MU2 (ii)

GCE MUSIC
COMPOSING FOLIO

Name of Centre
Candidates
Name

Caerleon Comprehensive School

Centre Number
Candidate
Number

Emma Smith

68312
1189

NOTICE TO CANDIDATE
The work you submit for assessment must be your own. If you copy from someone else, allow another
candidate to copy from you, or if you cheat in any other way, you may be disqualified from at least the subject
concerned.
Declaration by candidate - I have read and understood the Notice to Candidate (above). I have produced the
attached work without assistance other than that which my teacher has explained is acceptable within the specification.

Candidates signature: E.Smith.

Composition 1 (Western Classical Tradition) Title: Der Walzer Der Auerirdischen

Date: 05/05/16

Stimulus (to be completed by candidate).

We looked at four part harmonies based on Bach chorales. I have written a romantic composition for a
string quartet.
General details of composing (to be completed by candidate). Include exact details of how composing
software was used (samples/loops/use of arrangement facility, etc). For live performances candidates must
provide exact details of their individual contribution during the recording process.
I used the keyboard on Garage Band to create my melodies and the chords to go with it. Next I put it into
Sibelius. I decided to use Sibelius because I find it easier to use than Garage Band and Ive had previous
experiences of Sibelius. However, I used Garage Band to start because it was the only software that was
available to me at the time.
I was inspired to write four part harmonies when I was studying Bach chorales so I decided to base my
piece on a melody over the top of chords. The devices I have used are:
Sequence
Range of dynamics
Varied tempo
Ternary form
Modulation
Simple triple time
Counter melodies
Block and broken chords
Arpeggiaic patterns
Balanced phrases
Diatonic harmony
Homophonic texture
Antiphonal writing
Motivic development
Quasi-fugue
Contrary motion
Augmentation
Retrograde motion
Cadences and appropriate chordal patterns
I have named the piece Der Walzer Der Auerirdischen (English translation: The Waltz of the Aliens)
because my work sounds similar to Murray Golds music and he writes music for Doctor Who. The title is in
German because I did some research and discovered that the Viennese Waltz (the earliest of the Waltzes)
GCE Form MU2(ii) (AS)/p1

SUPERVISION AND MONITORING: Composition 1 (Western Classical Tradition).

The following three sections are to be completed by the candidate and countersigned by the
teacher during the composition process to show development and progress.
CHECK 1
Describe the planning and opening draft, including any advice received during the initial stages of the
composition.
First I made a sequence with a different melody every four bars on Garage Band. It was for piano only (but
had three parts, one bass clef and two treble clef) and in 4/4. I wrote it in Bb major and put appropriate block
chords underneath. The piece was going to be a rondo with ABACA. The texture was homophonic with a
melody over the top of block chords. The A sections were legato and made mainly of crotchets and quavers.
I wrote in four bar phrases with a tempo for 72 crotchet beats in a minute. I also started developing the B
section which had modulated to G minor (the relative minor key). The harmony was mainly made up of
quavers and semiquavers and in a staccato style. It was also at a faster pace of Allegro and it was louder. In
the B section the piano played a different chord for every beat of the bar. The second A section stayed in the
minor key and had some ornamentation added to the melody. The piece modulated again to Eb major for
the C section and the tempo slowed down to 87 crotchet beats per minute. The melody moved into the other
right hand piano part and the first right hand piano part made up the notes to the chords. In the final A
section the piano continued to have the melody and sometimes the left and right hand played in rhythmic
unison. There was a small codetta at the end which ended in a perfect cadence.

Teacher signature:

Date:

CHECK 2
Explain the process of composition during the developmental stages of the piece, including the nature of any
help or advice received.
I input the notes to Sibelius and changed the instrumentation to Flute and Piano. I also changed the time to
3/4 because it flowed better. My teacher suggested that I change the chord progression because I was
using consecutive chords with very few cadences. Therefore I created new chord progressions so that my
four bar phrases ended in cadences. My B and C sections were too contrasting so I redesigned my ideas. I
extended the A section so that after 16 bars there was a modulation to F major and the right hand piano had
the melody and the flute played notes to complete the chords. I used a pivot chord to make the modulation
flow nicely (chord I of Bb major which is chord IV of F major). The B section (starts bar 33) continued in F
major and kept the same tempo. It took on a melody based on quavers and a few semiquavers but it was
still quite legato. However this section was more dynamic and had a bigger range of pitch. Whereas the A
section moved mainly in step, the B section did this less so. The A section came back in bar 41 with
ornamentation added to the melody. There is another modulation back to the tonic key using another pivot
chord (chord IV of F major which is chord I of Bb major). It ends with a plagal cadence.

Teacher signature:

Date:

CHECK 3
Describe the final stages of the compositional process, including details of presentation and advice received.
I changed the instrumentation to a string quartet containing a violin, viola, cello and double bass so that I
could explore the different techniques that string players can use. I didnt change much of the A section. For
the first sixteen bars the violin has the melody and the viola, cello and double bass make up the chords.
There is double stopping in the viola part to include all the parts of the chord. I asked a viola player if my
double stops were possible and made appropriate changes where it was necessary. In bars 17-32, the viola
plays what the violin previously played and the violin plays a counter melody over the top. The cello and
double bass make the chords underneath.
For the B section I created a quasi-fugue with thee violin and viola and the double bass and the cello move
in thirds to create the chords, they are plucking these notes to make it sound more staccato. There is some
contrary motion between the violin and viola.
To change the last A section I created antiphonal writing between the violin and viola. The cello and the
double bass continue to pluck the notes of the chords. At bar 57 the piece is played in retrograde motion
and the cell is back to bowing the strings. I also added a four bar codetta to finish the piece which has a
homophonic texture and augmentation of the original motif. I added dynamics, accents, vibrato and a
rallentando where appropriate. My piece ends on a perfect cadence and is 2 minutes and 12 seconds long.

