A Celebration of Schools’ Music 2007

Teachers’ Pack

TRANSFORMATION
SOMETHING OLD SOMETHING NEW

Sponsored by
Dear Teacher,

Changes are afoot at Aldeburgh! The Concert Hall and its surrounding maze of
changing rooms and backstage areas are undergoing transformations and
renovations. Rather than ignore this chaos, mess and disturbance, we’re
embracing the whole ground-shuddering lot. We’ve chosen Transformation as
this year’s theme and added the strap line something old – something new.

The activities in this pack are essentially music-orientated but there are lots of
opportunities to broaden the project ideas to include drama, dance, creative
writing, art and technology. The theme of transformation suggested the art of
variation, where one idea becomes the basis of something new and original.
You’ll find the notion of transformation through variation at the heart of this
pack. It’s an idea which reaches beyond music to embrace the re-working and
re-telling of myths and stories.

I met many of you at last year’s Celebration concerts at Snape and was struck
by both the high standard and the inventiveness of your music-making. For
those of you who work tirelessly on spectacular school ‘productions’, I’ve
suggested some new ways of putting together a show which draws on the
ancient myth of the phoenix. I’ve looked at ways of pulling together lots of
different tellings of one story and also suggested a move away from what I like
to call the song-narration-song sandwich!

The pack is designed with the busy teacher in mind so each project can be
photocopied and given out to your students to work on. I’ve also done a huge
amount of web-browsing to ensure that recordings of the pieces of music
which are needed for the listening work are very easy to access and free to
download. You’ll find details of these in the teacher’s notes at the back. I’ve
also included follow-up resources which you might find helpful.

Many of the ideas included here will be usable for both primary, middle and
secondary school students. The composition ideas would even be suitable as
starting points for both GCSE and A level composition work.

Good luck and happy music making,

David Knotts

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The art of the variation.
Transforming something old into something new.
Some of the earliest pieces of written-down music are sets of variations.
During the Tudor period, musicians were often employed by Kings, Queens,
Lords and Ladies and their job was to entertain the court. They would often
play popular dances and songs of the day which everyone would recognise.
They’d then take the opportunity to show off a bit by improvising sets of
variations which used the basic tune but added lots of extras.

One extremely popular tune of the time is called Will You Walk the Woods so
Wild. It was regularly sung and performed at Henry VIII’s court. It also
appeared in some music books given to Queen Elizabeth I. Here’s the song:

Verse 2:

Wearily blows the winter wind,

Wandering, wand'ring here and there,
My heart is like a stricken hind,
Alas! for love I die with woe

(Be sure to fit an extra word in to the tune at the beginning of lines 1 and 3)

2
This song was popular in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries because it’s
so catchy and memorable. Look at how the 1st phrase is repeated in the 3rd
phrase. The accompaniment is also very simple. It’s basically a drone. See how
it moves up a step and then back down again, then up and then down. The
simple way that these chords move up and down is just like some of today’s
pop songs.

Task 1
Make your own version of this old song. Originally, it would have been sung to
the accompaniment of a keyboard of a kind of guitar called the lute but you
should use whatever you can play and whatever’s available. Get together in a
small group and design your own interpretation of Will you walk the Woods so
Wild. Once it’s finished, perform it to the rest of the class. Your version could
be a simple sung one, or an instrumental one. You might want to combine
instruments and voices.

Queen Elizabeth I was a

very keen musician and
she loved this song.
Like many ladies of her
day, she learned to play
the virginal. It’s a small
keyboard instrument
with plucked strings.
Because it’s a very quiet
instrument, it was used
mainly for performance in private homes, and usually for the entertainment of
the player or for a small audience. This is a picture of her virginal which you
can still see at the Victoria and Albert museum in London. You can see that it
doesn’t have legs like a modern piano. It was designed to go on a table and
could be taken from room to room. Look at how small the keyboard is. What
else is different from a modern piano?

Queen Elizabeth was so keen on music that she employed

one of the most famous composers of the Tudor period,
Mr. William Byrd. He regularly performed at court and
wrote songs and dances for her. He also wrote pieces for
the queen which she could play on her virginal. He made a
version of Will You Walk the Woods so Wild which was in
her collection of music.

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Task 2
Listen to William Byrd’s version of Will Yow Walke The Woodes Soe Wylde from
his collection called My Ladye Nevells Booke of Virginal Music. At the start,
you’ll here a simple version of the melody which is followed by 13 variations
which become increasingly complicated and elaborate. The variations all follow
each other without a break so you’ll have to listen carefully.

Time code
Variation Technique Used
0.01 - 0.15
THEME Simple version of melody in the top part
0.16 - 0.30
Var. 1 Simple version of the melody played higher
0.31 - 0.46
Var. 2 Melody played in the middle
0.47 – 1.02
Var. 3 A varied version of the melody played as a duet between
the top and the middle parts.
1.03 – 1.17
Var. 4 A fancier version of the duet in var. 3
1.18 – 1.33
Var. 5 Melody in the middle with a running part in the top
1.34 – 1.49
Var. 6 Melody in the top with running part in the bass
1.50 – 2.05
Var. 7 Bell-like sounds shared between the middle parts
2.06 – 2.21
Var. 8 Variation exploring the short-short long rhythm
2.22 – 2.37
Var. 9 A faster version of the bell-like sounds
2.38 – 2.52
Var. 10 A mixture variation using elements of the preceding ones
2.53 – 3.08
Var. 11 A new dancing rhythm is introduced
3.09 – 3.24
Var. 12 Similar to 6 with the melody in the top and a running bass
3.25 - end
Var. 13 The melody with big thick chords to make a grand ending

You’ll notice that sometimes you can sing along with the tune: at other times,
it gets so complicated that you can only imagine the tune in your head. Also
listen out for how fragments of the tune swap between the top, middle and
bottom parts. This helps to keep us interested as we follow the melody on its
different journeys.

Task 3
You’re going to write your own set of variations on the Tudor song Will you
Walk the Woods so Wild.

