Good morning Class 4!
I hope you are all well and you are looking forward to the weekend! Maybe the sunshine will come back?
A fun music activity for you all today because you have worked so hard this week!
Today we will be looking at the composer Benjamin Britten.
Benjamin Britten, was a noted English composer, pianist and conductor.
Benjamin was born in the county of Suffolk, in 1913.
Benjamin’s father was a dentist, and a music lover, his mother played the piano and sang.
Benjamin began to play the piano and composed his first musical piece when he was five.
After leaving school he entered the Royal College of Music where he studied for three years.
At 19 Benjamin began to work as a musician for a small film company writing music for films and later for radio plays, as well as children’s songs .
When the Second World War broke out, Britten gave concerts for the British army, never giving up composing music.
Benjamin Britten composed a piece of music which perfectly portrays a storm at sea. It is called ‘Storm’.
I would like you to listen to the piece of music here:
For more on this piece of music click here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/nbGMVskcL8FqFqxcHxgsd5/storm-interlude-from-peter-grimes-by-benjamin-britten
Then complete the following tasks…
Task 1:
Listen to the music.
Think about how the composer, Benjamin Britten, creates a storm through his music.
Which instruments can you hear? Which parts of the storm do you think each instrument creates?
For example, I think the drums represent the loud thunder.
On the blog, write a short paragraph about what you thought about this piece of music and describe how Benjamin Britten creates the imagery of a storm in this composition.
Task 2:
As a response to this musical masterpiece, create some art work which shows the image that the music creates as you listen to it.
You might want to think about the mood that is created and choose colours to match this.
You might want to create an image of an actual storm at sea as that it what Benjamin Britten was trying to create through his music.
You might want to sketch the different waves, drawing them bigger as the music gets louder.
You might do some painting and create a beautiful abstract piece.
You can be as creative as you like.
When you have created your wonderful art work, send it in and then on the blog describe how your art work portrays the music by Benjamin Britten.
Here are some ideas…
I can’t wait to see your art pieces and read your fantastic ideas.
I will make an art piece too! I think it will be nice and relaxing to do some drawing!
Enjoy!
From Miss Lee 🙂
PS. Did you know…
There is a memorial for Benjamin Britten in Aldeburgh, a town in Suffolk by the sea.
FOR A PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS BLOG, PLEASE CLICK HERE: Music
Hello Miss lee!?
I liked the music ?and here is my summary.
I think the drums represented the thunder and the violin represents the wind blowing about. Also, I think the trumpets represented a ship on the sea getting attacked by the storm.
I will send you my piece of art work.??????
Hello Holly!
I am glad you enjoyed the music!
Some great ideas, yes the violins do sound a bit like the wind frantically blowing!
I look forward to seeing your art work!
I have just had a video meeting with all of the St. Vincent teachers but now I am going to start my art work!
TASK 1
I think that the violin and the cello were used to make it more dramatic, piano was used i think for louder dramatic sounds, drums for the shocking thunder.
TASK 2
I have sent my art work to the office
Good ideas Albert!
Yes a cello would help to make some dramatic sounds I am sure!
Which instrument did you like the sound of best?
I look forward to seeing your art work!
I think the violin ? creates the wind blowing about, the drums?, the thunder and the trumpet ? gives it a dramatic sound. halfway through, there is a calm part. I think this represents the eye of the storm, where it is very calm.
Great ideas! Yes I agree, when the music slows down and gets softer I can really imagine the storm calming for a few moments!
Hello Miss Lee,
I enjoyed the piece throughly, here is what I thought of it.
Task 1;
I thought that the drums were meant to be lightning and thunder because of the loud booms it made. The cello was probably to mimic the sea when it crashes on to rocks. The quieter instruments were probably to make the storm a bit more realistic.
Task 2;
I will make my creation in the afternoon and will send a photo of it to you.
Sophie
Hello Sophie, I am glad you enjoyed the music!
Some good ideas, yes I agree the layering of instruments really helps us to imagine the different elements of the storm!
I look forward to seeing your creation!
Task 1:
I think he kind of use the drums and the trumpet and the drums where in the back round so the drums where a little bit quieter than the trumpet so when it begins the drums go first and then after little bit of drums the trumpet goes can the violin, trumpets, clarinets ,drums and the piano think the piano makes the footsteps the trumpet is the storm the violin is the lighting and the drums are the wind . I think that the piece is really good . it was stormy, windy, cold, lightning
task 2: i will do it
Hello Giordano!
