This series features Composer Barry Russell, and the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra.
With the help of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Barry Russell passes on techniques, skills and best practice to students who are composing their own music based on six classical masterpieces, ranging from Monteverdi to Adams.
Suitable for teaching music composition at GCSE level in England and Wales, and National 4/5 in Scotland. Appears in OCR, Edexcel, AQA, WJEC, CCEA GCSE and SQA.
Developing Melodic Writing - 'The Chairman Dances' by John Adams. video
A composition workshop on melody, harmony and thematic composition, inspired by 'The Chairman Dances' by John Adams.
Instrumentation - 'Fingal’s Cave' by Mendelssohn. video
A composition workshop based on creating a classical piece inspired by Mendelssohn's 'Fingal’s Cave' with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and composer Barry Russell.
Instrumentation and Melodic Writing - Monteverdi’s 'Toccata from Orfeo' video
The BBC Philharmonic Orchestra offers a masterclass to students who learn to compose an original piece of music inspired by Monteverdi’s 'Toccata from Orfeo' with a focus on melodic writing and variations.
Melody and Instrumentation - 'Petrushka' by Stravinsky. video
With the help of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, young music students undertake a musical masterclass in how to compose through an analysis of 'Petrushka' by Stravinsky.
Texture and Structure - Bach's 'Prelude in C Major' video
A composition workshop based on creating a classical piece inspired by Bach’s 'Prelude in C Major', focusing on texture, tone colour, development of musical ideas and structure.
Music KS3 / GCSE: Instrumentation and timbre - 'Danse Macabre' by Saint-Saëns. video
A composition workshop on timbre and tone colour using 'Danse Macabre' by Saint-Saëns.