The first thing to do is to decide which instruments you want to use for your
set of variations. You might want to stick closely to the Elizabethan original by
working on your own and writing some keyboard variations. If you play
another solo instrument, you could write for that. Alternatively, you might
want to get together in a small group as you did in Task 1.

The secret to writing a good set of variations is good planning. There are 3
musical elements in this piece, melody, harmony and rhythm. Ideally, you
should focus on one of these musical elements per variation. This will give the
finished piece, a nice clean, clear shape.

For each musical element, there are certain compositional tricks of the trade
which you’ll find useful:

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Melody
• Play the melody backwards
• Fill in the gaps in the melody with runs
• Play the melody as a round (one person coming in after another)
• Play fragments of the melody but leave some bits out
• Repeat a bit of the melody
• Add some musical twiddles (called ornaments)
• Play the melody higher or lower
• Have more than one instrument playing the melody
Harmony
• Have the bass line on its own
• Try out some different chords
• Add some extra notes into the original drone bass
Rhythm
• A lot of Elizabethan poetry and music uses a regular rhythmic pattern
of a long beat followed by a shorter one. Explore this rhythm and try
it the other way round – a short beat followed by a longer one.
• Phrases 2 and 4 use a dotted pattern (look at the words Wandering,
love and die with) These add a bit of a skip to the beat. Experiment
with dotted rhythms.
Fill in these boxes. Decide on which musical elements you want to vary in each
variation.

Variation Technique Used

THEME Simple version of melody in the top part
Var. 1

Var. 2

Var. 3

Var. 4

Var. 5

5
Once you’ve filled in the boxes with which variation techniques you’re planning
to use, you’ll find that the job of writing your piece is much easier. Don’t forget
to keep a written record of what you’re inventing as you go a long. It’s easy to
forget things.

When you feel that the piece is sounding quite good, add some finishing
touches. You might want one variation to go a bit slower or faster than the
ones which surround it. You could also explore dynamics with louder and softer
elements in your piece.

This is an extract from one of Byrd’s pieces for the virginal. Notice how the
noteheads are square rather than round. Printing was very time-consuming
and expensive with each note being painstakingly printed, one by one.
Consequently, books of keyboard pieces were very rare and only made for
extremely important or wealthy people. They were often very elaborate and
bound together in decorated leather volumes. Once your piece is done, copy it
out very neatly.

EXTRAS
When Byrd had finished writing this piece, he wrote at the end:

How daintily this Byrd his notes doth vary, 
As if he were the Nightingaleʹs own brother! 
Perhaps you could add a little poem at the end of your score too.

• The virginal was a very popular instrument for ladies to play in

Elizabethan England. For men, the lute was considered more appropriate
for music-making. See what you can find out about this instrument.

• You can see why writing variations has always been popular with
composers; the hard work of writing a good tune is already done!
Variations have also been popular with audiences too because they’re
often based on a popular song which they can sing along with. See if you
can find out about some other sets of variations.
6
Collage.
Mixing something old with something new.

The start of the twentieth century saw the

emergence of a new trend: painters and artists
began to explore collage. A collage is a picture
made from a whole variety of bits and bobs
and often includes scraps of newspaper, card,
and coloured paper mixed with paint and
pencil work. Some artists even used string,
cane and sand in their pictures.

Collage captured the mood of the new century

and between 1910 and 1920, Juan Gris,
Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso
experimented with the collage technique
producing bold pieces of work which combined
everyday objects in a variety of arrangements.

Images of musical instruments

such as guitars and violins are
often featured. You will also find
cups, saucers, bottles and jugs
alongside pages from the French
paper, Le Journal.

Task 1
You’re going to design a piece
of music which is inspired by the
idea of a collage. Follow these
simple stages:

COLLECTING YOUR OBJECTS

The collage artists who worked in Paris in the 1920’s rummaged round the flea
markets to find odd and unusual things to take to their studio. You’re going to
follow their example! You’re going to be working on a piece in groups of 6, but
each individual member of the group will be responsible for finding and
performing a particular element of the collage. Get together in a group of 6
collage artists. Decide who will be responsible for which particular element and
get hunting.

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COLLAGE ARTIST 1 - you need to collect:
Some written words: Take a sheet of newspaper with writing on (rather than
pictures) and cut out the shape of a bottle (just like the one in the picture
above) You might also want to cut out some other shapes, perhaps a guitar or
violin. Once you’ve cut them out, have a look at what you’ve got. Underline the
most unusual and interesting words and phrases and then practice performing
them in a big, strong voice.

COLLAGE ARTIST 2 - you need to collect:

Some spoken words: Listen out for a snatch of conversation which you
overhear in the dining room, classroom or playground. Jot it down on a scrap
of paper. Then, copy it out onto a large piece of paper several times.
Experiment with the colour and size of the letters to suggest how your words
will be performed.BIG, BRIGHT CAPITAL LETTERS will
suggest that your words will be SHOUTED – small, pale letters will suggest
that the words are whispered. Find a space where you can try out performing
your words.

COLLAGE ARTIST 3 - you need to collect:

A favourite song: This could be your favourite song, but why not be a bit
more original and find a recording of a song or piece of music which is
important to a parent, grandparent or family friend. If you can, select 3 small
portions of the music (about 15 seconds each) and record them. Design a
symbol which represents your favourite song. You will need to use this symbol
in the finished collage.
COLLAGE ARTIST 4 - you need to collect:
A recorded noise: Listen to the sounds around your school and record a short
sound-byte. The noise of the playground is quite an obvious one so try and
listen out for more unusual sounds like a door opening and closing or the
gurgling of a water fountain. Design a symbol which represents your recorded
sound. You will need to use this symbol in the finished collage.
COLLAGE ARTIST 5 - you need to collect:
A low, continuous sound: Find an instrument or an object which makes a
low continuous sound. This could be a musical instrument which you have at
school or could be another sound making object. Design a symbol which
represents your recorded sound. You will need to use this symbol in the
finished collage.
COLLAGE ARTIST 6 - you need to collect:
A line of a song which you sing at school: Every school has a song which is
often sung. Pick the best line and write it onto a piece of paper. Experiment
with different shapes and colours of lettering to suggest the shape of the
melody. Give yourself a rehearsal to make sure that you’re happy to sing this
in front of the rest of the group.