Wow, great to see you have really thought about this piece of music!
Did you enjoy it?
Good ideas, yes the drums could represent the strong wind! I hadn’t thought of that!
I look forward to seeing your second task!
Hello Miss Lee,
I think Benjamin Britten’s music is trying to simulate a storm with the sometimes chaotic use of the instruments. The violins are as fast as the wind whirling, the drums are like thundering, the sudden trumpets ? make me feel about danger.
My artwork will follow soon!
Hello Paolo!
Great ideas here! You’re right, sometimes it does sound chaotic, just like a storm! Yes I can hear the trumpets too! It sounds like the storm is striking something… perhaps a boat at sea, like in The Tempest?
I liked the music because it was very intense like a storm. The drums were the angry thunder and the violins and trumpets were the wind and the waves. I liked how the storm suddenly stopped and then nice music followed like a beautiful day after a storm.
good ideas Pablo, yes it sounded like the storm was slowly passing at the end and I imagined the sun beaming through the gaps in the clouds as they cleared.
The music sounds like a band with violins. It sounds pretty scary.
The scary part is when the band does the fast high notes.
at 03:35 the volume gets a little calm because the volume goes down for a longtime.
Well done for listening carefully to the music. Yes the volume changes throughout the piece, what did you imagine what happening to the storm when the music got quieter?
TASK 1
I think that the drums represent the thunder bolt’s crashing into the boat. And the violins tells you that they are on a dangerous journey, the trumpets represent the waves closing in and the piano is for dramatic music.
Great ideas Ciana!
I agree, there is a layering of different instruments which slowly build up as the storm gets more powerful! The different instruments represent all the different elements of the storm.
Storm ⛈ Music ?
I think that Benjamin Britten makes his music ? sound like a storm through using lots of different instruments ? ? and the speed that they play at, as well as if they are playing high notes or low notes. The timpani drums ? sound like the thunder to me, and along with some of the wind ? instruments (like trumpets and maybe trombones) make the storm sound wild and lashing. The violins ? and other string instruments sound like the rushing of wind and swelling about. I can also hear woodwind instruments, I think it is a bassoon and a claranet and even flutes, which all give the sound of the rushing of the storm powering down on the ground (or even across the sea ? ). I also like when the music slows down and starts to sound more like a melody it seems to me like the storm is calming down and becoming more like a gentle, pleasant breeze.
I have enjoyed the music and having it create the picture and feeling of a storm in my imagination. While I was listening ? to this piece I drew a picture on my iPad that I am thinking ?of having as the background of my poem.
Good morning Miss Lee,
I think the violin represents the lightning coming down and the
drums represent the thunder.
Good morning Emilie!
Some interesting ideas! What other instruments can you hear? Can you think of any that no one has mentioned yet?
hello miss lee i think that the violin creates the wind blowing about and the drums create thunder and lightning .
Hello Nina, such great ideas, the violins do sound like the wind blowing in all different directions!
Task 1:
-Violin, Drums, Flute and trumpets.
-Drums is the thunder parts. Violin is the intense part.
Task 2 : will create a water colour art work and will send.
Super! I can’t wait to see your water colour art work! I bet it is going to be beautiful! I wish I had some water colours at home to paint with!
T1)
I think that Benjamin Britten creates the strom by all the loud beets and drums.I can hear drums and violins.I think that the drum is the loud thunder and the violin is the lightning.
Some good ideas Alfred! I can hear some different instruments too and they really help to create the storm!
Storm ⛈ Music ?
I think that Benjamin Britten makes his music ? sound like a storm through using lots of different instruments ? ? and the speed that they play at, as well as if they are playing high notes or low notes. The timpani drums ? sound like the thunder to me, and along with some of the wind ? instruments (like trumpets and maybe trombones) make the storm sound wild and lashing. The violins ? and other string instruments sound like the rushing of wind and swelling about. I can also hear woodwind instruments, I think it is a bassoon and a claranet and even flutes, which all give the sound of the rushing of the storm powering down on the ground (or even across the sea). I also like when the music slows down and starts to sound more like a melody it seems to me like the storm is calming down and becoming more like a gentle, pleasant breeze.
