Music for Special Events

Night Mail
Written by Benjamin Britten to promote work of the Post Office.
Listen for percussive ostinato at beginning on snare depicting movement of train on tracks. Use of wind machine
underneath as an effect to show train speeding along. Next instruments used are cello playing dissonant intervals
underneath. Vocal part is spoken rather sung. Gradual introduction of other instruments. Introduction of trills on
flute and off beat triplet motifs on oboe plus off beat semi quavers on bassoon to show train getting up speed.
Passages after this are very chromatic and dissonant. Piece is based around rhythms and strange combinations of
instruments to create image of rushing train. Very much a 20th Century orchestral piece. Voice rhythms also
become quicker with an increase in volume to create further impression of rushing train.

Back Home
Recorded by England World Cup Squad in 1970.
Starts with familiar football chant rhythm using hand claps, brass and bass. Brass adds a fanfare feel to the piece
creating heroic feel for team. Chords are simple and tonality is major for ‘uplifting’ feel. Melody is very straight
forward and memorable to appeal to fans and also so remember the melody for singing on terraces. Beat is strong
and almost march-like to parade patriotism of football in England. Modulates up a semitone each time to add to
‘uplifting’ and optimistic feel. Vocals almost imitate a crowd singing to give impression of fans chanting. No solos
only sung as large male group. Brass instruments have various melodic patterns and backings always maintaining
their fanfare type presence.

Song for Athene

Written for a funeral.
Piece written for voices 4 part harmony – soprano, alto, tenor and bass. Has church and religious feel to it
because of the instrumentation. Also piece is modal adding to atmosphere (modes were pioneered by monks).
Continuous pedal note sustained in the bass adding depth to texture. Very quiet and tender melody in mark of
respect / serenity of event. Rhythmic patterns are slow moving and move in step, almost hymn-like. arts are sung in
parallel harmony. Sounds like a plainchant for Medieval monks maintaining church and religious context. Lyrics
have a biblical context.

Fanfares Across the Thames

Written for ceremony of London’s Millennium Bridge.
Predominantly brass. Loud and dramatic opening with typical rhythmic and chordal motives between brass
instrument providing fanfare feel for ceremonial opening of bridge. Tempo is steady and march-like throughout.
Use of percussion to emphasise starts of phrases and maintain rhythm of fanfare. Use of cross rhythms (triplets
against quavers) and dissonance provides a 20th feel to this fanfare. Two different fanfare groups of instruments
were set at either end of the bridge hence the gaps between sections of music creating a call and response style for
this piece.
 Music for Special Events Keywords

Key words Meaning

Ostinato Musical pattern – rhythmic or melodic – which is continuously repeated.
Dissonant Notes and chords which clash.
Triplet motif A main musical idea based on a triplet rhythm.
Trill Very quick alternation between 2 pitches.
Chromatic Using notes outside the main scale. E.g. using G# and D# when composing in C
major.
Fanfare Brass melody built from notes of a chord. Ceremonial sounding. Short and dramatic
melodies.
Tonality Key piece is in e.g. C major or D minor.
Soprano High female voice.
Alto Low female voice.
Tenor High Male voice.
Bass Low male voice.
Modal Chords and melody all based around the same scale. No notes outside scale are used.
Often scale is not major or minor but has a similar pattern of step movement. One
example is Dorian mode D E F G A B C D. This is different from the major scale
which is D E F# G A B C# D or minor D E F G A Bb C# D.
Parallel Harmony Harmony note which moves in exactly same direction as the main melody by a similar
interval.
Cross rhythms A rhythm which conflicts with the regular pattern by placing accents in different
places. E.g. triplets against quavers.
Call and response A soloist sings/plays one phrase followed by an answering phrase from a group of
singers/instrumentalists.