Showcase: Art • Drama • Music
Music 22
by Mark Bradshaw, Assistant Director of Music (Senior) and Fiona Knight-Lucas, Assistant Director of Music (Junior) Senior Music - A Midsummer Night’s Dream
If you were fortunate enough to get a ticket for last term’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, you will have noticed the fabulous music that ran through the show. This music was all composed by the four Y12 IB Music students (Haymisha Francis, Kristina Jack, Jade Cottan and Jasmine Cottan) who made up 4/5 of the performers. The process was long and involved many stages. We began by setting the target – to produce appropriate atmospheric music for an Arabic flavoured production of Shakespeare’s comedy. Research was fascinating and included a visit by a professor of Ethnomusicology who lead a lecture and discussion on Arab identity and music and a visit to the National Library’s ‘Arabs in Singapore’ exhibition. We also explored maqam (Arabic scales) and the rhythmic modes that supply beat and groove to traditional and contemporary Arabic music. As research developed our awareness, we began to create our pieces. Our intention was to use our new knowledge alongside what we already knew to create something fresh and original. As the pieces came close to completion, we liaised with the production’s director and the dance co-ordinator to better fit our work to their ideas of what would be happening on stage. At this point we recruited Cassia Francis to add violin and extra percussion to the band. We also had to create different versions of pieces that could be changed subtly so as to be usable at different times in the show. Most pieces were used to foreshadow events or to create atmosphere for certain characters. The work is a great example of how coursework and extra curricular work can dovetail well in IB Music. We used curriculum time to research, compose, rehearse and perform for a real, exciting event outside of class; and then will be able to use the compositions to create suites of music for the students’ assessed composition coursework folio.
Junior Music
This has been another busy term for Junior Music. The lunchtime recitals enjoyed record audiences! These relaxed concerts (one for Y3/4 and one for Y5/6) are performed by Junior musicians over the lunchtime break for friends and peer groups. The Junior CCA ensembles have been flourishing with the addition of two new groups – the Beginner Violins and the Junior Guitar Ensemble. The ensembles have enjoyed a variety of performances throughout the term. The Junior Chamber Choir performed beautifully at the Remembrance Day service at Kranji War Memorial in November. All ten of the ensembles enjoyed performing at the Book and Gift Fair at the beginning of December and the Chamber Choir, together with the seventy-strong Junior Choir and the Junior Rock Band, made a wonderful contribution to Tanglin’s annual Christmas Festival of Music at St George’s Church. Finally, the end of Term 1 saw all the students in Y3 dazzling mums and dads in their year group concert entitled ‘Home for the Holidays’. This featured a variety of Christmas and holiday songs along with the children’s own poetry describing their favourite holiday experiences.