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SEE WHAT YOU HAVE COLLECTED
Get together into your groups and have as look and listen at what has been
collected. Each collage artist should present and perform his collage item to
the rest of the group. You should have quite a mixture of sounds and words.
MAKE AN ARRANGEMENT
A good collage is all about an interesting arrangement of shapes, colours and
textures. On a large piece of paper, begin to lay out the different musical
elements. You’re aiming for something which not only sounds good, but
something which looks good too.

Have a look at the two collages on page 7 and notice how the different
elements overlap with each other. You should aim for places where 2 or 3
sound elements overlap with each other. In the same way that the collages
look good with the different elements overlapping, your finished piece will
sound better with some sounds blending into other sounds.
REHEARSE & PERFORM
Before you stick anything down, perform your collage piece and see if the
elements are working well together. Once you are happy with both how it looks
and how it sounds, perform and show your piece to the rest of the class. Don’t
forget to give your piece a title.

EXTRAS
The American composer Charles Ives (1874 –
1954) was one of the first to make musical
collages. He collected together popular songs,
church hymns, anthems, lullabies and the
music of American marching bands and layered
all of these different sounds on top of one
another. One of his pieces called the Fourth of
July paints a picture of the hustle, bustle and
celebration of American Independence Day by
weaving together the Battle Cry of the
Republic, the Reveille and Columbia, Gem of
the Ocean.

LISTEN to Charles Ives extraordinary picture of the July 4th celebration.

Imagine that you are in America on holiday. You write a postcard to a friend at
home describing what you have seen and heard.

The Italian composer, Luciano Berio, made a huge musical collage in the
1960’s called Sinfonia. He uses a whole orchestra who play lots of different
fragments of music as well as 8 amplified voices that sing as well as speak,
mutter, shout and mumble in a variety of languages.

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 The third section of the
piece is really exciting and
is a bit like being caught in
the middle of a musical
whirlwind. You can hear
chunks of music by the
Austrian composer, Gustav
Mahler flying past
surrounded by endless
snatches of this and that.
Here’s a page from the
music; you can see how
fragmented it is.

LISTEN to an extract of the third part of Luciano Berio’s Sinfonia. Are there
any similarities with Charles Ives’ piece? What are the differences?

The technology of the 20th and 21st centuries has made musical collage making
much easier. A sample is a portion of an existing recording which becomes an
element in a new piece of music. This musical borrowing is at the heart of a lot
of music that we hear today.

Negativland is an experimental music and sound-collage band that originated

in the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 1970s. They cut up recordings by
other bands and singers and then put them together in interesting ways to
make a new track. This has often got them into quite a lot of trouble! Their
lastest album, No Business, uses clips of Ethel Merman singing There’s no
Business like Show Business. They’ve chopped up the original track to give the
song a new message.

LISTEN to an extract of Negativlands’ No Business. What do you think Mr.

Ives and Mr. Berio would make of their music?

TASK Why not tryNegativland’s re-writing games? To complete this task,

you’ll need a photocopy of a short poem. To complete tasks 8 – 10, you’ll also
need recording equipment.

1. Cut the poem up into it’s individual words.

2. Put the words into a pot and give them a good shake.
3. Tip the words out onto a clean sheet of paper .
4. Place the words one by one to make a completely new poem.
5. You must use all of the words from the original poem.
6. Is your poem very different from hte one you started with?
7. Are there any similiarites.
8. Record yourself reading the poem.
9. Chop up the recording into individual samples.
10. Work with these samples to make a new piece.

10
Transformation
The phoenix rises from the ashes
Onene tale which has been told
and re-told across the world is
that of the Phoenix, a magical
and mysterious bird who
possesses the secret of eternal
life.

Every 500 years or so, feeling

old and tired, the Phoenix
gathers together wood, twigs
and leaves and builds a
bonfire. With the help of the
sun, the phoenix fans the fire
with its brightly-coloured
feathers and burns in the
flames. When the fire has
turned to grey ash, the
phoenix rises again, renewed
and rejuvenated.

This extraordinary story has been told for hundreds of years all over the world.
For this reason, it’s hard to tell where the tale originated from. You’ll find a
version of the story in ancient Greece; there’s a similar bird in ancient Egypt
called the Bennu; in Jewish legend the Phoenix is called the Milcham; Feng-
Huang in China is a bird-like creature with a similar tale to tell and the
Thunderbird in native-American story telling is a powerful bird with lightening
shooting from its beak. Although this story differs from place to place, the bird
is always a symbol of renewal, regeneration and hope. This seems a perfect
tale for us to tell with Snape Maltings Concert Hall undergoing changes and
transformations of its own!

Task 1 Have a look at a map of the world and trace lines from the Jewish
homeland of Israel to China, Egypt and North America. Where do you think the
Phoenix story originated?

Task 2 You’re going to make your own version of this ancient story which
draws on lots of different re-tellings of the tale. First of all, find out all that you
can about the different Phoenix tales from around the world.

Get together into small groups to fill in the Phoenix Storyboard sheet on page
12. It’s divided into 6 boxes so you need to think about how you can tell your
story in only 6 stages. What are the key points of your re-telling of the tale?
Which elements do you think it is most important to include? Once you’ve
decided, fill in the storyboard sheet. You may find that it’s helpful to decide
what will go in boxes 1 and 6 first!

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Phoenix Storyboard

1 2 3

4 5 6

12
 In a place like Aldeburgh, different
members of the artistic team look
after different elements of the
production. Writers, composers,
musicians, singers, dancers and set
makers all have their job to do and
these individual contributions all go
to make a convincing whole.

Your class is going to become a busy

production team with different groups
working in different art forms on
different parts of the story. For
example, some of you will be
composers working on music for
parts of the story; others will be writers, poets, dancers, painters and
songwriters.

