Music

Music

Our Vision Statement

The Trinity Music Department’s vision is to provide an exciting, creative, inclusive and ambitious musical experience, inspiring curiosity in a wide range of musical genres and styles, from Beethoven to Sea Shanties, Brazilian Samba to Star Wars, Ballet to Hip-Hop! Trinity musicians will flourish and nurture their God-given talents with confidence, performing and composing independently with increasing skill and enjoyment, whilst developing a deep respect for one another, their sense of well-being and self-esteem and an aspiration to be life-long, happy, well-rounded musicians.

Curriculum Intent
What should they know, understand and be able to do within a whole school curriculum and how can the study of Music support that?
  • To leave school with functional Literacy and Oracy
  • To understand pathways to work and further education: CEIAG
  • To develop resilience and confidence
  • To be well rounded individuals, knowing their strengths and talents within a bigger picture/team
  • To understand what the world has to offer and what they can offer the world
  • To be ambitious and aspirational
  • To be computer/technologically literate
  • To know how to listen, mediate, negotiate, cooperate and collaborate
  • To know how to be independent, driven and determined
  • To know how to be healthy in mind, body and soul
  • To make curriculum links
  • To be able to be young people who can change the world
  • Strengths of the Department
  • Music at Trinity benefits from small group sizes enabling students to learn through practical ensemble based sessions or individual piano or composition study.
  • We teach using a variety of teaching and learning strategies to help all learners excel in Music. The resources in the department are excellent.
Achievements

We have many extra-curricular music ensembles including three choirs, orchestra, stage band,  steel pans, guitar ensemble, brass, woodwind and string groups as well as a growing interest in rock school and music technology - all the ensembles are thoroughly enjoyed by all the students who attend.

Our extra-curricular ensembles take part in annual performances at several prestigious venues across Manchester, including the RNCM, the Bridgewater Hall, St Ann’s Church and Manchester Cathedral as well as several links with smaller local venues such as Z-Arts in Hulme.

The music and drama departments have produced sell-out performances of Joseph and the Technicolour Dreamcoat, Lionel Bart’s Oliver!, The Wizard of Oz and in 2022 School of Rock!

Over 300 of our students take advantage of our extensive extra-curricular music lessons including piano, strings, brass, woodwind, guitar, singing percussion and many more, and successfully take graded exams on their instruments. All lessons are timetabled on rotation during the school day and are accessible to all, regardless of income.

We have growing numbers at GCSE Music and are expanding our provision ofr Music Technology. Several of our students have gone on to study Music at university and conservatoire level, including the RNCM and University of Manchester.

Our activities and performances can all be seen by following our Twitter page: @TrinityHighMusic

Exam Board: PEARSON

Music Curriculum

Year 7Year 8Year 9Year 10Year 11
Autumn 1
Autumn 2
Spring 1
Spring 2
Summer 1
Summer 2
Bumps and Crashes

Elements of Music
Use of Percussion

Ensemble Performance
& Composition

 Keyboard Skills & Christmas Performance

Pitch Notation
Keyboard training

Solo Performance of ‘Jingle Bells’ & other carols

 Brazilian Samba

Rhythm Notation
Ostinato, Polyrhythms
Syncopation

Ensemble Performance & Composition

 Marches, Waltzes & Fanfares

3/4 + 4/4 Metre
Brass Bands, occasions
Intro to Triadic chords

Solo Composition

 Orchestral Greats

Intro to Orchestral instruments
Major Scale

Solo Performance of ‘Ode to Joy’

 Musical Traditions 1

World music: Steel Pans, West African Drumming & Xylophones, Chinese
Pentatonic Scale

Performing & Composing
Autumn 1
Autumn 2
Spring 1
Spring 2
Summer 1
Summer 2
Programme Music

Intro to Romanticism: Ballet, Opera, Leitmotif
Chromatic Scale

Solo Performance of ‘Swan Lake’

 Folk Music of the British Isles

Sea Shanties, Ballads, Jigs, Reels, Compose AB form in 6/8 metre, minor scale, Perform ‘Greensleeves’

 Song-writing 1

Pop song features
Triads
Chord sequences

Ensemble Performance of ‘Stand by Me’

 Song-writing 2

Lyric writing AABB, ABAB
Study of The Beatles
4-chord songs

Ensemble Composition of own pop song

 Musical Traditions 2

World music: Steel Pans, Indonesian Gamelan, Indian Raga, Fusions:

Ensemble Performing

 Work Songs & Blues

History & Context, 7ths
12 Bar Blues, Blues Scale, Call & Response, Improvisation.

Performing & Composing
Autumn 1
Autumn 2
Spring 1
Spring 2
Summer 1
Summer 2

Song-writing 1

Pop song features
Triads
Chord sequences

Ensemble Performance of ‘Stand by Me’

 Variations 2

Theme & Variations
Intro to Classical Structures
Melodic techniques

Ensemble Composing

 Film Music 1

Intervals, Leitmotifs
Chromatic Harmony
Orchestration

Solo performances of James Bond, Star Wars

 Film Music 2

Electronic music, synthesisers & special effects. ‘Dr Who’, Sci-Fi movie music

Composing for Film

 Protest Songs 1

Blues recap,
Civil Rights – Anthems, Anti-War Songs,

Perform ‘We Shall Overcome’

Protest Songs 2

Reggae, Rap & Hip-Hop #BLM #climatechange #MeToo What matters to you?

Composition of own Protest Song

 

Autumn 1
Autumn 2
Spring 1
Spring 2
Summer 1
Summer 2
Musical Contexts & Periods

Baroque, Classical, Romantic eras. cadences, ABA,

Composing Q+A phrases,
Solo Performing

 Brandenburg Concerto by J.S. Bach

Fugue, concerto grosso, basso continuo, harpsichord Major/minor tonalities
Modulation. Vivaldi:

Ensemble Performing

 Defying Gravity from Wicked

Context of Musicals
Metre, Orchestration, intervals, syllabic

Composing for Stage and Screen

 Rebel Blockade Runner from Star Wars

Context of Film Music, Fanfare, March, Intervals, quartal harmony,

Composing for Stage and Screen cont.

 Samba em Preludio by Esperanza Spalding

Bossa Nova, Jazz, 7th, 9th, 11th, 13th chords, Fusions, rubato

Composing Fusions
Solo Performing

 Release by Afro-Celt Sound System

Electronic samples & effects, West African & Irish influences, Modes,

Composing Fusions cont Ensemble performing
Autumn 1
Autumn 2
Spring 1
Spring 2
Summer 1
Summer 2
Pathetique Sonata by Beethoven

Sonata Form, Circle of 5ths, development of the piano,

Solo Performing
Composing

 Samba em Preludio by Esperanza Spalding

Bossa Nova, Jazz, 7th, 9th, 11th, 13th chords, Fusions, rubato

Solo Performing
Composing

 Composing and Performing Focus

Essay skills
Skeleton Score & Musical Dictation

 Revision for
Listening Exam Unit 3Final Performing and Composing Deadline		 Revision for Listening Exam Unit 3

Elements of Music
Set works & Key words
Musical Dictation
Skeleton Scores

 Extra-Curricular Opportunities

Note all Areas of Study contain singing, the playing of real instruments both as a soloist and ensemble member and the use of music technology eg. Garageband incorporated throughout, as well as a focus on Elements of Music, Notation and Genres & Contexts. All GCSE topics contain Musical Dictation, Skeleton Scores, Unfamiliar Listening and Essay Writing practice for Listening & Appraising Unit 3

Assessed Performances Unit 1

Assessed Compositions Unit 2

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