in Britain and is arguably one of the finest of all English composers. His father was a piano tuner and owned a music shop so Elgar grew up surrounded by music. As a child he learnt the violin, organ and several other instruments and by the age of sixteen he had become a freelance musician. Life was not easy for the young Elgar and he worked in various orchestras, as an assistant organist and then finally as organist at St. George’s Catholic Church. In the 1890’s he finally achieved fame and success with his Imperial March composed for Queen Victoria’s Jubilee. Edward Elgar

Elgar went on to write the famous Enigma Variations which is a kind of musical puzzle with a portrait of the composer’s friends in each variation. He also wrote the Pomp and Circumstance Marches which can be heard every year at the last night of the Proms and the oratorio called The Dream of Gerontius. An oratorio is a work that is usually based on a religious text and is set out in dramatic terms written for soloists, chorus and orchestra. Queen Victoria

Elgar is perhaps best remembered for his Cello Concerto, a highly romantic and intense piece that was made famous to audiences in the 20th century by the popular cellist Jacqueline Dupre. Elgar never really recovered from his wife’s death in 1920 and sadly he wrote very little after that date.

Listen To: Elgar’s Cello Concerto and Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 What do you think about the mood of the Cello Concerto? What kind of emotions do you think Elgar is trying to communicate? Think about the tempo, dynamics and rhythm - where do they change? In Pomp and Circumstance what effect is Elgar trying to create? Does the mood of each piece stay the same throughout or does it change? What musical effects does Elgar use?

Things To Do: What year was Edward Elgar born? ______________________ What was the profession of Elgar’s father? ______________________ What is the name of the piece he composed for Queen Victoria’s Jubilee? ________________ What was the name of Elgar’s famous oratorio? ______________________ What is an oratorio? ______________________ What year did Elgar die? ______________________

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1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.






Victorian Music • Worksheet 10



Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy

Felix Mendelssohn was born in 1809 in Germany. He was the grandson of the Jewish philosopher Moses Mendelssohn but was brought up as a Lutheran. Mendelssohn was a famous pianist, organist and conductor as well as composer. A frequent visitor to England Mendelssohn made many friends here. Mendelssohn’s music was very popular in England and Queen Victoria herself was a great admirer of his work. Mendelssohn gave many concerts in England and conducted the premiere of his oratorio Elijah in Birmingham in 1846. This work was very influential during the Victorian period as there was a great interest in these large-scale religious works. Choral societies sprang up all over the country and performed the great oratories by composers such as Mendelssohn, Bach and Handel. As well as being one of the most influential musical figures in England during the Victorian period Mendelssohn was also an important influence in the Bach revival of the 19th century. Mendelssohn gave the first performance of Bach’s great work the St. Matthew Passion since the composer’s death in 1750. Berlioz said of Mendelssohn “There is one God - Bach - and Mendelssohn is his prophet”. The Hebrides or Fingals Cave Overture During a stay in Scotland with his friend Klingermann in 1829 Mendelssohn visited the isolated Felix Mendelssohn Fingals Cave; it could only be approached by boat and it was a very rough journey although the scenery was breathtaking. Mendelssohn was inspired by the raw power of the sea and began the composition that is now known as the Hebrides Overture, a fragment of which he sent home to his family in a letter telling them of his journey. Mendelssohn also wrote a Scotch Symphony after this visit to Scotland.

Rugged Scottish Coastline

Things To Discuss & Do: Listen to a recording of the Hebrides Overture and see if you can identify the different instruments as they take up the main tune. Do you think it sounds like the sea? How does Mendelssohn try to get across the idea of the waves and the sea? Does the music have the same mood the whole way through or does it change?




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Victorian Music • Worksheet 11

The 19th Century Orchestra



Orchestras in the 19th century rapidly increased in size and many new instruments were introduced. The brass section now included the tuba and a new valve system meant that there was a much greater flexibility in the range of brass instruments generally. Valves meant that composers could write music with a much wider choice of keys and it was easier for performers to play accurately. The woodwind section also increased in size with the piccolo, cor anglais, bass clarinet and bassoon becoming regular features in new written work. Percussion became more varied and this offered composers the opportunity to explore new effects. This added to the overall dramatic performance of music and new music was much more personal in style and less bound to tradition. As a result of these additions the string section had to increase in size too. The violins were now usually divided up into two sections - violin 1 and violin 2 in addition to the violas, cellos and double bass. The harp was used more regularly and again offered composers a new effect with its shimmering sound. Music in the 19th century explored these new instruments and effects to the full. Composers were less bound to follow the traditional rules when writing and the increasing experimentation led to a wide variety of new directions in music. Many composers explored nationalist themes, looking to the folk tunes and rhythms of their homelands for inspiration. Music became much more about emotion and effect rather than writing music to satisfy the Royal Courts or the Church. For the first time musicians were able to earn a living as freelance composers, performers and teachers which gave them a greater freedom to explore new career avenues.