Have a production meeting

Gather together all of the storyboards and look at the way in which each group
has reinvented the Phoenix story. Make a decision as a class about which are
the best elements from each storyboard. Then write them onto a big, new copy
of the Phoenix Storyboard sheet. Put it up where everyone can see it. Don’t
forget, your aim is to use the most exciting elements from each group’s
storyboard.

Division of labour

A good theatre show will always mix together lots of different art forms. These
will often include:

• Poetry
• Dialogue
• Music
• Dance
• Painting
• Song

As a class, decide which of these six art forms are best suited to a particular
part of the story. For example, you might decide that the fire would best be
portrayed by Poetry and Painting. You may have a storyboard box which is
complicated and will need some explaining. That might be best suited to
Dialogue where a team can work on some conversation between characters
which will help keep the story clear for the audience.

13
On the large Phoenix Storyboard sheet, decide which art form or forms you
want to use to help tell the story in each box. Remember, the story needs to
be clear and easy to understand for the audience. So which art forms will help
you to achieve this for each part of your story?

• Remember, don’t get too complicated – 1 or 2 art forms per box will be
plenty and will also make rehearsal much easier!

• Go for variety so try and keep different combinations of art forms telling
different elements of the Phoenix tale.

Once you’ve decided on the 6

parts of the story and which art
form you’ll used to portray each
element of the tale, divide the
class into 6 teams. You’ll need:

• Poets.
• Writers who can work on
dialogue and conversation.
• Musicians who can write
and play music.
• Dancers and
choreographers.
• Painters and artists.
• Singer/songwriters.

Once you’re divided into your teams, look at the large Phoenix Storyboard
sheet. You’ll see that each artistic team has some specific tasks to complete
which focuses on particular parts of the story. Everyone should have plenty to
do so get together into your different artistic teams and get started!

Whether you’re painters or poets, composers or dancers, here are some

phoenix ideas to inspire you:

TOUCH
In lots of these tales, people are so excited by the bird that they want to
capture it and keep it for themselves. Some manage to pluck a magic
feather from its tail. If you managed to hold the magnificent bird, what do
you think its dazzling plumage would feel like?

14
 COLOURS
The Phoenix story if full of colour. The word Phoenix is
derived from the Greek word for purple. There’s also the
fire which the Phoenix fans with his wings in order to be
reborn. The phoenix also has a special relationship with the
blazing rays of the sun.

SOUNDS In many stories, the Phoenix sings its song to the sun. I
wonder what kinds of songs a phoenix would sing? The fire itself is central
to all of the Phoenix stories. Can you describe the sound of this amazing
life-renewing fire?

SMELLS
In some stories, the bird gathers together a selection of
exotic wood, leaves and twigs to build the fire. In other
tales, he makes an egg form Myrrh, a flammable and
scented resin. Think about these smells and how you can
describe them in your piece. How does a Phoenix fire differ
from a soggy old bonfire night in the UK?

PUTTING IT TOGETHER This will be slightly chaotic so make sure that

you have plenty of space to spread out. Also, make sure you have the large
Phoenix Storyboard sheet with you so that you all know which groups work
with which groups.

Begin at the beginning and work through box by box. You’ll be amazed at how
the story comes to life. You’ll also notice that the piece has lots of changes of
texture as different art forms mix together to tell different parts of the story.
Once you’ve had a run-through, see if you think any parts need changing. It
will definitely need a bit more rehearsal!

EXTRAS Can you think of any writers today who have been inspired by the
ancient myth of the phoenix?

In Harry Potter's world, phoenixes can carry enormous weights, their tears
have extraordinary healing powers and their song is said to strike fear into the
hearts of the unpure.

Why do you think the story has been so attractive for

writers and storytellers for such a long time?

Some schools, clubs and organisations use the phoenix

as their symbol or logo. Why do you think this is?

15
The
he Firebird
In Russia, the tale of the Phoenix was re-told over the generations and became
known as the Firebird, a beautiful creature with extraordinary powers. The
Russian theatre director, Serge Diaghilev, gave this version of the story to the
Russian composer, Igor Stravinsky, to work from:

The czarʹs son, Prince Ivan, has an unexpected 
meeting with `a fabulous bird with feathers of fire’ 
during a hunting excursion. In exchange for not 
being hunted down by Ivan, the fabulous Firebird 
bargains her freedom by giving Ivan a magic 
feather. Later, Ivan chances upon an enchanted 
castle with a courtyard full of lovely maidens. 
They warn Ivan of the evil Kastchei in the castle 
who, for his own amusement, turns travelers into 
stone. Ivan, undaunted, enters the castle, and is 
faced by the evil Kastchei. The magic feather 
shields him from harm, and the Firebird appears, 
sending Kastchei and his ogres into a mad dance. 
The evil ones are left exhausted and eventually 
destroyed by the Firebird. Kastcheiʹs victims are 
freed from their stone spells, and Ivan wins the 
hand of a lovely Princess. 
 
Which elements of this Russian tale are similar to your version of the phoenix
myth? What are the main differences?
 

Task 3 When Stravinsky set to work, he used an enormous orchestra to try

and create the magic and excitement of this story. Listen to the Infernal
Dance. The music represents the moment when the firebird uses her powers to
send the evil king Kastchei and his ogres into a wild dance. There are some
listening notes on page 17 to help you. Do you think Stravinsky captures the
spirit of the firebird? How would you describe the music you have listened to?

Imagine you're in Paris, France, in 1910. You bump into

the theatre impresario, Serge Diaghilev who runs a
Russian-based dance group called the Ballets Russes. He
asks you to design a poster for their latest show called
The Firebird. It has some incredibly exciting music by
Stravinsky and fantastic costume designs by Léon Bakst.
This is his design for the firebird. Your poster should
include the following information:
The Firebird 
A new ballet  
Performed by the Ballets Russes 
With music by Igor Stravinsky 

16
The Infernal Dance from The Firebird by Igor Stravinsky – Listening notes
00.0 – 00.30 Between loud chords for the whole orchestra, you’ll hear a loud, jazzy tune played on all of
the brass instruments, from the very low tuba to the high trumpets. You can imagine the
A enormous firebird swooping into the courtyard of the palace.

