MUSIC

Do I have the necessary skills?

If you play an instrument or sing and have reached Grade 5 standard or above, then you should consider AS/A level Music as you are already part of the way there! Whilst it is not essential to have taken GCSE Music, a good grade at GCSE helps to assess your suitability for more advanced study.

Who is the course suitable for?

The full GCE course (AS plus A2) is excellent preparation for higher education courses in music, but is equally valuable for non-specialists as a second or third area of study. The AS units alone can offer a broad and satisfying experience for those who want to conclude their musical studies at this point.

What will I learn?

You will develop performance skills (solo and/or ensemble), compose music and learn about harmony (the basics at AS and stylistic studies at A2). You will build up your aural and analytical skills by studying proscribed pieces of music covering a wide range of styles.

How is it examined?

Three AS units are taken at the end of the first year sixth form for an AS qualification, and a further three A2 units taken at the end of the second year lead to a full A-level.

AS

Unit 1: Performing              15% A2 (30% AS)

This unit gives you the opportunity to perform as a soloist and/or as part of an ensemble. You can choose music in any style. Any instrument(s) and/or voice(s) are acceptable as part of a five-six minute assessed performance.

Unit 2: Composing              15% A2 (30% AS)

This unit encourages you to develop your composition skills leading to the creation of a three-minute piece in response to a chosen brief. You also write a CD sleeve note to describe aspects of your final composition and explain how other pieces of music have influenced it.

Specification at a glance A

Unit 3: Developing Musical Understanding                  20% A2 (40% AS)

This unit focuses on listening to familiar music and understanding how it works through listening and studying scores. You will learn how to identify important musical features and place them in their social and historical context, as well as learning to identify harmonic and tonal features. You will then apply this knowledge in the completion of a short and simple passage for SATB.

A2

Unit 4: Extended Performance            15% A2

This unit gives you the opportunity to extend your performance skills as a soloist and/or as part of an ensemble. You can choose music in any style. Any instrument(s) and/or voice(s) are acceptable as part of a 12-15 minute assessed performance of a balanced programme of music. Notated and/or improvised performances may be submitted.

Unit 5: Composition and Technical Study           15% A2

This unit has two sections: composition and technical study. The composition section further develops your composition skills, leading to the creation of a final three-minute piece in response to a chosen brief. The technical study section builds on the knowledge and awareness of harmony gained in Unit 3 section C through the medium of pastiche studies. You must complete two tasks in this unit choosing from either one composition and one technical study or two compositions or two technical studies.

Unit 6: Further Musical Understanding      20% A2

This unit focuses on listening to music, familiar and unfamiliar, and understanding how it works. Set works from an anthology provide the focus for much of the unit. You will learn how to compare and contrast pairs of excerpts, contextualise music and identify harmonic and tonal features.

What else does the Music department offer?

• Individual instrumental/singing lessons taught by specialist teachers are available.
• ABRSM practical examinations can be taken in College and tuition is given for Theory exams.
• The Music Department is very well equipped. It has a computer suite furnished with up-to-date music software (Sibelius and Cubase), a large music room with a grand piano for practise and rehearsal purposes and a concert hall with a grand piano. The chapel has a two-manual pipe organ and there are rooms available for practice.
• There are many opportunities for performing with several concerts every year.
• There is a competitive Music Festival each year.
• A Musical is staged every two years in collaboration with the Drama department.
• Ensembles include choir, orchestra, windband, brass group and string orchestra.
• Visits are arranged to concerts at the Bridgewater Hall and the RNCM

For further details contact Mrs Rosamund Meehan, Head of Music or
Miss Rosemarie Darby, Head of Music Administration.