Things To Do: List the four main sections found in an orchestra and the instruments which belong to them.




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Victorian Music • Worksheet 12

The Piano

The piano, or fortepiano as it was known then, was first invented during the 18th century around 1709 by an Italian called Cristofori. The piano had strings that were hit with a hammer rather than plucked and it had a much wider range of dynamics than other keyboard instruments at the time.

Victorian Upright Piano

The piano became very popular with Romantic composers such as Chopin, Liszt and Brahms because it allowed for a much greater range of expression. Forte means loud and Piano means soft so hence the piano was literally called Loud Soft, although this has been shortened over the years to just the piano.

The piano has 88 keys and an iron or wooden frame across which the strings are stretched tightly and tuned to differing pitches. Pianos can be upright (the strings are vertical) or grand (where the strings are stretched horizontally). Each note on the piano has three strings. The piano usually has two or three pedals. The sustaining pedal is operated by the right foot and holds or sustains the notes by preventing the dampers on the hammers connecting with the strings and stopping the sound. The soft pedal is operated by the left foot and lessens the volume by causing the hammer to hit fewer strings. Some pianos also have a middle sostenuto pedal, this allows only selected notes to be sustained. Famous composers for the piano in the 19th century include: Frederic Chopin Polish 1810 - 1849 Franz Liszt Hungarian 1811 - 1886 Johannes Brahms German 1833 - 1897 Robert Schumann German 1810 - 1856 Franz Schubert Austrian 1797 - 1828

Things To Discuss & Do: Try to listen to at least one work for piano by each of the composers above. What differences do you notice in their styles? Which piece do you like the best and why?

Victorian Grand Piano

Here is a diagram of part of a piano keyboard, name the notes for the white keys and black keys if you are able. (Remember in music the notes use the first seven letters of the alphabet).




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Victorian Music • Worksheet 13

The Proms



The very first Proms were the idea of Robert Newman who was the manager of the New Queens Theatre in London and the first concerts were billed as Mr Robert Newman’s Promenade Concerts. Newman wanted to bring classical music to a wider audience, so with the help of the conductor Henry Wood the first Proms concert series made its debut on 10th August 1895. The concerts were very informal and also very long, often around three hours. Tickets were cheap, only one shilling for one concert or a guinea for a season ticket. The audience could eat, drink or smoke during the concerts. The more serious parts of the concerts were in the first half with the lighter music in the generally shorter second half, which often included music from popular operas of the period. The conductor Henry Wood who was born in 1869 was always interested in music and even in his teens found fame as an organist, conductor and accompanist. However, it was with the Proms that Wood found international acclaim. From the start of the Proms series he proved a great hit with audiences by playing the great classics and introducing many new composers to them. The 50th anniversary of the Proms in 1944 saw Henry Wood conduct for the last time at the age of 75, he later died on the 26th July 1944 in the same year.

 Things To Do: -

Create a concert programme for the Proms. What music would you choose and why? Think about who you would like to come to your concert such as children or adults. Choose music to appeal to the different age groups. Design a poster advertising your Proms concert which will be held in the Albert Hall. Finally write the programme for the audience which should contain information about the pieces you have chosen to be included in the concert.



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The Albert Hall Home of The Modern Day Proms Every Year.






Victorian Music • Worksheet 14



Choral Music In The 19th Century

Romantic composers were not so influenced by the Church as composers of previous periods but there were some great settings of the Requiem or Mass for the Dead written during the 19th century. Verdi wrote a famous requiem in 1874 in memory of the writer Alessandro Manzoni. It is scored for a huge orchestra and includes the Verdi drum which ia a huge drum that is used to great effect in the Dies Irae (Day of Judgement). Berlioz also wrote a concert requiem employing huge orchestral forces in 1837. This setting requires eight pairs of kettle drums (timpani) and four extra brass groups, which Victorian Choral Singer are positioned at the corners of the chorus and orchestra. A contrast to these large scale dramatic works is the requiem composed by the French composer Fauré that contains the hauntingly beautiful setting of the Pie Jesu. Often settings of the requiem use a Latin text as they are taken from the Roman Catholic Mass for the Dead, however Brahms wrote a requiem which used biblical texts and was written using the German language instead. Just like the requiem the oratorio saw a revival in interest during the 19th century. Oratorios written during the Victorian period include, Elijah written by Mendelssohn, Dream of Gerontius by Elgar and Berlioz’s Childhood of Christ. These works were very dramatic in style and had a much richer orchestration than was found in earlier oratorios and religious works.

