music matters Issue #03 Nov/Dec 2012Issue #03 Nov/Dec 2012Issue #03 Nov/Dec 2012

ST. JOHN’S PREP SCHOOL’S MUSIC MAGAZINE

FEATURED ARTISTE

OF THE MONTH Meet one of Hollywood’s

most successful composers

HISTORY OF CAROLLING

How it started and why we sing carols

FESTIVE HAPPENINGS Discover what is happening in and

around London this Yuletide season

SCHOOL SCHOOL SCHOOL TRIPSTRIPSTRIPS

We go to the Primary Proms and

The Lion King musical

PLAY A PLAY A PLAY A CHRISTMAS CHRISTMAS CHRISTMAS

TUNETUNETUNE Take on Jingle Bells

this month

CHRISTMAS EDITION

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Editor’s

MESSAGE

Dear pupils,

Welcome to another new edition of Music Matters.

How time flies, the autumn term is approaching its

end now. I hope everyone is getting into the

Christmas spirit and enjoying the season’s festivities.

As usual, there will be plenty of performances going

on, both music and theatre.

And with Christmas coming up, you can be sure to

find a favourite pantomime of yours to enjoy! In

fact, instead of a wrappable gift, why not ask Santa

for a front row ticket to the circus or theatre this

Christmas? (With popcorn and snacks thrown in, of

course). There is a two-page guide to some of the

highlights this Christmas, and it would be a shame

to miss out on all of them.

In this issue we also discover an instrument from the

Far East - the Chinese dulcimer, or yangqin. It

makes the most astonishing sound, apart from

looking rather impressive. We also find out more

about John Williams, one of Hollywood’s most

successful and famous film composers.

We have also had two music trips in the past

month: UTs and F1s were treated to music at the

Royal Albert Hall for the Primary Proms, whilst the F2s

and F3s had a fantastic day out at the Lyceum

Theatre in London for the Lion King workshop and

musical!

All in all, a very busy month indeed. To conclude, I

would like to wish all pupils a very Merry Christmas

and Happy New Year! May you have a wonderful

time celebrating with family and friends this festive

season.

MR. JONATHAN ANG

Editor

Music Matters

CONTENTS

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Instrument of the Month

Play a Christmas Tune

Featured Article:

The History of Carolling

School Trip: The Lion King

What’s On: Christmas Edition

Lower School Corner

School Trip: Primary Proms

Young Musician of the Month

Artiste of the Month

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Featured Instrument

of the Month Every month we will feature an instrument, which might be a common instrument, or

sometimes a strange and mystic-looking one instead! If you would like to see it in

action, simply visit YouTube and type in the instrument name, and there you have it! If

you would like to learn a new instrument, simply speak to your music teacher and

they will point you in the right direction.

YANGQIN

扬琴 The yangqin is a very unique instrument, and belongs to a family of instruments called dulcimers.

The yangqin is similar to a harp, except that it is laid

out horizontally as if on a table, and the strings are

not plucked but hammered. The yangqin used in

Chinese music today originates from Iran, and

dulcimers like these are now very popular not only in

China, but also in the Middle East and Eastern

Europe.

A modern yangqin usually has 144 strings in total, and each note

consists of 5 strings. This makes the yangqin a rather loud instru-

ment - in contrast, the piano only has, on average, three strings

per note! This means for every note that is hit with a hammer on

the yangqin, five separate strings will vibrate in the same pitch.

The hammers are made of flexible bamboo, and one end of

each hammer is half-covered by rubber (see picture below).

This instrument has also often been called the

“Chinese piano” as it plays a very important

role in accompanying other Chinese wind

and string instruments in Chinese orchestras.

Traditional Chinese music uses a notation

system which involves numbers, rather then

the Western staff notation. This is called jianpu

(简谱), and you can find an example below.

Jianpu literally means “simplified notation” in

Chinese. Try and see if you can decipher it!

THE JIANPU SYSTEM

Note: C D E F G A B

Solfège: do re mi fa so la si

Notation: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Row, row, row your boat

|1· 1· |1 23· |

Twinkle, twinkle little star

|1 1 5 5 |6 6 5 - |

Frere Jacques

|1 2 3 1 |1 2 3 1 |

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PLAY A

CHRISTMAS TUNE! With Christmas quickly approaching, this is now the perfect time to pick up some festive tunes! In this edition of Music Matters, an easy Christmas tune has been featured. This month’s carol is Jingle Bells, I

am sure all of you will be familiar with this number! The music here is written mainly for piano, but if you

play another instrument such as the violin, ask your instrumental teacher and they will adapt the

music for you so that you are able to play it on your own instrument!

