GCSE Music

A guide to the Areas of Study

 JDW 2008
What are the Areas of Study?

 MusicFor Celebration
 Musical Arrangements
 Musical Traditions in Ireland
Let’s look in detail at

Music For Celebration

What does the syllabus say?
Students consider:

 how music can have several functions which are related to the cultural, political,
philosophical and religious conditions which have evolved across time and place, and how
music has been used to celebrate events, people and places across these contexts;
 how the status and conditions of work for the composer changed across time from one of
servitude under patronage (producing music to order across a wide range of functions) to
one of some independence (Mozart, Beethoven, Berlioz) to the working contexts and status
of present-day composers;
 how the patronage of the Church, State and wealthy individuals has been replaced by
institutions such as the Arts Council, the BBC and a wide range of autonomous orchestral
and musical societies and other corporate bodies who commission works;
 how the parameters of a composition are set by factors, such as its required length and
venue for performance, commissioner’s/audience expectation, chosen or
requested/available resources and cultural conventions of the time and place; and
 how there are characteristics which are common to all music which is celebratory, for
example the need to support and reflect the nature of the particular celebration, to draw the
listener’s attention, stir the emotions, lift the spirit and create a sense of well-being.
What is Music for Celebration?

Music for Celebration is music that has

been written in celebration of
something like an occasion or event.
Music for Celebration - Set works

La Rejouissance - Handel
We Are the Champions - Queen
African Sanctus - Fanshawe
La Rejouissance
La Rejouissance is one of
the movements from a piece
called Music for the Royal
Fireworks. It was composed
by Handel in 1749 under
contract of George II of
Great Britain for the
fireworks in London's Green
Park on 27 April 1749. It was
to celebrate the end of the
War of the Austrian
Succession and the signing
of the Treaty of Aix-la-
Chapelle. Here is a picture
of the composer
La Rejouissance - General
La Rejouissance was the 4th Movement from Music
For the Royal Fireworks.
The piece is in the key of D Major, which is one factor
that makes this a celebratory piece.
It contains two main sections. A piece which has two
sections is said to be in Binary Form. To keep things
simple, we will call them Section A and Section B. La
Rejouissance is written in the following order:

AABB
La Rejouissance - Instruments
La Rejouissance was written for the following
instruments:
24 oboes
12 bassoons
1 double bassoon
9 horns
9 trumpets
percussion
strings
La Rejouissance - Listening