Port Regis - Tomorrow's School for Today's Child

Port Regis
Motcombe Park,
Shaftesbury, Dorset
SP7 9QA. United Kingdom.
Registered No: 440436
Charity No: 306218

Tel: (+44) 01747 857800
Fax: (+44) 01747 857810
Email: office@portregis.com

Outline of the Class Music syllabus

F forms (Year 3) - 2 single lessons a week

Recorder classes	All children learn the recorder. By the end of the year the children will have learnt a good range of notes enabling them to play a variety of pieces. They will play in at least one school concert. Where necessary, extension classes will be held for those with previous experience of playing the recorder.
Singing	Accompanied and unaccompanied songs, including echo songs, call and answer songs and cumulative songs. There will be an emphasis on the development of good vocal tone and listening skills. All children in F form will join the junior choir.
Rhythm and Notation	A basic introduction to music theory in a fun and practical manner. Rhythmic note values of crotchet, minim and semibreve. Pitches in treble clef from D above middle C to D an octave above.
Instruments	Playing simple tuned and un-tuned percussion pieces. Composing simple mood compositions to create effects. Each class will present a class concert in the Summer term.
Listening	An introduction to the orchestral families. Music covered will be taken from the Romantic period and include Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, Danse Macabre by Saint Saens, Smetana’s Vltava and the work of Tchaikovsky through listening to the audio story ‘Tchaikovsky discovers America’.

E forms (Year 4) - 2 single lessons a week

Violin	One single lesson is given over to learning the violin. The children learn how to hold the instrument and establish a good posture, and hold the bow correctly. Basic rhythmic exercises are rehearsed. The children learn to pluck and use the bow, and a range of scales and pieces in first position are studied. By the end of the year they are able to play a piece approaching Grade 1 standard. There are opportunities for children to perform in class concerts, assemblies and to the pre-prep children.
Singing	Songs from around the world including some partner songs and action songs.
Rhythm and Notation	More theoretical work than in the F forms, in order to support the reading and understanding of the violin music. Introduction of the dotted minim and a wider range of notes on the treble stave.
Instruments	Further work on both tuned and un-tuned percussion instruments, including some composition work. Each class will present a class concert in the Lent term.
Listening	Recognition of the main orchestral instruments and the four main voice types. Music covered will be taken from the Baroque period and include Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, Corelli’s Christmas Concerto, the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s Messiah, Bach’s motets and the work of Vivaldi through listening to the audio story ‘Vivaldi’s Ring of Mystery’.

D forms (Year 5) - 1 double lesson a week

Violin	As for E forms.
Singing	A wide range of songs including some folk songs and rounds are studied. Main work is 'The Trojan Horse' by Herbert Chappell.
Rhythm and Notation	Treble clef notation, including notes relating to the violin. Semibreves, minims, crotchets and quavers are all taught using both practical and theoretical methods.
Instruments	Classroom percussion is used to create short compositions. Each class will present a class concert in the Lent term. Each class will present a class concert in the Lent term.
Listening	A wide range of material is used to familiarise children with the families of instruments including music from the Classical period. Material includes 'Peter and the Wolf' by Prokofiev.

C forms (Year 6) - 1 lesson a week

Singing	In depth work on the pop cantata ‘Jonah-Man Jazz’.
Rhythm and Notation	Reinforcement of note values. Extended rhythm work through a Taiko drumming project. This will cover the analysis of repetition and variation in music, rhythmic phasing, poly-rhythms and placing of instruments to create antiphonal effects.
Instruments	The whole of the Lent term is spent working on Samba. The children play different instruments as part of the band, learning how to play independent rhythms within a large group. Much work is covered on echo and call and response rhythms. All children will perform in their class concert and at other events in the school calendar.
Listening	Instruments of the orchestra in depth through the study of works from the last century, including Stravinski’s Rite of Spring, Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem and the work of Karl Jenkins.
Technology	An introduction to Music Technology.

B forms (Year 7) - 1 lesson a week

Singing	A range of songs, including those from 'Joseph and His Technicolour Dreamcoat'.
World of Sound	Families of instruments. How sound is produced. The human ear.
Listening	Music through the great ages in musical history including Baroque, Classical, Romantic and 20th Century - to appreciate music styles.
Composition	Group work creating, rehearsing, performing and recording a piece using conventional classroom instruments.
Technology	An Introduction to Cubase. Musical forms using Ejay.
Performing	Children are prepared for class concerts which are presented in the Autumn term.

A forms (Year 8) - 1 lesson a week

Singing	Songs from the Leavers' show are learnt during the Summer term.
Listening	Revision of all instruments and voice types through a variety of music from all periods of history, including popular and jazz styles.
Composition	Using conventional classroom instruments, group work on pentatonic music and improvisation over a twelve bar blues sequence.
Instruments	Group performance on tuned percussion of a Christmas Carol. Children studying for higher instrumental grades may be given time to practise during some class music lessons.
Technology	Work using Cubase. Individual compositions using 12 bar blues, and writing music to go with a short video clip.

Hobbies

In addition to the class music, we offer a wide range of hobbies. These change from term to term and have included the following in the past:

Purposeful Practice, Chime Bar Ensemble, Junior Chamber Group, Music Scholars, Music Technology, Song Writing, Swing Band and rehearsals for the staff/pupil musical.