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FEATURED ARTISTE

OF THE MONTH Every month this newsletter will feature a musician, artiste,

composer or singer for you to discover. Remember, if you want to

know more about the featured artiste of the month, you can

always find more on the internet, especially on YouTube!

JOHN WILLIAMS John Williams is an American film music composer,

and is widely known as "one of the best known,

awarded, and financially successful composers in

US history."

In a career that has lasted for more than sixty years,

he has composed music for some of the most popu-

lar films in Hollywood, including all the Star Wars

films, Superman, War Horse and the first three Harry

Potter films. He has also written the theme music for

four Olympic Games in history!

Williams’ massive success is reflected in his numerous

awards - he has won five Academy Awards, four

Golden Globe awards and seven BAFTA awards. Try

searching for some of his film music on the internet,

you are bound to recognise many tunes by John Williams! He frequently works with very

popular film directors, such as Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and Chris Columbus. Below is

a list of films that Williams has composed music for, see how many you can recognise!

- Film Music composed by John Williams -

The Adventures of Tintin:

The Secret of the Unicorn

Indiana Jones and the

Kingdom of the Crystal Skull War of the Worlds Harry Potter & The Prisoner

of Azkaban

Star Wars Episode II: Attack

of the Clones

Memoirs of a Geisha Jaws E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial Jurassic Park Home Alone

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HISTORY OF CAROLLING Ever wondered where the tradition of carolling came from? Why do we sing for others during this festive season? Read more to find out.

There have been many proposed theories as to how carolling originated, but alas they are all unclear. What we know for sure is that carolling is an oral tradition, passed down from generation to genera-tion. Carols were first written in Europe in the 4th and 5th centuries, but they were not at first associated with Christmas. According to historians, they were sung to celebrate the Winter Solstice, which is the shortest day of the year and usually around 22nd December. It was only in the 13th century did Saint Francis of Assisi, the Roman Catholic saint of animals and the environment, start to incorporate these carols into Christmas celebra-tions. He created the concept of spreading these carols to celebrate Christ’s birth, encouraging these en-ergetic, joyful songs to be sung so as to liven up the sombre Christmas celebrations of that day. In fact, from 1649 to 1660, the anti-royalist leader Lord Oliver Cromwell banned Christmas celebrations in England as he believed Christmas should be a serious holiday. Imagine that! Today, many carolling groups sing for charity in churches and neighbourhoods. Some historical ac-counts claim this is rooted in olden-day societies, where poor citizens would “sing for their supper” in ex-change for food and drink.

Another theory is that carollers travelled door-to-door because they were not originally allowed to perform in churches. A common legend says that Christmas carols were named after Carol Poles, a little English girl who supposedly went missing in London during the holiday season in the late 19th century. Peo-ple supposedly searched for her by going door-to-door, singing to declare their good intentions. Although it may be a nice story, it unfortunately has no factual basis.

Interesting facts about Christmas you never knew

900 years ago, the

first Christmas trees

were hung upside

down!

Father Christmas has two

addresses: Edinburgh and the

North Pole. Letters addressed

to ‘TOYLAND’ or ‘SNOWLAND’

go to Edinburgh, but letters

addressed to ‘THE NORTH

POLE’ have to be sent there

because there really is such a

place!

Since 1900, snow has only fallen in England three

times on Christmas day: 1938, 1976 and 2004!

The first Christmas card appeared

in 1843, designed by J. C. Horsley.

The world’s largest Christmas present is the Statue of

Liberty. The French gave it to the Americans in 1886. It is

46.5 metres high and weighs 225 tons!

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THE LION KING

In October, Forms 2 & 3 were treated to the glorious spectacle of musical theatre that was The Lion

King, one of West End’s most acclaimed and successful musicals. They were also given a pre-show

puppet demonstration, where they had the opportunity to learn how the show’s exquisite puppets

worked, have a feel of several masks and puppets, and watch an actor act out scenes from the

show using a variety of different puppets. It was a wonderful learning experience for pupils and staff

alike, and the show itself certainly exceeded everyone’s expectations!