00.31 – 00.44 Listen out for the piano, flute and xylophone. They create a dry sound which could represent
A’ the Firebird pecking at the ground.

00.45 – 01.21 The strings play a swirling music which could be King Kastchei and his ogres beginning a
B strange, hypnotic dance. You’ll hear the firebird music (A) return at the end of this extract.
01.22 – 01.47 The trumpet and xylophone begin a fast and complicated tune. Listen out for a slide on the
C trombone.
01.48 – 02.27 The strings play a warm melody which could represent the beauty of the firebird.
D
02.28 – 02.51 The music suddenly dies down which makes us wonder what will happen next. We hear a
A version of the firebird music which we heard at the beginning.

02.52 - 03.05 Listen out for the piano, flute and xylophone. They create a dry sound which could represent
the Firebird pecking at the ground.
A’
03.06 – 03.56 This is where the music makes you want to dance faster and faster. Listen out for the tiny
E flute called the piccolo. You’ll also hear the tambourine and triangle. Towards the end of this
section, you’ll hear a complicated version of music D.
03.54 – 4.26 All of the music in this section is rising higher and higher which makes the end seem really
F exciting. Two roaring noises from the brass sound like the firebird flapping her wings and
disappearing.

17
The Bluebird

Just as the phoenix has always been a

represented renewal and transformation,
the bluebird has always been a symbol of
love, hope and happiness. This is perhaps
because of their cheerful song and bright
colour. In their native America, they spend
the winter in the north and are one of the
first birds to return south. For this reason,
many believe that they welcome in the
spring.

According to several sources, a bluebird tattoo on a sailor's chest indicated

they had travelled 5,000 sea miles, and a second bluebird indicated 10,000
miles.

The Belgian writer, Maurice Maeterlinck wrote a play for

young people in 1909 called The Bluebird. In a fairy-tale-
like setting, Tyltyl and Mytyl, the son and daughter of a poor
woodcutter, are sent out by the Fairy Bérylune to search the
world for the bluebird of happiness. The children visit the
Land of Memory, the Palace of Night, and the Kingdom of
the Future. They are given a magic diamond by the fairy to
help them on their adventure. It enables them to
communicate with inanimate objects and animals. In the
first part of the story, they meet fire, water, bread, sugar
and milk!

They search everywhere for the bluebird. When they return home from their
travels, tired and disappointed, they discover that the creature was in their
bird cage all along. Tyltyl gives the bird to a neighbour’s child who has been ill;
the bird flies away. True happiness, the children learn, is usually found close to
home. It comes from making the journey, not from reaching the destination;
from seeking and not from finding; and from acting unselfishly, without
thought of reward.

Task 4
You have been asked to compose some incidental music for a production of
Maeterlinck's play, The Bluebird. Incidental music is music which is played
during breaks in a performance and helps to set the scene and get the
audience ready for what is to follow. You have a production meeting with the
director for the show who asks you to provide 40-60 seconds of music to set
the mood at the start of each scene. There are 6 scenes which will need music.
He gives you a description of each scene to inspire you:

18
The Bluebird – Writing Incidental Music for a Play. Scenes 1 - 3
Scene Description Instruments Music

1.The Wood-cutter's The interior of a wood-cutter's cottage,

Cottage simple and rustic in appearance. There is a
fireplace containing the dying embers of a
wood-fire. Kitchen utensils, a cupboard, a
bread-pan, a grandfather's clock, a spinning-
wheel, a water-tap, etc. On a table, a lighted
lamp. At the foot of the cupboard, on either
side, a dog and a cat lie sleeping, rolled up,
each with his nose in his tail. On the wall
hangs a round cage containing a turtle-dove.
Tyltyl and Mytyl are sound asleep in their
beds.

2. At the Fairy's A magnificent entrance-hall in the palace of

Palace Fairy Bérylune. Columns of gleaming marble
with gold and silver capitals, staircases,
porticoes, balustrades, etc. Enter from the
back, on the right, sumptuously clad, the cat,
sugar and fire. They come from a room which
emits rays of light; it is Fairy Bérylune's
wardrobe.

3. The Land of A thick fog, from which stands out, on the

Memory right, close to the footlights, the trunk of a
large oak, with a board nailed to it. A vague,
milky, impenetrable light prevails. Tyltyl and
Mytyl are at the foot of the oak.

19
The Bluebird – Writing Incidental Music for a Play. Scenes 4 - 6
Scene Description Instruments Music

4. The Palace of A large and wonderful hall of metallic

Night magnificence, giving the impression of a
Greek temple with columns, architraves,
flagstones and ornaments of black marble,
gold and ebony. The palace is lit only by a
vague light that seems to emanate mainly
from the brilliancy of the marble and the
ebony. At the rise of the curtain, Night
dressed as a very old woman, clad in long,
black garments, is seated on stage between
two children.

5. The Forest It is night. The moon is shining. There are

old trees of various kinds, notably an oak, a
beech, an elm, a poplar, a fir-tree, a cypress,
a lime-tree and a chestnut tree.

6. The Kingdom of The immense halls of the Azure Palace,

the Future where the children wait that are yet to be
born. Everything is of an unreal, intense,
fairy-like blue. Everywhere there are crowds
of happy children. Some are playing, others
strolling to and fro, others talking or
dreaming; many are asleep; many also are
working at future inventions.

20
 Follow these step-by-step
instructions to help you
create your incidental
music for The Bluebird. As
well as pages 22 and 23,
you will need a photocopy
of pages 20 and 21.

• Have a ‘read through’.

Just as you would in a real theatre company, read through the description of the
6 scenes of The Bluebird. Notice how each one contrasts with the one before.
There’s lots of variety.

• Divide into 6 groups.

Each group will work on the music for a particular scene change. Your teacher
will play the role of a theatre director and will assign different groups to different
scenes.

• Have a production meeting with your team.

