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Music
There are a wide variety of musical activities taking place at Bedford Free School; whether that is inside the classroom, extra curricular or elective activities. Currently all of our Key Stage 3 students are having instrumental music lessons in school, and around 15% enjoy lessons with teachers from Music for Bedford Borough.
We are proud to have a school orchestra and choir that perform at wide variety of events. Some of the musical events that our students have participated in recently include:
- Gospel Vocal Workshop – with gospel singer Elaine Simpson
- Upper Schools Mass Choir
- ‘Music for Youth’ Concert – with North Beds Youth Choir
- Christmas Tree Festival – at St Pauls
- Jazz Workshop – with trumpeter Tom Syson
- Recording Session – at SoundGarage
Key Stage 3 – Curriculum Content
Year 7
- Rhythm, Texture & Pentatyonic Scales
- Instruments of the Orchestra
- Graphic Scores
- Protest Songs
- Cartoon Music
- Folk Music
Year 8
- Theme and Variations
- African Music
- Rhythm & Blues
- Reggae
- Indian Music
- Musical Theatre and song writing
Year 9
- Horror Film Music
- Chords & Accompaniments
- Minimalism
- Disco
- Music in Advertising
- Rock ‘n’ Roll
KS4 GCSE Music Content
As a department we have chosen to deliver the Edexcel GCSE Music syllabus. The Edexcel GCSE in Music enables students to engage actively in the study of music through many practical activities. It encourages them to develop their musical skills and interests, including the ability to make music individually and in ensembles. It also enables students to understand and appreciate a range of different kinds of music.
The course is structured using the following weightings:
- Performance (1 Solo and 1 Ensemble) – 30%
- Composition (2 Compositions or Arrangements) – 30%
- Appraising / Analysing Music – 40%
As part of the appraising and analysing aspect of the course, students will study set works from the following genres and eras:
- Western Classical
- Music of the 20th Century
- Popular Music in Context
- World Music
Department contact
Mrs Rick, Head of Music srick@bedfordfreeschool.co.uk