Station Road

Athenry
athenrymusicschool@gmail.com
087-7816811

Dear Music Teacher,

I hope you had a well deserved break after what I am sure was a very hectic Christmas
period! We have a very exciting concert in Athenry on the 20 th January, and while it is
short notice, we hope this concert will be of interest and indeed benefit to your
students.
Concert details:
Raheen Woods Hotel, Athenry Friday 20 th January @ 8pm. Student tickets are 5 with
the accompanying teacher free.
Trio Elatha: Zoe Conway fiddle, Ailbhe McDonagh cello and Brendan Walsh classical
guitar
Zoe Conway is an All-Ireland fiddle champion and has an international traditional and
classical career as a soloist. Ailbhe McDonagh is a composer and teacher on faculty
with the RIAM, has received workshops from Julian Lloyd Weber and has performed in
Carnegie Hall! Brendan Walsh is a leading classical guitarist. Originally from Clare he
has studied with all the major guitarists in Europe and is director of the international
guitar ensemble, Diversus.
Athenry Youth Orchestras and St Patricks Brass Band are also performing and the
finale of the concert is a world premiere of a specially commissioned work for Trio,
Orchestra and Brass Band!
Two of the biggest issues within Junior and Leaving Certificate music are instrument
recognition and aural perception. AMS is endeavouring through a programme of local
concerts to bring the less well known instruments to the ears and eyes of our young
students.

Worksheets (with answer booklet for teachers) are attached at the bottom of this
document with a series of questions linked to the junior cert and leaving cert syllabus.
I am aware of the difficulty in collecting money in advance from students and also the
short time frame. Therefore if you are interested please email numbers to
athenrymusicschool@gmail.com and we will reserve your school seats and hold tickets
at the door. We are hoping for a fantastic response to this concert so please note that
doors open at 7.30 and any tickets not collected by 7.50 will be reallocated.
Athenry Youth Orchestras were founded with 16 members in 2008. It has grown to
involve 5 weekly rehearsing ensembles with over 100 members. Orchestral playing
increases fluency in playing and reading and provides a social forum which lessens the
likelihood of teenage drop-out from music education. We also select repertoire that
can double as small ensemble music for Junior Cert and Leaving Cert Practicals.
If you have any students interested please feel free to pass on our contact details.
Ensembles as follows:

Athenry Youth Orchestra (Grade 3 +) age 10 to 19: Thurs 7pm-8.30pm

Junior Orchestra (Grade 1 and 2) age 8 to 12: Thurs 6pm-7pm

Grupa Ceoil (fluent jig playing in D,G,C major necessary): Wed 7pm-8pm

Harp Ensemble (beginners welcome): Wed 7pm-8pm

Guitar Orchestra (Grade 1) age 10 to 19: Tues 6pm-7pm

We also have some of the less available instruments available for interested students.
Term fee 185 with free hire for a year
-

Trombone (1 place)

Clarinet (1 place)

Trumpet (1 place)

Mini Bassoon (2 places)

Sincere thanks for all your help and hope to see you on the 20 th,

Katharine

Katharine Mannion
Director

STUDENT WORKSHEETS- Athenry Music School

The Journey Suite- for Athenry Youth Orchestra
Mannion

K.

What is an orchestral suite? ______________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
1.

Movement 1: The Journey

Describe the opening 8 bars
____________________________________________________________________

Describe the rhythm of the bass immediately after this

____________________________________________________________________

What instruments has the melody all the way through the first main section?
_____________________________________________________________________

Describe the instrumentation.

________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________

How would you describe the form of the piece?

________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

Are there any recurring ideas or sections in The Journey?

_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
On the last chord the orchestra plays (a fermata)

tremolo

2.

fermata

pizz

Skeletons
Describe the tonality
_______________________________________________________________________

Describe the instrumental technique used by the strings during the opening
_______________________________________________________________________

Describe the melody the flute and trumpets have during their first entry
_______________________________________________________________________

Which instruments play the solo melody during the pianissimo section?
_______________________________________________________________________

How is contrast provided between sections?

________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

Describe the textural changes throughout the piece? Describe them in the order
they appear in the piece.
________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

The material from the introduction appears again at the end of the piece.
Compare the two statements
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

3.

Its all gone pear shaped!

How does the rhythm of the piece reflect the title?
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

Describe the tonality

_______________________________________________________________________

Just after the first section which instruments play a tango like rhythm?
_______________________________________________________________________

Over the tango rhythm the 1st and 2nd violins and flutes play
even crotchets

triplets

sustained notes

4.

The Janus Head

Describe the melody used in cello and bass line
_______________________________________________________________________

Describe the tonality.

_______________________________________________________________________

What word can describe a repeated bass line?

