Music on Monday
Spring 2025 - caring for others
Spring 2025
This term our focus turns to 'Caring for Others' and we are going to be finding out about the work that many charities do across the world to support people in need.
17th March
Gustav Holst
Gustav Holst (1874-1934) was a British composer, born in Cheltenham and later lived in London. He was best known for his orchestral suite ‘The Planets’. A suite is a group of individual pieces on the same theme. The Planets suite is a collection of pieces for orchestra which describe the character of each planet. There are seven pieces in 'The Planets' and 'Mars, the Bringer of War' is the first one. He didn’t write a piece for planet Earth as he wanted the Planets suite to have an “outer space” theme.
In ancient Roman religion, Mars was the god of war. Holst composed this piece in anticipation of the outbreak of World War One. It’s a march but an unusual one. Normally a march has 4 beats in a bar so you can say "left, right, left, right" but Mars has 5 beats in a bar- tricky to march to!
Listen out for : The opening two harps, strings playing with the wood of the bow, timpani using very hard-headed sticks and the gong. There’s also a solo from the euphonium.
Also listen out for the rhythmic ostinato at the beginning (key stage 1 are learning all about ostinatos at the moment!) Explore the 5/4 metre – try counting 1,2,3,4,5. You could add words to help identify the ostinato “spin-ning in deep, dark out-er space”. Can you hear this ostinato recur at 1’19” and again at 3’41” where the same rhythm is broken up into sections?
Since this week is science week, here’s another video that you might find interesting (particularly if you play recorder or a wind instrument!) The science behind making music can be extremely fascinating! https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/class-clips-video/articles/zk3py9q
10th March
High School Musical by Matthew Gerrard and Robbie Neville
“We’re all in This Together” is one of the hit singles from the 2006 film High School Musical. It is the finale to the film and is sung by the whole cast as a celebration after the school’s basketball team, the Wildcats, win a game against their rivals.
There is of course a deeper meaning to the song and doesn’t necessarily just refer to the basketball game. It is about how, despite being different to one another, if we all work together and help each other then we can achieve great things.
“Everyone is special in their own way
We make each other strong
We’re not the same
Were different in a good way
Together’s where we belong.
We’re all in this together
Once we know
That we are
We’re all stars
And we see that
We’re all in this together
And it shows
When we stand
Hand in hand
Make our dreams come true”
3rd March
Antonio Vivaldi
This week, we will be celebrating World Book Day- a chance to share some of our favourite stories with one another. Well, did you know that there’s a type of music that tells a story? This is called “Program Music”. During your time at Kingsmead Primary school, you will study several pieces of program music- such as “The Little Train of the Caipira” by Villa Lobos, Holst’s Planets Suite, Stravinsky’s Firebird, Carnival of the Animals by Saint-Saens, Hebrides Overture by Mendelssohn….do you remember learning about some of these pieces of music and the pictures they painted in your mind, just like a story?
The beginning of March brings with it a feeling that spring is just around the corner- lambs appear in the fields, the nights are lighter, colourful flowers begin to bloom and the weather gets just a little bit warmer (we hope!). So what better piece of program music to look at this week than Italian composer Antonio Vivaldi’s “Spring” from his “Four Seasons” suite? In fact, this is one of the most famous pieces of program music ever written.
The Four Seasons suite (written way back in 1720!) has four movements- each one represents one of our four seasons- Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. The music of each movement is supposed to paint a picture in our minds of that particular season. It is written as a violin concerto- meaning there is a solo line for the violin, accompanied by a string orchestra and harpsichord (an early version of a piano, with a very distinct sound…..think about the Addams Family theme music- this uses a harpsichord!)
The first movement, Spring is split up into three sections- a fast section (Allegro), slow section (Largo) and then another fast section (Allegro). This week, we’ll look at the first section. It has a corresponding sonnet (poem) that Vivaldi wrote himself:
“Springtime is upon us
The birds Celebrate her return with
festive song,
and murmuring streams are softly
caressed by the breezes.
Thunderstorms, those heralds of
Spring, roar, casting their dark
mantle over heaven,
Then they die away to silence,
and the birds take up their charming
songs once more.”
As the piece plays, listen out for the happy springtime dance, the songs of the birds, the blowing breeze and flowing stream as well as the thunderstorm a little further into the piece. Does the music help to bring this all to life in your imagination?
10th February
Josh Groban
You’ll Never Walk Alone” is a classic ballad originally from the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical “Carousel.” The song has since become an anthem for various sports teams, particularly in Europe, where it is often sung by soccer fans. This version by American singer Josh Groban features a sweeping orchestral arrangement with lush strings, brass, and percussion, providing a grandiose backdrop for Groban’s soaring vocals. The lyrics offer words of encouragement and support to those going through difficult times, with the memorable chorus proclaiming, “Walk on, walk on with hope in your heart, and you’ll never walk alone.” Groban’s powerful performance and the song’s uplifting message make it a timeless classic and an inspiration to many.
3rd February
The Beatles
"Help!" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles that served as the title song for the 1965 film and the band's accompanying soundtrack album. It was released as a single in July 1965, and was number one for three weeks in the United States and the United Kingdom. Credited to Lennon–McCartney, "Help!" was written by John Lennon with some assistance from Paul McCartney. It is said that John Lennon had feelings of anxiety and depression around the time he wrote “Help!” because he struggled to come to terms with how the Beatles’ success changed his life enormously.
