Wednesday 22 December 2010

Christmas Service






You all sounded really good today!

Congratulations, Zoey, for passing your grade 2 violin.

Monday 20 December 2010

Christmas Service

We are open today with few pupils attending because of transport not running.

We still need to prepare for the Christmas Service on Wednesday, P2. There will be a rehearsal tomorrow and Wednesday P1 so please take your instruments.

The orchestra will play two carols and Patapan.

Woodwind group will perform the pieces we played on Thursday with Mr Fryer and backing tracks.

Vocal group will lead the singing of Once in Royal David's City and Hark The Herald.

Lauren will sing solo. Fleur will play piano.

Rehearsals will be held in the auditorium Tuesday and Wednesday during P1.

Friday 17 December 2010

Snow day #4

Hello Everyone,

I hope you are safe and warm as we have yet more snow and disruption to school.

Use you time wisely and prepare for your exams.

Advanced Higher and Higher folks-see my comments from yesterday below.

Henry-Use the time to prepare your guitar and bass guitar pieces. Practice loads and use the backing tracks. Learn concepts associated with Sonata Form from the powerpoint we used yesterday. Back this up with reading and revision from History of Music.

Isobel-See my comment on Sonata Form above. You will need to do this as well. Practice your singing and take account Miss Henderson's advice. Practice your percussion pieces on the glock.

S4 Standard Grade
As you know, your performing exam could be 15th February. You must make sure your programme is carefully prepared now and it should have dynamic contrast. Use backing tracks if you have them. Singers must not use words and sing from memory.

Your compositions are on the computers at school and so you should spend time studying Int1 and 2 concepts on Learn Listening Online.

S3 Standard Grade

You were asked to have your performance of Merry Christmas Everybody ready today so we could record it. We will do this on Tuesday (weather permitting). Keyboards must practice both hands and guitarists and bass guitarists must make sure they use the correct right hand finger technique. The chorus should be louder. Make sure you can play the whole of your part and pay attention to section E and F.

S1 and 2

If you have taken your folder home, continue to practice the piece you are working on. This could be Jingle Bells or Santa Claus is Comin' to Town. Some of you have chosen different songs and a few of you are learning Rudolph and Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree.

Thursday 16 December 2010

Performance for the Lunch Club


We had great fun today! Well done to everyone who performed.

Higher Snow Disruption

Ashleigh-Continue to practice your keyboard and singing, taking on board your targets. Work through Classical powerpoint 2 (starts with sonata form) in conjuction with Learn Listening Online.

Regan-Practice your songs and glockenspiel pieces. Work through Classical powerpoint 2 (starts with sonata form) in conjuction with Learn Listening Online.

Woodwind in the Church


Well done to Aimee, Rachel and Julia who played Christmas music with Mr Fryer in Aberlour Church on Saturday afternoon. It was great fun and the people in the church appreciated your playing.

Snow disruption - S6

We anticipated disruption again this week and we managed to set your targets for the week.

Eugene-Guitar practice required to get those pieces up to sctratch for your prelim. Bass pieces too. Continue with your commentary. Start to write it up and choose your manuscript excepts. Spend two half hour chunks on Learn Listening Online. Revise Classical concepts and practice questions. Your are still working on ideas for your second composition. Continue with this.

Nicol-Make a start on those three drum pieces from Drums Live. Continue to practice your piano everyday and aim for fluency. Continue to write up your commentary. You are on the right track. Use the example to help you. See Eugene's comment about Learn Listening Online and do the same. If you managed to take home a laptop, then start to develop some of your ideas. Think about changes you can make.

Hope your Christmas party went well last night at school!

Wednesday 8 December 2010

String and woodwind groups

The next rehearsals for these groups will be held on 19th January 2011.

Lunch Club

Weather permitting, we will be entertaining members of The Lunch Club on Thursday 16 December 2010 in the community lounge. Hopefully we will have no more disruption due to the snow! Let me know if you would like to perform at this.

Monday 6 December 2010

Christmas in Music

As well as our extra curricular performances (some of which have been cancelled due to the weather) we are playing a variety of Christmas tunes during class time.

S1 and S2 are concentrating on developing their performing skills with tunes such as Jingle Bells, Jingle Bell Rock, Rudolph, Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town and Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree. We will try some composing and listening activities. Music, as always, is available for home practice.

S3 have been putting together their own version of Airplanes and are learning Merry Christmas Everybody for their group performance piece. Home practice is essential if we are to record perfomances of this before Christmas. Targets are noted in homework planners. Keyboard players should be learning to play their part with both hands.

S4,5 and 6 continue to meet deadlines and work for prelims and assessments.

Friday 3 December 2010

Music Centre

Rehearsals are cancelled tomorrow 4 December

Christmas Concert-CANCELLED

Unfortunately, we have to cancel the Christmas Concert. This is the first time we have had to do this. The weather has disrupted rehearsals, S4 have had prelims extended into next week and the forecast is for yet more snow and cold. Because of this, we will now have a concert in spring time when the weather improves. The Christmas Service will have more music and we will think about a performance during the day if this is practical. I know many of you will be disappointed (as I am) and you have been working hard. However, we will provide other opportunities for you to perform this Christmas.