You don't need any instruments at this stage, just your imagination. Read
through the description of the scene you are working on and think about which
instruments and kinds of sounds will help you to create the mood and
atmosphere you are looking for. For example, scenes 5 and 1 suggest some
wooden instruments like claves and xylophones where as the Fairy Palace of
scene 2 will require some more metallic sounding instruments.

• On your sheet, fill in the box marked Instruments.

Write down more instruments than you need as you might not be able to have
all of the instruments that you want. Composing music for the theatre is all
about making the best of the resources which are available to you.

• Think about the kind of music that you want to write.

Are you after fast or slow music, loud or quiet music? Will high or low, spiky or
soft music work best for the scene you are working on? Write as full a
description as you can of the music you want to write.

If you write music for theatre, TV of film, it’s really important that you create the
right atmosphere. Over the years, composers have developed certain types of
music which we associate with certain atmospheres and emotions. Have a look
through this list on page 22 and circle the words which will create the right
atmosphere for your scene, then write the appropriate musical technique into the
Music box on your sheet.

21
Atmosphere Musical Technique
Calm, peaceful Long, slow music. Drones.
Quiet
Major key

Energetic Busy repeated melodies

Fast
Moderately loud
Major key

Sad, lonely Long wandering melody for one instrument

Quiet
Minor key

Tension, suspense Low and quiet sounds

Build up of tension Sequences and repetition
Moving from low to high
Gradual increase in dynamic level

Happiness Up beat tune

Major key
Moderately loud

Joy Strong major chords

Loud

Fear Very low, strange melody

Pain/Anger Loud nasty chords

Love/Romance Long, sweet melody

Warm sound

• Instruments!

Now it's time to get the instruments. You may have to compromise on what you
can have in your group. With the instruments and a clear idea of the music you
want to create, you’re ready to get started! Remember that not everyone needs
to play at the same time. Moments when everyone plays will work best if they
are contrasted with music for 1 or 2 instruments.

You only need to compose 40 – 60 seconds of music so be clear and organized

and write something which really captures the mood of your scene. Remember,
theatre directors hate long and waffly piece of music!

Make sure you keep a record of the music which your write so that everyone
remembers what they have to do.

Get together and so that each group can perform their incidental music to the
rest of the class. You may want to read the description of the scene before you
begin to play. Does the music which you have written really help to set the
scene? If it does, well done! If not, what could you change?
22
Extras
• The bluebird has inspired lots of songwriters. One of the most famous
songs was made popular by Vera Lynn during the Second World War. The
bluebird was a symbol of peace and hope during a time when people were
separated for months at a time.

Have a listen to The White Cliffs of Dover. This version from 1942 was recorded
by Jimmy Dorsey and his orchestra. It has a spooky, jazzy intro. You’ll hear the
tune on muted brass instruments over a rumbling piano and drum. The main
tune starts at 00.36 seconds.

Follow the words and listen out for how the flute weaves a bird-like pattern when
the singer sings about the bluebird.

Thereʹll be blue birds over 
The white cliffs of Dover,  
Tomorrow, just you wait and see. 
Thereʹll be love and laughter  
And peace ever after  
Tomorrow, when the world is free. 
The shepherd will tend his sheep,  
The valley will bloom again  
And Jimmy will go to sleep,  
In his own little room again.  
Thereʹll be blue birds over 
The white cliffs of Dover,  
Tomorrow, just you wait and see. 
 
• The poet Mary Coleridge was also inspired by the flight of a bluebird and
wrote this poem. Why not have a go at using this poem to write a song of
your own?

The lake lay blue below the hill. 
Oʹer it, as I looked, there flew 
Across the waters, cold and still, 
A bird whose wings were palest blue. 

The sky above was blue at last, 
The sky beneath me blue in blue. 
A moment, ere the bird had passed, 
It caught his image as he flew. 

Mary E. Coleridge

23
 Teacher’s Notes
Listening Work
Listening and appraising work is central to developing musical understanding and is at the heart of the NC guidelines. All of these
recording are available on the internet. It may be worth recording all of them in one go so you have a CD to hand which
accompanies the work in this pack.

Track Page Composer: Title: Available at:

ref
1 Page William Byrd Will You Walk the • Go to http://www.sankey.ws/byrd.html
4 Woods so Wild • Follow this link under paragraph 2:
Download them all as a zipped file (460 kB).
• Click on the icon 90 marked BYRD90.midi

2 Page Charles Ives The Fourth of July • Go to http://www.wwnotrton.com/classical/covers/60203.htm

9 (extract) • Find the paragraph Real Audio - The Fourth of July from
Holidays (Symphony)
• At the bottom of that icon, click on 56K

3 Page Luciano Berio Sinfonia • Go to http://www.amazon.com/Berio-Sinfonia-Eindr%FCcke-

10 (extract) Pierre-Boulez/dp/B000005E60
• Scroll down the page to the section marked Listen to Samples
• Click on the listen icon next to number 3.

4 Page Negativland No Business • Go to http://negativland.com/nobiz/

10 • Click on "No Business" (4:48) Streaming Direct Download
PLEASE NOTE THAT SOME OF THE OTHER AVAIILABLE NEGATIVLAND
TRACKS CONTAIN LANGUAGE WHICH IS NOT SUITABLE FOR SCHOOL
STUDENTS.

5 Page Igor Stravinsky Infernal Dance from • Go to http://www.delosmus.com/item/de32/de3278.html

16 The Firebird • Click on Stravinski: The Firebird Suite (1919 Version), Infernal
Dance (excerpt) (4:28) (4.1mb mp3 file)

6 Page Buron and Kent The White Cliffs of • Go to http://www.dover-kent.co.uk/words/blue_birds_over.htm

23 Dover • Click on Full (1669KB) underneath the picture of the cliffs of
Dover

24
 Teacher’s Notes
The art of the variation.
Transforming something old into something new.
TASK 1
I picked the Elizabethan song, Will You Walk the Woods So Wild because it’s catchy and
easy. Encourage your students to get to know the song really well through playing and
singing before they begin to make their own sets of variations.

