Music
Examples of work
There are lots of opportunities to take part in clubs such as choir, jazz group or recorder group and to experience live professional concerts. We are often involved with community projects such as performing at the Storyhouse with AmaSing, leading the Christmas light switch on in Garden Lane, or recording a special film and recording for the refugee project. Here is an example of some class work: We Wish You a Merry Christmas like you’ve never heard before on Boomwhackers and handbells! Year 5 practised reading scores, keeping in time with an awareness of other parts, techniques of letting instruments vibrate to create a clear sound, how changes in pitch are created, to recognise different note values and note names for the whole octave from C to C. Can you see the concentration on their faces?
Here's a singalong version of our school prayer song. Words by the children of Chester Blue Coat CE Primary School
Year 6 composition work
At the bottom of the page, you will find 2 videos: these are recordings of the Year 6 compositions we did whilst working on an English National Opera project. We listened to a piece of music called Blue, Red, Yellow and were invited to compose the last movement of the piece ourselves. We chose our own colours, wrote a list of words we associate with the colours to create a libretto and then created sounds to represent these words.
6LER chose purple and 6HER chose green.
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After that, we made symbols for each sound and arranged them into a graphic score using dynamics for interest.
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We rehearsed, performed and recorded our pieces and sent them to the English National Opera. This is what they said about our compositions:
Our team were really impressed with your submissions. Hattie Jones, our HR People Assistant at ENO listened to Green by 6HR Class and wanted to share the following feedback: I loved how the volume faded in quickly at the beginning. I felt like I was in the jungle with all the different noises. The instruments sounded like frogs or bugs that you would find there which was so cool, but then by the end you are transported to Christmas! Like being woken up from a dream to find that Father Christmas had been!
Hattie also listened to Purple by 6LER Class and wanted to share the following feedback: Purple is my favourite colour and this piece was amazing! The brrrr at beginning made me feel like I was in a purple car going down the road, but then stuck in a storm by the middle with the drums and the symbols crashing! The vocals towards the end were amazing and 'purple' sigh at the end made me feel like I had reached my destination safe and sound.
Trip to a music and science workshop
Year 6 were invited to a science and music workshop at Chester Cathedral where they learn about the movement of air and how it can be used to make music, changing the length of tubes to change the pitch. They played a giant version of an organ using pipes and tubes and then listened to a real organ playing.
Visit from the Northern Chamber Orchestra
Two members from the NCO (Northern Chamber Orchestra) visited our school to perform for children on the theme of 'Around the World' and led a workshop composing our own song.
Pupils said:
It was really engaging all the way through
I learnt about different types of musical families and the names for different instruments.
I learnt how the sound is made on a French horn and that brass is a type of metal used for instruments.
I learnt that the double bass can play different notes and can be played with fingers or a bow made from horse’s hair.
I really liked when they played the instruments to us and the warm ups we did in the workshop.
We heard music from different places around the world.
I liked being part of composing a song together.
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Music Award
Every year, we give an award to a child who has shown outstanding passion for music.
2023 - Itziar Alonso - for her passion for singing and piano.
2024 -
Please find below links to our policy, progression document and key vocabulary for each year group.