Grainger, America and the British Isles

Content Area: 9-12th Instrumental Music Education (Band)

Meeting Times: 5 times a week for 50 minutes
Unit Duration: Approx. 16 weeks (60 classes)

Overview:
This semester of instruction is focused around works of Percy Grainger, inspired
compositions and other English/American composers who were his contemporaries or had
worked with. Students will be exposed to his unique harmonic, dynamic and articulation
diversity as well as his characteristic unpredictability to push students to the full capacity of their
playing. The cycle will incorporate traditional rehearsals that with continuing educational goals
of intonation, characteristic sounds, scales, and articulations will include listening to original
folk song recordings, history on Grainger and his contemporaries, two short writing assignments,
a playing test and a short examination on musical forms and terminology. The culminative goal
is to grow the student’s technical knowledge of the music and interdisciplinary knowledge
through comprehensive musicianship. The concert at the end of each cycle will have students
perform the music while also integrating their analysis/interpretations with the audience prior
and during the concert.
Timeline Cycle 1:

Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8

First Harmon Lincolnshire Writing Playing Irish Tune Writing Dress
Listen y Posy Assignmen Test on Chamber Assignmen Rehearsa
and Analysis Documentar t on Lads of Groups t on l
Sight- of Irish y Irish Tune Wamphra Grainger
Readin Tune (In y vs.
g class) Vaughan
Williams
Art Irish Form Lads of Vaughan Art Exhibit Concert
Exhibit Tune Analysis of Wamphray Williams
CMP Longford Form Documentar
Lesson Legend Mvt. Analysis y
I
Lads of Concert
Wamphray Quiz on
Poetry Theory,
Art,
History
Timeline Cycle 2:

Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8

First Form Sousa Monty Playing Group Country Dress
Listen Analysis Documentary Python’s Test on Writing Gardens Rehearsal
and of The Flying Holst Assignment Chamber
Sight- Liberty Circus First on America Groups
Readin Bell Safe for Suite vs. English
g School Composers
Collection
Holst Contemporary Group Concert
Form American Presentatio
Analysis Music n
Mvt. III Documentary

Primary Objectives:
 Objective 1: Perform the following works for an audience at the end of concert cycle 1:
o Toccata Marziale by Vaughan Williams
o A Longford Legend by Robert Sheldon
o Irish Tune from County Derry by Percy Grainger
o Lads of Wamphray March by Percy Grainger
 Objective 2: Perform the following works for an audience at the end of concert cycle 2:
o Country Gardens by Percy Grainger (arr. Tom Clark)
o Sòlas Ané by Samuel Hazo
o First Suite in Eb by Gustav Holst (ed. Matthews)
o The Liberty Bell March by John Philip Sousa
 Objective 3: Perform a wide variety of music both instrumentally and vocally
 Objective 4: Evaluate influences of art and folk songs on the development of Grainger’s
music
 Objective 5: Reflect on composers differing styles and compositional techniques
 Objective 6: Individual responsibility and performance in small chamber settings.
 Objective 7: Analyze and describe forms and harmonies found within studied repertoire
 Objective 8: Understand fragmented form in relation to Lads of Wamphray March
 Objective 9: Build fundamental music critique literary skills through writing and oral
presentation
 Objective 10: Continue to develop core wind instrument skills
 Objective 11: Continue to build musicianship and personal intuition of phrasing
Standards:

National Coalition for Core Arts Standards

 Performing
o Analyze
 MU: Pr4.2.E.IIa Document and demonstrate, using music reading skills
where appropriate, how compositional devices employed and theoretical
and structural aspects of musical works may impact and inform prepared
and improvised performances.

o Interpret
 MU: Pr4.3.E.IIIa Demonstrate how understanding the style, genre, and
context of a varied repertoire of music informs prepared and improvised
performances as well as performers’ technical skill to connect with the
audience.
o Rehearse, Evaluate Refine
 MU: Pr5.3.E.8a Develop strategies to address technical challenges in a
varied repertoire of music and evaluate their success using feedback from
ensemble peers and other sources to refine performances.
 MU: Pr5.3.E.Ia Develop strategies to address expressive challenges in a
varied repertoire of music, and evaluate their success using feedback from
ensemble peers and other sources to refine performances.
o Present
 MU:Pr6.1.E.IIa Demonstrate mastery of the technical demands and an
understanding of expressive qualities of the music in prepared and
improvised performances of a varied repertoire representing diverse
cultures, styles, genres, and historical periods.
 Responding
o Analyze
 MU: Re7.2.E.IIa Explain how the analysis of structures and contexts
inform the response to music.
o Interpret
 MU: Re8.1.E.Ia Explain and support interpretations of the expressive
intent and meaning of musical works, citing as evidence the treatment of
the elements of music, contexts, (when appropriate) the setting of the text,
and personal research.
o Evaluate
 MU: Re9.1.E.Ia Evaluate works and performances based on personally- or
collaboratively-developed criteria, including analysis of the structure and
context.
 Connect
o MU: Cn10.0.H.Ia Demonstrate how interests, knowledge, and skills relate to
personal choices and intent when creating, performing, and responding to music.
 MU: Pr4.1.E.Ia Explain the criteria used to select a varied repertoire to
study based on an understanding of theoretical and structural
characteristics of the music, the technical skills of the individual or
ensemble, and the purpose or context of the performance.
o MU: Cn11.0.T.Ia Demonstrate understanding of relationships between music and
the other arts, other disciplines, varied contexts, and daily life.
 MU: Re9.1.E.8a Explain the influence of experiences, analysis, and
context on interest in and evaluation of music.
Formative Assessment Foundations:
Questions, concerns and attention will be brought on a daily basis to any number of the
following:

 Form when referring to A Longford Legend

 The meanings of word choice in Irish Tune from County Derry
 Modeling of the main theme in Irish Tune
 Identification of repeated ideas both thematically, rhythmically and structurally in
both pieces
 Simple chordal identification
 Intonation tendencies/problems
 Rhythmic breakdowns and isolation especially in the woodwinds in Longford Legend
I and III movements.
 Articulation discrepancies (Longford Legend)
 Dynamics
 Large Groups vs. Chamber group splitting in Irish Tune (clarity and ensemble sound)
 Voicing/Instrumentation

Assessment Rubrics:

Playing Tests:
Ratings Points
Criteria
Proficient Basic Unsatisfactory
Some missed Consistent missed
Seldom or no
pitches, tuning is pitches, completely
Pitch Accuracy missed pitches, 10.0
not stable, more out of tune, clear lack
proper tuning
preparation needed of preparation

Some missed
Seldom to no Consistent rhythmic
rhythmic patterns,
Rhythmic Accuracy incorrect inaccuracies, clear 10.0
more preparation
rhythms lack of preparation
needed

Complete and Pulse stable but is

Consistently unstable
steady pulse susceptible to
Pulse Control pulse, detriment to 10.0
regardless of change when errors
performance integrity
missed content occur
Adheres to
expression Seldom adheres to
Solely adheres to
markings and written expression
the music’s explicit
Musicianship makes musical marks, clear lack of 10.0
expression
decisions for understanding of
markings
better material
performance
Short Essay on Irish Tune:

Ratings Points
Criteria
Distinguished Proficient Basic Unsatisfactory

Drastically less
300-400-word
Length than minimum 5.0
count
criteria

Writes in a
Writes in a
personal Lacks Does not
personal tone
tone that is reflection present a
that is
somewhat on meaningful
reflective of
Content reflective of classroom statement of 5.0
classroom
classroom content classroom
content and
content and and the materials and
individual
individual prompt lessons
thoughts
thoughts
Frequent
Unacceptable
Some minor distracting
Cohesive use of
errors or errors
sequence of mechanics and
Presentation/Layout confusion in distracting, 5.0
information and inability to
sequence of Intent
reflection understand
information becoming
thoughts
unclear

Comparative Vaughan Williams and Grainger:

Ratings Points
Criteria
Distinguished Proficient Basic Unsatisfactory

Drastically less
500-600-word
Length than minimum 5.0
count
criteria

Writes in a
Writes in a
personal Lacks Does not
personal tone
tone that is reflection present a
that is
somewhat on meaningful
reflective of
Content reflective of classroom statement of 10.0
classroom
classroom content classroom
content and
content and and the materials and
individual
individual prompt lessons
thoughts
thoughts
Frequent
Unacceptable
Some minor distracting
Cohesive use of
errors or errors
sequence of mechanics and
Presentation/Layout confusion in distracting, 5.0
information and inability to
sequence of Intent
reflection understand
information becoming
thoughts
unclear
Group Presentation on American versus English Composers:
Ratings
Criteria Points
Distinguished Proficient Basic Unsatisfactory
Key factual Writes in a
information on personal
Does not
compositional tone that is Lacks
present content
styles somewhat reflective on
indicative of
Content presented and reflective of classroom 10.0
classroom
implements classroom content and
materials and
individual content and the prompt
lessons
thoughts and individual
ideas thoughts
Minor
No consistent
Clear layout of disruptions
Clear lack of pace or
presented while still
polish and identifiable
Presentation information having a 10.0
organization layout of
with a natural clear layout
of thoughts presented
cadence of presented
information
information
No longer than Drastic
7 minutes, each difference from
Length 5.0
member minimum
presenting criteria
Inappropriate
Personal
comments,
Clear group problems
during
effort, interfering
presentation,
Professionalism individual effort with the 5.0
clear disrespect
and comradery integrity of
for fellow group
around project the group and
members, lack of
presentation
individual effort

Cycle 1 Quiz Answer Key:

Question 1. C

Question 2. D

Question 3. Slow off lots, flowingly, hammeringly,

louden bit by bit, very marked, heroicly etc.

Question 4. A

Question 5. fragmented meaning not true lettered sections

but definitive letter melodies Poetry is about
two warring families, cattle raisers, “Scottish
swashbucklers”

Question 6. B

Question 7. Vaughan Williams for composer, L.S. Lowry,

David Hockney, Stanley Spencer
Name: ____________________

Cycle 1 Quiz

1. What is the concert pitch key of Irish Tune for County Derry?

a. D minor
b. Dorian mode
c. F Major
d. Pentatonic

2. Which country were folk songs that Percy Grainger used in his compositions from?
a. Only Ireland
b. Only England
c. Only Australia
d. England, Scotland and Ireland

3. Name at least one phrase Grainger uses to describe dynamics, tempo or style in his
music (extra credit for three unique examples):

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4. Out of the following, which is the correct form of the first movement of Sheldon’s A
Longford Legend?
a. Ternary (ABA)
b. Binary (AB)
c. Rondo (ABACA)
 d. Sonata (Exposition, Development, Recapitulation)
5. Lads of Wamphray March has what we described in class as a fragmented form. Explain
what this term means and describe how the original poetry might reflect this concept:

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6. What is the primary movement in art, music and writing in late 19th century Paris,
France?
a. Expressionism
b. Impressionism
c. Pointillism
d. Minimalism

7. Name one painter and one composer who originated from 20th century England:

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