You’ll find a rather slow version of the song at:

http://www.contemplator.com/england/woodwild.html

You’ll also find some 17th century instructions for the dance steps which go with the tune
in John Playford’s Dancing Master of 1653. The tune was known as Greenwood.

http://www.shipbrook.com/jeff/playford/30.html

You may be interested to listen to a version of The Woods so Wild played on the lute.
You’ll find an extract here:

http://cdbaby.com/cd/adamholzman

• Click on the menu on the left. The Woods so Wild is number 1.

One of the main differences between the modern piano and the old keyboard
instruments like the virginal, harpsichord and clavichord is that the older instruments
used small quills to pluck the string rather than hammers to hit the strings. You could
explore the different ways in which keyboard instruments produce their individual
sounds. Don’t forget to include the church organ and the accordion which use bellows to
blow air into pipes.

Task 2
For this work, you’ll need a recording of William Byrd’s version of Will you Walk the
Woods so Wild. The time code I’ve used on page 4 relates to the free recording by John
Sankey. (See page 24)

Task 3
Good composition work is done when students think about the music they want to write
before they get the instruments out! Make sure that they’ve filled in the sheet on page 5
so that they have a clear idea of what they want to achieve in their piece.

EXTRAS
Some other sets of variations which might be interesting to listen to could include
Brahms’s Variations on the St Anthony Chorale and Mozart’s Variations on the popular
Children’s song Ah! Vous dirai-je, Maman. (Twinkle! Twinkle! Little star)

25
 Teacher’s Notes
Collage.
Mixing something old with something new.
Paris at the turn of the 20th century was a very exciting place. There were lots of artists,
poets, painters and composers producing some extraordinary work. You could use this
project, and the work on Stravinsky’s ballet, The Firebird (page 16-17) to explore all of
the different art forms which flourished at this time.

The BBC has a great feature on it’s website which explores the Paris of the 1920’s:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/features/paris/

• The links to art, music, style and poetry will give you lots of ideas.

Task 1
The aim here is for everyone in a group to contribute equally. It’s very easy when
students are working together on a composition for some to dominate. This approach,
where everyone has a clearly-defined task to complete, encourages them all to
contribute equally. This helps you to see how a student is getting on; your pupils will
also find it easier to evaluate their own work if they’re clear about their contribution.

These collage pieces can not only sound fantastic but they can look great too.
You might want to display them. You could even get some other musicians to perform
form the collage scores. What will they make of the signs and symbols?

EXTRAS
The American composer Charles Ives was a real musical individual. You’ll discover more
about him at the Charles Ives Society:

http://www.charlesives.org/

You can find out more about the Italian composer, Luciano Berio at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/profiles/berio.shtml

and

http://www.uemusic.at/truman/en_templates/view.php3?f_id=564&spr=en

Negativland is a really creative and unusual group of musicians who work with samples
and pre-recorded material. You’ll find more information about them at the following
address although some parts of their website aren’t particularly appropriate for a school
environment. You have been warned!

http://negativland.com/

26
 Teacher’s Notes
Transformation.
The phoenix rises from the ashes.
The ancient tale of the phoenix seems one worth telling with the Snape Maltings concert
hall undergoing refurbishment and renovation. The story is a fantastic one to explore
with your class because there are so many versions from different cultures in different
parts of the world.

This version from http://www.monstrous.com/monsters/phoenix.htm may be a good

place to start. You’ll also find different versions of the story form across the world at this
site.
The Phoenix
There is a bird that lays no eggs and has no young. It was here when the world began and is still 
living today, in a hidden, faraway desert spot. It is the phoenix, the bird of fire.  

One day in the beginning times, the sun looked down and saw a large bird with shimmering 
feathers. They were red and gold‐‐bright and dazzling like the sun itself. The sun called out, 
ʺGlorious Phoenix, you shall be my bird and live forever!ʺ  

Live forever! The Phoenix was overjoyed to hear these words. It lifted its head and sang, ʺSun 
glorious sun, I shall sing my songs for you alone!ʺ  

But the Phoenix was not happy for long. Poor bird. Its feathers were far too beautiful. Men, women, 
and children were always casing it and trying to trap it. They wanted to have some of those 
beautiful, shiny feathers for themselves.  

ʺI cannot live here,ʺ thought the phoenix. And it flew off toward the east, where the sun rises in the 
morning.  

The Phoenix flew for a long time, and then came to a far away, hidden desert where no humans 
lived. And there the phoenix remained in peace, flying freely and singing its songs of praise to the 
sun above.  

Almost five hundred years passed. The Phoenix was still alive, but it had grown old. It was often 
tired, and it had lost much of its strength. It couldnʹt soar so high in the sky, nor fly as fast or as far as 
it was young.  

ʺI donʹt want to live like this,ʺ thought the Phoenix. ʺI want to be young and strong.ʺ  

So the Phoenix lifted its head and sang, ʺSun, glorious sun, make me young and strong again!ʺ but 
the sun didnʹt answer. Day after day the Phoenix sang. When the sun still didnʹt answer, the Phoenix 
decided to return to the place where it had lived in the beginning and ask the sun one more time.  

It flew across the desert, over hills, green valleys, and high mountains. The journey was long, and 
because the Phoenix was old and weak, it had to rest along the way. Now, the Phoenix has a keen 
sense of smell and is particularly fond of herbs and spices. So each time it landed, it collected pieces  

27
 Teacher’s Notes  
 
of cinnamon bark and all kinds of fragrant leaves. It tucked some in among its feathers and carried 
the rest in its claws.  
 
When at last the bird came to the place that had once been its home, it landed on a tall palm tree 
growing high on a mountainside. Right at the top of the tree, the Phoenix built a nest with the 
cinnamon bark and lined it with the fragrant leaves. Then the Phoenix flew off and collected some 
sharp‐scented gum called myrrh, which it had seen oozing out of a nearby tree. The Phoenix made an 
egg from the myrrh and carried the egg back to the nest.  
 
Now everything was ready. The Phoenix sat down in its nest, lifted its head, and sang, ʺSun, glorious 
sun, make me young and strong again!ʺ  
 
This time the sun heard the song. Swiftly it chased the clouds from the sky and stilled the winds and 
shone down on the mountainside with all its power.  
 