In 2022, the NHS launched a mental health campaign video using the lyrics from “Help!”. The video spoke of how it’s so important to seek help and talk to someone if you’re feeling down. It’s easy to understand why the NHS chose this song to aid their campaign…the lyrics speak for themselves and perfectly capture how it must feel to suffer from a mental health condition. The chorus reflects someone who is suffering with a mental health condition and is doing the right thing by asking for help: “Help me if you can I’m feeling down, and I do appreciate you being ‘round. Help me get my feet back on the ground, Won’t you please help me?”. I wonder how you could help your friends if they're having a tricky day or struggling with some big emotions?
27th January
Ludwig Van Beethoven
There have been numerous charity concerts over the years, such as “Live aid” which raised funds for famine in Ethiopia back in 1985, or Arianna Grande’s “One Love Manchester” concert which raised funds to help the families of the Manchester arena bombings in 2017.
These types of concerts are a great example of how we can use our talents to give back to others. However, charity concerts date back further than you might imagine- evidence of how people have wanted to use their strengths to help the less fortunate for many centuries.
Famous German composer Ludwig Van Beethoven, composed one of his most famous symphonies (a piece of music written for orchestra) for the purpose of raising money for those less fortunate than him. The premier (first ever performance) of his Symphony Number 7 raised money for wounded soldiers. It was also performed in a concert to raise money for a German town called Baden, which was destroyed in a fire. Follow the above link to hear the most exciting part of Beethoven’s charitable 7th Symphony….the 4th movement, which is the finale. The dance like rhythms, high energy and upbeat feeling throughout were thought to be Beethoven’s way of declaring positivity in times of hardship.
Charity concerts are a great way for musicians to give back to the community, but you don’t necessarily need to be a musician to use your skills and talents to help charity……what about a sponsored walk, bike ride, swim or bake sale? The idea is the same…..to do something you’re good at or enjoy, in a way that will help others.
20th January
Paul Harvey
Paul Harvey OBE is a British composer and former concert pianist. Born in 1940 in Stoke on Trent, he studied music form an early age and wrote many prominent pieces of music for piano. He was (and still is!) an exceptionally gifted musician and pianist as well as a brilliant music teacher back in his day.
Sadly, in 2019, Paul was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. To help fight the onset of the disease he plays the piano, sometimes through the persuasion of his son Nick. One such occasion was on 17 September 2020, when Nick asked his father to improvise a song using only four notes: F, A, D and B. The two-minute long performance was recorded and uploaded to Nick's Twitter account. The clip went viral and gained over 2 million views. It was aired on BBC Radio 4 on 21 September 2020 for World Alzheimer's Day.
Paul Harvey was invited onto ITV’s Good Morning Britain as a guest following the viral video. On the program, he was requested by presenter Susanna Reid to create another four-note improvisation using the notes C, D, G and B.
After radio listeners requested an orchestral version of the piece, arrangements were made for Harvey to record the piece as a charity single with the BBC Philharmonic. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this took place remotely, with all orchestra members recording and submitting their parts from home. The finished version was entitled "Four Notes- Paul’s Tune”. It was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on 3 October. The single was released to purchase as a digital download on 22 October and all proceeds went to charity- split between The Alzheimer’s Society and Music for Dementia.
13th January
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin (born 25th March 1942, died August 16th 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Honoured as the “Queen of Soul”, she was twice named by Rolling Stone magazine as the greatest singer of all time.
As well as being a famous musician, Aretha Franklin remained a prominent face and voice for African American civil rights throughout her life. Martin Luther King Jr was a close friend of her father’s and an important figure in Aretha’s life. At the age of 16, she went on tour with him in a bid to support the civil rights movement.
Martin Luther King’s daughter, Dr Bernice King called Aretha Franklin a “shining example” of how to use the arts to support social change. “As a daughter of the movement, she not only used her voice to entertain but to uplift and inspire generations through songs that have become anthems.” She held free concerts, housed activists and helped them to fundraise.
The song “Think” was released on May 2, 1968, less than a month after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. on April 4. Being a close friend of the family, Aretha attended and sang at his funeral. The powerful, repeated lyrics of "freedom" was inspired by one of King's famous quotes: "Free at last, free at last, thank God almighty we are free at last."
6th January
Girl's Aloud
In 2004, Girls Aloud released ‘I’ll Stand By You’ as the official BBC Children in Need single, reaching No.1 in the UK Singles Chart for two weeks. 20 years later, the band released a brand-new version of ‘I’ll Stand By You’ with their beloved Sarah Harding (who sadly passed away) featuring exclusively on lead vocals throughout. The vocals were discovered in the Girls Aloud vault while the band were pulling together archive material for their sell-out The Girls Aloud Show arena tour earlier last year. A version of the track featuring Sarah’s vocal was a highlight of the recent tour and an emotional moment for both the band and their fans. A freshly produced studio version was then released on November 15th 2024 as a special charity single to support BBC Children in Need. Proceeds from the single will benefit BBC Children in Need projects working with children in communities across the UK facing a variety of challenges, including those supporting children with cancer.
BBC Children in Need believes that every child should have the chance to thrive and be the best they can be. For this to happen, they want every child to have someone they can turn to for help or support to overcome challenges they face.
They make sure there’s someone able to give food, clothes and beds to a child living without; someone qualified to talk a child who is anxious, isolated or grieving; someone trained to mentor teenagers in communities facing inequality, violence or lack of opportunity; someone to be there for children living with serious illness, disability or carrying a load that’s just too heavy to manage alone.
BBC Children in Need supports children in the communities where you live. They fund amazing people in family centres, community spaces, youth clubs and refuges; homeless shelters, hospices and helplines. Thanks to proceeds from this single, in addition to money raised by communities across the country last November (Kingsmead Primary school included!) Children in Need can continue to be there for hundreds of thousands of children when they need them most. Last year, the charity raised over £39 million- what an achievement!