Teaching Materials | Examinations

Edexcel AoS2: Clara Schumann Piano Trio in G minor, Op. 17 (first movement)

The G minor Piano Trio is undoubtedly one of Clara Schumann's best-known compositions, and a fine example of Romantic chamber music. This resource covers the essential musical features of the work, as...

Secondary education

AQA AoS4: Music for theatre – part two

In this second part of a two-part resource, we will look at the contributions to the genre of the three living composers of the five named by AQA – Stephen Sondheim, Claude-Michel Schönberg and Jason...

Secondary education

AQA A level AoS1: Baroque solo concerto

This resource aims to provide resources and strategies for how to approach the Area of Study with your classes. These will include ideas for where to start with tackling the context of the Baroque...

Secondary education

AQA AoS4: Music for theatre – part one

In this first part of a two-part resource, we'll look at the contributions to the genre of the two earliest composers named by AQA, and the only two no longer living – Kurt Weill and Richard Rodgers.

Secondary education

OCR AoS2: Popular song – Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra

One of the attractive features of the OCR A level syllabus is the thoroughly enjoyable repertoire covered by this particular Area of Study. However, while the songs themselves have instant appeal, it...

Secondary education

Edexcel AoS1: Vaughan Williams's On Wenlock Edge

On Wenlock Edge is a song cycle by Ralph Vaughan Williams that sets some of AE Housman's poems from his collection A Shropshire Lad. Published in 1896, the 63 poems in A Shropshire Lad reflect a...

Secondary education

OCR AoS1: Beethoven's Eroica Symphony, first movement

The first movement of the Eroica is of epic length, built on a nexus of closely related themes, with rebellious touches that merit inspection in every paragraph.
This resource is about how to navigate...

Secondary education

Composing to a brief

All the GCSE boards stipulate that one of the two submitted compositions must be composed to a brief set by the board. The good thing about this is that choosing from a range of options is almost...

Secondary education

Edexcel A level AoS3: Music for film, part 2

In the previous resource on Edexcel's film music Area of Study (Music Teacher, November 2017), we looked in detail at music from the film Psycho. In this second resource, we're going to consider the...

Secondary education

Edexcel A level AoS4: Revolver by the Beatles

The Beatles’ seventh album Revolver was released in August 1966. Following Rubber Soul and preceding Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (discussed in its own Music Teacher resource, February 2017),...

Secondary education

OCR AoS5: Programme music, 1820‑1910

For each of the main pieces covered by this resource, there will be information about its context, background and programme (story). Details regarding each of the musical areas likely to come up in...

Secondary education

Women composers

In this resource I want to go beyond just raising awareness. I want to help teachers and students get ‘under the bonnet’ by looking at some of the rich and diverse composing approaches and strategies...

Secondary education