I have enjoyed the music and having it create the picture and feeling of a storm in my imagination. While I was listening ? to this piece I drew a picture on my iPad that I am thinking ?of having as the background of my poem.
?————————————?——————————————?
Hi ? Miss Lee. Sorry ? if I have sent this response more than twice but it doesn’t look like it as come up yet. I seem to have problems sometimes with my posts going through.
Hope you are all well.
Best wishes,
Lucy
Hi Lucy, you have listened really carefully to this piece of music and your response is very detailed! Well done for noticing the different instruments, especially the different families of instruments such as woodwind!
It does create a feeling that the storm is getting more powerful and then slowly fading away!
Dear Miss Lee
Do you have a direct email address, that Year 4 can send you our Classwork please?
Hi Ciana, you can send your work to the office and they will forward it onto me or you can use the homework uploader on the school website.
Good morning Miss Lee and everyone 🙂
I think that Benjamin Britten was able to make people picture whats going on during a storm in their imagination. I think in his music that the violin was the strong wind blowing, the drum was the thunder, the cymbals were the lightning and the trumpet and the french horn were the waves.
I will send you my art work.
Thank you 😀
Hi Clare!
Well done for recognising some different instruments! I agree, these different instruments help us to imagine the different elements of the storm!
I look forward to seeing your art work!
Hi Miss Lee,
I like the music a lot. I could hear all the brass instruments, like, trumpets, trombone, tuber.
As well as string instruments like, cello, violins and violas.
Winds instruments like the flute.
I think i heard drums too.
Hello William!
Well done for listening carefully to the different instruments! Which instrument do you like the sound of best?
I think the violin ? creates the wind blowing about, the drums?, the thunder and the trumpet ? gives it a dramatic sound. halfway through, there is a calm part. I think this represents the eye of the storm, where it is very calm.
Please add your own ideas too Raimundo, I would love to hear what you thought about the music!
Hello Miss Lee!?
Task 1:
In the first part I could hear violin that made me think of lightning and wind.I could also hear the drum that obviously made me think of thunder. Trumpet makes me think of big waves. The next part is a sunny day with flute which represents the birds. Also the harp makes me think of the sun.
Task 2:
On my drawing it shows a big wave going to crash on the ship. The ship is sinking because of the waves hitting the ship.
Hello Martin!
Some good ideas! I can hear lots of different instruments too! It’s interesting how these instruments can create a clear image of a storm if we listen carefully!
I love your picture, well done!
Hello Miss Lee,?
Storm⛈?
Task1:
I can hear?the clarinet, violin and the viola?I think they represent the wind?. I can also hear the drums. I think the drums represent the thunder and lightening ?⚡️ ?. I think the cellos represent the rain??. The trumpets, French horns and trombones ??represent the the ocean?crashing. Benjamin Britten used theses instruments to show the effect of a storm by changing the tempo and volume of the instruments.
Hello Mayowa!
Well done for using technical words such as tempo and volume! You’re right, Benjamin Britten changes the tempo to represent the storm getting more powerful and then the storm slowly fading away!
?️?⛵
Class 4 I am loving all of you beautiful art work! Some brilliant ideas!
Paolo – I can see you’ve made some use for some Easter egg wrappers (at least I think that’s what the shiny boys are?)
Such a great variety from wonderful sketches to creative colouring and beautiful painting!
I haven’t finished mine yet but I have started and I had an idea to dip coloured pencils in water before drawing with them… It looks like paint on the page! ??️✏️
I hope you all have a lovely weekend!
Hello miss
Task 1:
I think that the drum represents the lightning and thunder in this fierce storm. The violin represents the people shouting things out. In addition, the cello represents the wind blowing. To finish, the trumpet symbolises the defa made on the ship or land.
TASK 1:
I think the cymbal is representing the lightning as it flashes suddenly on to the boat. The violin is the howling wind Whooshing in every darkened corner and getting louder and louder each time the storm awakes. I also think the brass blends in with the violin as the wind echoes through the empty air, although the brass makes a lower note then the violin. I imagined the drum banging so loudly it represented the thunder causing the earth to shake.
TASK 2:
I will send in my drawing this weekend. Seriously, it sounds like loads of fun.