Musical Creativity at Heworth CE Primary School

Pupils at Heworth CE Primary created their own compositions for a section of Ode to Joy.

Earlier this month our CEO, Cathy Grant, was privileged to take one of our volunteers into Heworth CE Primary School in York to see the music lessons, and discuss the impact the charity is having. She shares some of the highlights here:

“The Year 5 and 6 lesson was first. Richard Shephard would have been thrilled to see that the lesson revolved around composition!  After comparing Beethoven’s Ode to Joy with his Moonlight Sonata, pupils created their own compositions for a section of Ode to Joy. They first created rhythms in pairs, then were assigned a pitch to create a 4-beat melody. After practising and performing to the class, the most popular composition was chosen to be put into music notation. A well-planned, fun, but also challenging lesson. 

“Second was a Year 4/5 class, who started by listening to John Rutter’s Magnificat Anima Mea, composed in 1990. Comments from the children included: “An exciting piece of music,” “it’s uplifting,” “It sounds like something from a Christmas Movie.

“After that they explored both legato (smooth) and staccato (detached) sections in the Radetzky March, playing along to the very fast introduction, then splitting into parts to play the first part of the music as an ensemble.“

 Our supporter and volunteer, Pauline, said: 

“It is always wonderful to witness the magic of a first-class music lesson where the children’s learning and progress is tangible.  Their musical vocabulary was particularly impressive, and their collaborative ensemble performance showed not only great musicality but also social skills and confidence. The impact of regular music education is powerful.”

Would you like to learn more about the programme?

Schools can book a free demo lesson (for a class of your choice) or have a chat to learn more about the programme. We'd love to hear from you. Please get in touch via: info@rsmf.org.uk or 07845 878642.