Spring Term 2025

Year 3 are learning about famous film composer Hans Zimmer. We are then going to compose our own pieces based on a new piece that Zimmer has written for BBC Ten Pieces. We are thinking about Earth and how we can use imagery and sounds around us to build up a piece of music. The children will use different percussion instruments and their recorders to build a dramatic new piece together using different dynamics and thinking about different sections of the music. At the end of half-term children will perform their pieces for each other. For the second half of the term, we then will move to look at more local music, composers and bands.

Year 4 will be learning their string instruments in class for the final term. They have been looking at pieces using their left hands on the strings now, which means we can play more notes. We are preparing for our final string concert on the 27th February. After this, children will have an opportunity to have further lessons on their instruments and join our orchestra. So that children can think about whether they want to continue with their instrument in year 5 and 6, we also take them to a lunchtime concert this term to see some secondary school children play so they can have something to aspire to for the future. In the 2nd half of term, we also compose film music scores. 

Year 5 are starting to look at an Anglo-Saxon topic in music. We will learn songs and play instruments such as keyboards around this subject. It also allows us to look at some more technical ideas in music, such as major and minor keys and crescendo and diminuendo dynamics. 

Year 6 are looking at WWII music and 12 bar blues. We will start off the term by looking at pieces which convey a message. Then we move on to look at some Glen Miller and from there the structure of 12 bar blues. The children will use keyboards to learn the different parts of 'In the mood' by Glen Miller. In the 2nd half of the term they will then be using this structure to create their own 12 bar blues. 

Autumn Term 2025

Year 3 have been learning recorder and learning about famous composers and piece. Towards the beginning of the term we started listening to Hall of the Mountain King, now we are learning to play some of it on recorder.  Exploring lots of different rhythms and working on composing their own piece of music.  We have used different dynamics and started learning the Italian words that we use in music to show this written down. We are now moving on to learn new notes. We are going to use these and some percussion instruments to compose our own graphic scores.

Year 4 have continued to have their weekly string lessons with Miss Hayden.  They were able to perform to the Year 3’s and a hall full of parents to show how much they have already learnt with their open strings and even their bow holds! Next, we will be practising using the bow more frequently and beginning to introduce fingers on strings.

Year 5 have begun to learn the ukulele.  First they learnt how to hold the ukulele, learning the open string names by plucking and how to read the tabs on which the ukulele chords are written.  We have begun to play some simple strum patterns and learnt the chords or A minor, F and C.  This has meant we have already been able to play some different songs. We are at the moment also busy preparing for our 2 concerts. Half of the year is going to sing at the Cathedral for a Christmas service and half is going to perform at St Peter's church with choir and/or orchestra.

Year 6 have been studying the evolution of music. We found out about the earliest tuned instrument which was a bone flute which is believed to be approximately 42,000 years old.  We had fun creating prehistoric music using the ocarinas which create a similar sound to the bone flute.  Now we are moving on to compose our own ground bass lines and then on to more modern music preparing us for looking at some Glenn Miller songs and World War II music next term.