The animals, the snakes, the lizards, and every other bird hid from the sunʹs fierce rays ‐‐ in caves 
and holes, under shady rocks and trees. Only the Phoenix sat upon its nest and let the suns rays beat 
down upon it beautiful, shiny feathers.  
 
Suddenly there was a flash of light, flames leaped out of the nest, and the Phoenix became a big 
round blaze of fire.  
 
After a while the flames died down. The tree was not burnt, nor was the nest. But the Phoenix was 
gone. In the nest was a heap of silvery‐gray ash.  
 
The ash began to tremble and slowly heave itself upward. From under the ash there rose up a young 
Phoenix. It was small and looked sort of crumpled, but it stretched its neck and lifted its wings and 
flapped them. Moment by moment it grew, until it was the same size as the old Phoenix. It looked 
around, found the egg made of myrrh, and hollowed it out. Then it placed the ashes inside and 
finally closed up the egg. The young Phoenix lifted its head and sang, ʺSun, glorious sun, I shall sing 
my songs for you alone! Forever and ever!ʺ  
 
When the song ended, the wind began to blow, the clouds came scudding across the sky, and the 
other living creatures crept out of their hiding places.  
 
Then the Phoenix, with the egg in its claws, flew up and away. At the same time, a cloud of birds of 
all shapes and sizes rose up from the earth and flew behind the Phoenix, singing together, ʺYou are 
the greatest of birds! You are our king!ʺ  
 
The birds flew with the Phoenix to the temple of the sun that the Egyptians had built at Heliopolis, 
city of the sun. Then the Phoenix placed the egg with the ashes inside on the sunʹs altar.  
ʺNow,ʺ said the Phoenix, ʺI must fly on alone.ʺ And while the other birds watched, it flew off toward 
the faraway desert.  
 
The Phoenix lives there still. But every five hundred years, when it begins to feel weak and old, it 
flies west to the same mountain. There it builds a fragrant nest on top of a palm tree, and there the 
sun once again burns it to ashes. But each time, the Phoenix rises up from those ashes, fresh and new 
and young again. 

28
 

Teacher’s Notes
Task 1
You will need to have done some research to find out about the different versions of the
phoenix story. Find a map of the world or a globe and see how the story has travelled
from place to place.

Task 2
This is all about your class re-inventing the phoenix story for itself and about exploring a
tale through different but complimentary art forms. You need to be flexible in your
approach as different pupils will be working on different parts of the story.

For the first part, each group will need a copy of the Phoenix Storyboard sheet on page
12. You will also need another copy of this sheet blown up to A3 when you come back
together as a whole class.

The Firebird
Stravinsky’s ballet is based on several versions of the Russian story, Ivan Tsarevich, the
Firebird, and the Gray Wolf. If you’re interested in finding out more about this story, go
to:

http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/

• This is a great site which has fairy tales and folklore from all over the world.

Task 4
This part of Stravinsky’s ballet is incredibly exciting and was used in the Disney film,
Fantasia. Photocopy the listening notes on page 17 which go with the recording of the
Infernal Dance. (See page 24)

If you want to find out more about the ballet and hear some other music, go to:

http://www.braunarts.com/firebird/index.html

• It’s an interactive website based on Stravinsky’s ballet.

The Bluebird

In August, on an extremely wet afternoon in Edinburgh, I found a copy of an out-of-

print children’s book called Blue Bird. It was so strange and so inspiring that I thought
that it would be good to include some work based on it. I’m aware that recommending
an out-of-print book isn’t that helpful, so I’ve also recommended other versions of the
story which are freely available on the internet. The book which I discovered in
Edinburgh is widely available second hand. You might even have a copy at school or in
your local library. Here are the details:

The book is called Maurice Maeterlinck’s Blue Bird and it’s by Brian Wildsmith. The ISBN
number is 0 19 279714.

29
The story concerns the adventures of Tyltyl and Myltl as they search for the bluebird of
happiness. The book is full of transformations, as milk and water come alive to speak to
the children. The 1970’s psychedelic illustrations of the book really capture the mood of
the story.

Brian Wildsmith based his book on the original play by the Nobel Prize winner, Maurice
Maeterlinck. It was extremely popular at the turn of the century. You can download a
free copy of the play here:

http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/8606

• There’s also a book version made by Maeterlinck’s wife called The Children’s Blue
Bird which contains beautiful illustrations:

http://www.kellscraft.com/ChildsBlueBird/childbluebirdcontent.html

Task 4
This task is all about composing music with a particular function in mind, that of writing
incidental music for a play. Your students will each need a copy of pages 19 and 20.
They contain Maeterlinck’s bizarre and fantastical descriptions of each scene change (a
nightmare for the stage crew!) These will inspire your students.

I’ve set a time limit of a minute for each piece of incidental music. Setting a time limit
can really help your composers to tighten up their music. Obviously, if they end up a bit
longer, that’s fine. I’ve also suggested they have a clear idea of the music which they
want to write in their heads before they get the instruments out. This is a very good
idea: it can help them to be more constructive and creative and can save you from a big
headache at the end of the day.

There’s a strong feel-good message in the play and the book:

True happiness is usually found close to home. It comes from making the journey,
not from reaching the destination; from seeking and not from finding; and from
acting unselfishly, without thought of reward.

These are ideas which you may want to explore further with your students.
Why not use one of the versions of the story to make an out-of-the ordinary school
production. You’ll already have some incidental music to accompany your production!

Listen
The popularity of a song like the White Cliffs of Dover can slightly prevent us from
noticing what a good song it is. You could make a version of it with your children.

Other songs inspired by the bluebird theme are:

• Harold Arlen’s Somewhere Over the Rainbow sung by Judy Garland in The Wizard
of Oz.
• Beech & Trenet’s I Wish You Love sung by Frank Sinatra.
• Marvin Rainwater’s Gonna Find me a Bluebird

If you really get onto the bluebird trail, you’ll find this website very useful:

http://www.sialis.or

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