Introduction to Vocal Music: The development of Secular Song Instructions and answers for teachers These instructions should accompany the OCR resource Introduction to Vocal Music: The development of Secular Song activity which supports OCR A Level Music. The Activity: This activity offers an opportunity for English skills development. Associated materials: Introduction to Vocal Music: The development of Secular Song learner activity sheet. This resource is an exemplar of the types of materials that will be provided to assist in the teaching of the new qualifications being developed for first teaching in 2016. It can be used to teach existing qualifications but may be updated in the future to reflect changes in the new qualifications. Please check the OCR website for updates and additional resources being released. We would welcome your feedback so please get in touch.
This guide is intended as a simple introduction to one of the areas of study but gives ideas of how to approach any of the areas of study. In looking at different music within the topic, the purpose and intention on how the music was created and performed at different historical and cultural contexts should be made obvious. Opportunities for listening, composing and performing are essential in exploring this topic fully while ensuring learners become equipped with the skills to become musicians. The development of Secular Song Singing songs can be seen as the earliest form of music making known to humans. Many songs were passed down from generation to generation by aural tradition and therefore this study begins with looking at folk songs, then moving through early lute songs, Baroque arias, Lieder and song cycles with piano accompaniment from the Romantic era to the 20th Century. By studying this music learners will analyse both melodic structures and shapes and how this relates to accompaniments, both in harmonic terms and how patterns are used to support the vocal line. Obviously the opportunities provided for each composer has had a huge impact on the nature of the music and the resources at their disposal and teachers are encouraged to draw on their knowledge of music and trends in each of the musical eras. While every opportunity should be taken for learners to sing the songs being studied, there is sometimes a great reluctance to sing but they should be encouraged as it is essential to gain an understanding of how the natural rhythm of the text is accommodated as well as how composers interpret and illustrate the text in the music. Where to begin: 1. Use the Learner Worksheet provided as a starting point for this topic. Recordings of songs can be found on YouTube and Spotify. Allow students to listen and use the vocabulary given and any other knowledge they have to comment on the music. 2. Go through the answers, drawing out the historical context for the different songs, such as the baroque songs being taken from operas or masques to express the characters feelings within the DaCapo aria and the contemporary expectation of ornamentation in the repeat; and the influence of the development of the pianoforte in the Romantic era resulting in the composition of short character pieces for piano and Lieder for its musical interpretation of much of the poetry that was being written at the time. 3. Sing and analyse a folk song looking at tonality, word setting, phrase length and shape, repeating motifs/extension (see examples provided). This should lead into the following step.
4. Create a simple accompaniment for this melody using firstly primary chords then other diatonic harmony. This can be created on any accompanying instrument (piano, keyboard, or guitar) and then learners should notate these chords (either handwritten or using appropriate music software). 5. Compose a folk song style melody and simple chord accompaniment. Provide learners with a short poem for this task. 6. Study one of the 20th Century arrangements of a folk song by Britten or Vaughan Williams with piano accompaniment or SATB arrangements (suggestion Folk-Songs for Choirs Books 1 & 2 edited by John Rutter, published by Oxford). 7. Create a more complex accompaniment or SATB arrangement of the folk song (in task 5). 8. Analyse arias by Purcell, Handel or Haydn and Lieder by Schumann and Schubert looking for parallels with the folk song and also how the use of the voice and the piano have been extended as time has moved on and instruments and social contexts have influenced what and how the music is composed. Folk Song Activity Sing and analyse one of the popular folk songs from the list below. (Notated music for these songs is readily available, try to begin with just the melodic line and no chord symbols.) All around my hat (Compound time, AA1BA structure, clear example of phrases beginning the same but ending differently, move to the dominant in the middle). All through the night (mainly scale movement, 4 bar phrases, AABA structure, use of sequence, quicker rate of harmonic change in B phrase). Bobby Shaftoe (melody is strongly based on notes of the chord, use of sequence, 2 bar phrases, two sections, a good example of typical cadential progression [iib, V7, I], Simple rhythms). Dashing Away with a smoothing iron (phrases beginning on the upbeat [providing an opportunity to look at the interval of a rising 4th often used at the beginning of songs and the implications of V I harmony], verse and chorus structure, compound time, repeated notes ending differently 1st phrase goes down at the end, 2nd phrase goes up in both verse and chorus but with variation of the rhythm).
Down by the Salley Gardens (repetition of rhythm, phrases begin on upbeat, with mixture of syllabic and slurred pairs of notes per syllable, AABA structure). Early one morning (melody based on notes of the chord, verse and chorus ending with descending scale). The Oak and the Ash (minor key, 2 bar phrases starting with an upbeat, verse [ending on Dominant] and chorus which briefly moves to relative major- different versions of this song are notated some using a modal melody and others using the sharpened leading note). Other teaching points: Melodies which begin on an upbeat begin with an unimportant word (a, in, the ) Rhythms often dictated by the natural rhythm of the words (encourage learners to say the words out loud) Natural rise and fall of the voice when reading is mirrored in the shape of the melodic phrases Balance between the need for syllabic and paired slurred notes to improve melodic shape Introduction/ reinforcement of intervals and recognition of different intervals Structure related to relationship between keys, particularly tonic and dominant Introduction to major and harmonic and melodic minor scales Perfect and Imperfect cadences Harmonic implications of melody. Following analysis, learners should try to harmonise the melody with simple chords (this will prompt discussion of the rate of harmonic change). Compare folk song arrangements created by 20th Century composers and discuss the ways in which composers have expanded the harmonic possibilities and rhythmic variety of simple melodies. Some examples of these by Vaughan Williams and Britten are: Vaughan Williams - Rolling in the Deep, As I walked out Britten Salley Gardens, The Ash Grove, O Waly, Waly. The latter is a clear example of the use of repetitive patterns in the accompaniment and a gradually expanding tonal and harmonic language and colour.
Learner activity Learners could expand the harmony used in their arrangement to include some of the harmonic language used by Britten, developing their own repetitive rhythmic accompaniment pattern. This would lead on easily to the study of some of Schubert s accompaniments (eg. Du bist die Ruh, Gretchen am Spinnrade), both in an exploration of harmonic language and the use of piano accompaniments. We d like to know your view on the resources we produce. By clicking on the Like or Dislike button you can help us to ensure that our resources work for you. When the email template pops up please add additional comments if you wish and then just click Send. Thank you. If you do not currently offer this OCR qualification but would like to do so, please complete the Expression of Interest Form which can be found here: www.ocr.org.uk/expression-of-interest OCR Resources: the small print OCR s resources are provided to support the teaching of OCR specifications, but in no way constitute an endorsed teaching method that is required by the Board, and the decision to use them lies with the individual teacher. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the content, OCR cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions within these resources. We update our resources on a regular basis, so please check the OCR website to ensure you have the most up to date version. OCR 2015 - This resource may be freely copied and distributed, as long as the OCR logo and this message remain intact and OCR is acknowledged as the originator of this work. OCR acknowledges the use of the following content: Thumbs up and down icons: alexwhite/shutterstock.com, English icon: Air0ne/Shutterstock.com Please get in touch if you want to discuss the accessibility of resources we offer to support delivery of our qualifications: resources.feedback@ocr.org.uk