Teacher signature:
GCE Form MU2(ii) (AS)/p2

Date:

Composition 2 (Free Composition) - Title: Thema ac Amrwyiadau gyda Grwndfas

Stimulus (to be completed by candidate).
I have written a theme and variation with a ground bass for piccolo and piano. Originally I was inspired by
the Chinese pentatonic scale before being inspired by compositions with a theme and variations.
General details of composing (to be completed by candidate). Include exact details of how
composing software was used (samples/loops/use of arrangement facility, etc). For live performances
candidates must provide exact details of their individual contribution during the recording process.
I used a keyboard to create the chords and the melody over the top. After that I input the notes to
Sibelius.
I have written a piece mainly in duple compound time in F# major and have used the following devices:
Repetition
Diatonic harmony
Theme and variations
Ground bass
Balanced phrases
Varying dynamics
Varying tempos
Change in time signature
Modulation
Contrary motion
Block chords
Scalic patterns
Varying texture
Motivc development
I have named my composition Thema ac Amrwyiadau gyda Grwndfas (English translation: Theme and
Variations with a Ground bass) because it describes the piece and show my Welsh connection and the
Welsh ancestry that Ralph Vaughn Williams has. I was inspired by his Fantasia on a Theme.

GCE Form MU2(ii) (AS)/p3

SUPERVISION AND MONITORING: Composition 2 (Free Composition).

The following three sections are to be completed by the candidate and countersigned by
the teacher during the composition process to show development and progress.
CHECK 1
Describe the planning and opening draft, including any advice received during the initial stages of the
composition.
At first I planned to create a piece of music for piano and piccolo in F# major so I could base it on the
Chinese pentatonic scale. I created a motif in the right hand piano that was eight bars long. That motif
moved to the left hand and I created a melody in the right hand to go over the top of the motif in the left
hand. In the 9th bar I created another four bar countermelody in the piccolo. The texture started off as
monophonic and built up to polyphonic. The time signature was 3/4 and there were 75 crotchet beats in a
minute. The melody in the right hand piano was mainly made up of quavers, chordal sequence was made
up of dotted minims and the melody in the piccolo was made up of mainly semiquavers.

Teacher signature:
CHECK 2

Date:

Explain the process of composition during the developmental stages of the piece, including the nature of
any help or advice received.
I soon realised that my composition sounded better in 9/8 so thats what I changed it to. The phrases were
three bars long and there was 90 quaver beats in a minute. The chordal sequence was now made up of
dotted crotchets and quavers, the second right hand piano melody was made up of mainly semi quavers
and the piccolo was made up of mainly demisemiquavers. However I was made aware of the fact that the
person playing the piccolo would find it difficult to breathe so I adapted the melody to change this. I started
to create a B section so the composition would either be in binary or ternary form.

Teacher signature:
CHECK 3

Date:

Describe the final stages of the compositional process, including details of presentation and advice
received.
As I tried extending my composition I found it difficult to develop the melody that I had created, therefore I
looked at the shape of my melody and created a simplified melody that followed the shape of the original. I
had become inspired by listening to Fantasia on a Theme by Ralph Vaughn Williams so I decided to create
a theme and variations. I changed the time signature to 6/8 as the new melody suited this and I was still
able to use the chord sequence that I had previously made up. The composition is now in eight bar phrases
with varying tempos. The texture still starts off monophonic before thickening to homophonic and then to
polyphonic before it goes back to monophonic to end. To me this represents the calm before and after the
storm; that everything will calm down and return to what it used to be in the end. I also added suitable
dynamics to make the piece more expressive. In bar 18 there is a modulation. I was able to use adapted
versions of the melodies I made up in check one as variations. This composition lasts 3 minutes and 21
seconds.

Teacher signature:

GCE Form MU2(ii) (AS)/p4

Date:

MU2 COMPOSING FOLIO ASSESSMENT

Centre Name

Centre Number

Candidate
Name

Candidate
Number

Composition One
(Western Classical Tradition)

Centre
Mark

Moderator
Mark

Composition Two
(Free Composition)

Title:

Title:

Understanding of balance, form

and structure

Understanding of balance, form

and structure

/10

/10

/10

/10

Development of musical ideas

Appropriate use of voices,
instruments and/or synthesized
sounds

Moderator
Mark

/10

/10

/10

/10

/10

/10

/10

/10

/10

/10

/10

/10

/60

/60

Development of musical ideas

/10

/10

/10

/10

Control of texture

Appropriate use of voices,

instruments and/or synthesized
sounds
Control of texture

Understanding of appropriate
harmonic procedures

/10

/10

/10

/10

Consistency of style

Understanding of appropriate
harmonic procedures
Consistency of style

Total

Total
/60

Centre comment and total mark

TOTAL

Centre
Mark

/60

Moderator comment and total mark

/120 TOTAL

/120

Declaration by teacher
I confirm that the candidates work was conducted under the conditions laid out by the specification.
I have authenticated the candidates work and am satisfied that to the best of my knowledge the work produced is
solely that of the candidate.

Teachers signature:

Date:

Moderators signature:

Date:

GCE Form MU2(ii) (AS)/p5