_______________________________________________________________________

What form is created by the use of a repeated bass line?

_______________________________________________________________________

What compositional device is used throughout this piece?

_______________________________________________________________________

Which instrument has an obligato line at the end of the piece?

_______________________________________________________________________

What is an obligato? ______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Kreisler
5. Is this piece a symphony or concerto style composition and why?

____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

6. Describe the string accompaniment at the start.

____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

7. Describe the tempo

____________________________________________________________________
8. Describe the tonality
____________________________________________________________________

9. Describe the solo line

____________________________________________________________________

10.When the tempo changes to Allegro which 3 instrumental techniques does the
soloist use?

Trills

double stopping

pizz

Harmonies

spiccato

arco

11.How does this piece make you feel?

____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

Finale: Alarm Hammer

Listen to the story of this piece given by the composer.
What type of music has a story and describe how the title is reflected in the music.
______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________

TEACHERS COPY!! answers in brackets!

The Journey Suite- for Athenry Youth Orchestra
Mannion

composed by K.

What is an orchestral suite? ______________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
1.

The Journey
Describe the opening 8 bars (sustained chords on all instruments- homophonic
texture)
____________________________________________________________________

Describe the rhythm of the bass immediately after this (syncopated)

____________________________________________________________________

What instruments has the melody all the way through the first main section?
(Trumpets &double bass)
_____________________________________________________________________

Describe the instrumentation.

The melody is passed around the upper strings. When they are not playing the
melody they play a constant broken chord quaver figure. The celli also have the
broken chord quaver repeated figure. The flutes, harp, trombones and timpani
have a syncopated accompaniment. The Glockenspiel has a chordal syncopated
accompaniment part during the last section.
_______________________________________________________________________How
would you describe the form of the piece? (Ritornello/ Rondo/ Symmetrical/
ABACADA )____________________________________________________________

Are there any recurring ideas or sections in The Journey? (The A section of 8
bars is used as a recurring section. The syncopated rhythm is used as an
accompaniment in the B and D sections. The melody of B is used again in D.
The melody of C is used as a countermelody in D)

On the last chord the orchestra plays (a fermata)

tremolo

2.

fermata

pizz

Skeletons
Describe the tonality (minor)

Describe the instrumental technique used by the strings during the opening
(pizzicato)

Describe the melody the flute and trumpets have during their first entry
(sustained and chromatic)

Which instruments play the solo melody during the pianissimo section? Flute

How is contrast provided between sections? (dynamics- forte to piano,

instrumentation, brass and woodwind drop out and then are added again,
differing rhythmic accompaniment ideas- from quavers to semiquavers, textural
changes from melody and accompaniment to antiphonal and then imitative)

Describe the textural changes throughout the piece? Describe them in the order
they appear in the piece- Homophonic, Antiphonal, Imitative, Polyphonic

The material from the introduction appears again at the end of the piece.
Compare the two statements. (Extra countermelody on violins at the end that
changes the texture from Homophonic to Polyphonic)
_______________________________________________________________________

3.

Its all gone pear shaped!

How does the rhythm of the piece reflect the title? (Syncopated opening with
sections that have unpredictable rests and sharing of the melodic line in a
klangfarbenmelodie technique (also used in Tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet)
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

Describe the tonality (major)

_______________________________________________________________________

Just after the first section which instruments play a tango like rhythm? Cello
_______________________________________________________________________

Over the tango rhythm the 1st and 2nd violins and flutes play
even crotchets

4.

triplets

sustained notes

The Janus Head

Describe the melody used in cello and bass line. (descending and ascending by
step)
_______________________________________________________________________

Describe the tonality. (minor)

_______________________________________________________________________

What word can describe a repeated bass line?

_______________________________________________________________________

What form is created by the use of a repeated bass line? (Chaconne/

Passacaglia- AS Bach Mvt 1)

What compositional device is used throughout this piece? (Canonic imitation)

_______________________________________________________________________

Which instrument has an obligato line at the end of the piece? Piccolo
_______________________________________________________________________

What is an obligato? ______________________________________________________

Kreisler
1. Is this piece a symphony or concerto style composition and why?
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

2. Describe the string accompaniment at the start.

____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

3. Describe the tempo

____________________________________________________________________
4. Describe the tonality
____________________________________________________________________

5. Describe the solo line

____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

6. When the tempo changes to Allegro which 3 instrumental techniques does

the soloist use?

Trills

double stopping

pizz

Harmonies

spiccato

arco

7. How does this piece make you feel?

____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

Finale: Alarm Hammer

Listen to the verbal introduction of the story of this piece by the composer.

What type of music has a story and describe how the title is reflected in the music.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
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