Things To Discuss & Do: Listen to similar extracts from two requiems which were written in different periods. For example the Dies Irae from Verdi’s Requiem and Mozart’s Requiem. Write down and discuss with the class what you notice about the style of each piece? How do the composers use the orchestra? What differences do you notice in the movements? What similarities do you notice in the movements? The Dies Irae is about the Day of Judgement. How do the composers try to portray this?

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Victorian Music • Worksheet 15

Popular Victorian Instruments

The Player Piano, Autopiano or Pianola Today technology allows digital pianos and keyboards to play themselves, but during the Victorian period the player piano was a novelty that was very popular. They were invented in 1842 by a Frenchman called Claude Felix Seytre and had a stiff sheet of card with pierced holes that represented the different notes. When operated using a handle or pedals the mechanism made the piano play the notes. These devices were not an internal part of the piano but a separate cabinet that pushed the keys down when attached to the keyboard. This was rather heavy and bulky and in 1848 an Englishman called Bain patented a roll-operated piano which took normal thickness paper and used an internal mechanism to make the instrument play. The player piano could also be played like a regular piano.

Victorian Player Piano

The Harmonium, Reed Organ or American Organ The harmonium dates from the beginning of the 19th century. The most important maker of the harmonium was a Frenchman named Debain. A harmonium is a keyboard instrument which has air pumped by footpedals into free beating metal reeds, usually one for each note, which vibrate to make the sound. Harmoniums were very popular in the home during the Victorian period and also in smaller chapels. Victorian Harmonium

The Pipe Organ The organ flourished in the Victorian period and began to move out of the Church and into the concert hall. The grand new town halls that sprang up around the country competed to have the biggest and best instrument. Organists gave regular concerts, often-performing popular classics of the day. Like the orchestras of the period the organ grew in size and became much more versatile. Huddersfield town hall has a fine example of a Victorian Willis organ with a highly decorated case and characteristic sound. In Manchester the town hall organ was built by Cavaille Coll, the greatest French organ builder of the period.

Organ Pipes

Things To Do: Cavaille Coll Debain Willis Bain Claude Felix Seytre

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What instrument did the following makers produce?






Victorian Music • Worksheet 16.1

A Victorian Christmas



Christmas was an important part of Victorian family life. The tradition of sending Christmas cards began in Britain around 1840 when the first Penny Post public postal delivery service began. The efficiency of the postal service was greatly increased by the new railways that were being built all over the country. A card in an unsealed envelope could be posted for one half penny, half the price of an ordinary letter. Christmas cards traditionally showed religious scenes of Mary, Joseph and Jesus or winter scenes. Many of the Christmas carols that are a familiar part of Christmas today were written during the Victorian times, including Once in Royal David’s City, O Come All Ye Faithful and We Three Kings. Carol singers would go wassailing and would hopefully be rewarded with mulled wine or figgy pudding. The Christmas song We wish you a Merry Christmas is about this practice. In Victorian times Christmas was an important part of the year and everyone from servants to nobility was expected to attend church. The increasing popularity of the piano and harmonium meant that many people could sing Christmas carols at home together. Educated people were expected to be able to play an instrument so there was no shortage of performers. Impromptu concerts were often given when families got together for the holidays.

Victorian Carol Singers “Wassailing”

The Christmas tree was introduced into England during the Victorian period by Prince Albert in 1841. Traditionally it would be decorated with candles, ribbons and candy canes. The Christmas song O Tannenbaum which celebrates the Christmas tree was written during the 19th century.

Things To Do: Try to compose a Christmas carol of your own. Think carefully about the words first and then the tune. Try to have a chorus that is easy to remember with a catchy tune and a strong rhythm. Once your words and tune are written choose the instruments you wish to play the music. Think about what instruments and sounds remind you of Christmas. Or Design a Christmas card that illustrates a popular Victorian Christmas carol. On the inside of the card try to write the words for a new verse to the carol you have chosen.




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Victorian Music • Worksheet 16.2

A Victorian Christmas



Try to match the tunes below with the correct carol title from the bottom of the page.

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The Holly and The Ivy O Come All Ye Faithful Silent Night God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen Good King Wenceslas Away in a Manger

© 2000 Keynotes Education Crossgate Cornwall PL15 9SX This sheet may be printed from a personal computer and/or photocopied for educational use within the purchasing establisment

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