PUPPETS & MASKS

PRE-SHOW DEMONSTRATION

We arrived at 12:45 for a little talk about The Lion King. James, the puppet supervisor, showed us how two

animal puppets worked, they were Timon and Zazu. After that he showed us what some of the masks were made of, such as the giraffe, Nala, Scar and Mufasa. We then had our packed lunch before going to find our seats and get seated for the show to begin!

Rachel Hill, F2

The Lion King is both heart-warming and moving. It is a family production about a family of lions who start to grow apart,

but then, during the show they come together as one. My favourite part of the show is when Mufasa, Simba’s father, gets pushed off the mountain by his brother Scar. I enjoyed watching this scene because you can see the dramatic expression on his face even if you are not right down the front.

It was even more amazing because it hap-pened in slow motion and there were lots of flashing colours going everywhere. Also, there were people at the sides of the theatre who played the African drums. You can see them pour their heart and soul into their music. One day, I would like to be as passionate about music as they are when they play the drums. I was also lucky enough to get an autograph from Zazu! Here are some pupils’ opinions from F2 Raleighs about The Lion King in one word.

Holly White: Spectacular Alex M.N.: “Lionriffic” Theo Thomas: Unbelievable Andreas Koureas: Fantastic Andrianna Josif: Extraordinary Harry Ourris: Fabulous Alex Spelman: Amazing Rachel Hill: Unreal

Pantelis Katsaros: Lifelike Arda Yelden: “Roartastic” Melissa Ourris: WOW Lily Habron: Magnificent

Lily Habron, F2

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Festivals, exhibitions AND

CONCERTS for Christmas 2012

Christmas is now officially round the corner, and London is all abuzz with festivity. Do not

get left out! Here is a list of what is going on in and around the capital this Yuletide season.

Beauty and the Beast 6th - 29th Dec. Shaw Theatre, 100-110 Euston Rd., London, NW1 2AJ

Nothing really quite epitomises the spirit of Christmas theatre

better than a good pantomime! This year, the Shaw Theatre will

be taking on the classic fairytale of a girl who moves in with an

ugly beast to save her father.

Get your best cheering and booing voice ready for this year’s

pantomime treat, and watch out for guest stars such as Alison

Hammond and Rodney Ward.

Walking with Dinosaurs The O2, Peninsula Sq., London, SE10 0DX 1st - 3rd Nov.

Why not do something different this year and celebrate

Christmas with a few prehistoric giant lizards?

Walking with Dinosaurs is a theatrical version of the hit BBC

documentary series of the same name, and features giant

animatronic dinosaurs roaming onstage with an Indiana

Jones-styled character narrating through lightning storms and

battle scenes. And when the T-Rex finally emerges towards

the end of show, it is not only the kids who gasp!

Christmas at Kew Gardens 2012 8th Dec. 2012 - 6th Jan. 2013 Kew Gardens, Kew Rd., Richmond, TW9 3AB

Kew Gardens gets an annual, seasonal makeover every Decem-

ber and transforms into Father Christmas’s grotto! This year, there

will be a vintage carousel, seasonal face painting (you can trans-

form yourself into Rudolf or an elf) and hands-on activity sessions

based on plants and trees associated with the festive season.

There will also be guided walks and festive products on sale. And

once Christmas is over, you are invited to bring your tree for recy-

cling from Boxing Day onwards. Do not forget to take down the decorations beforehand though!

The Gruffalo Artsdepot, 5 Nether St., Tally Ho Corner, London, N12 0GA 8th Dec. 2012 - 6th Jan 2013

This Christmas, join Mouse on an adventurous journey through the deep,

dark woods in this musical adaption of the award-winning children’s

book. Songs, fun and laughs for children and grown-ups alike.

Performances will be staged at Artsdepot in North Finchley, and is suit-

able for kids ages 3 and onwards.

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National History Museum Ice Rink 2012 2nd Nov. 2012 - 6th Jan. 2013 National History Museum, Cromwell Rd., London, SW7 5BD

The stunning architecture of the National History Museum once

again provides the backdrop for this 1,000-metre-square outdoor

ice rink, which for the first time this year features a Christmas tree

at its centre! There will also be a smaller, separate rink for children

and a rink-side fairground carousel. After your skating session, you

can proceed to the balcony café overlooking the rink for a hot

chocolate topped with marshmallows.

This outdoor rink is a great alternative to the one at Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park, which usually

has longer queues. In fact, it comes so highly recommended that this writer, Mr. Ang, goes skating

there every year without fail!

Scrooge - The Musical London Palladium, Argyll St., London, W1F 7TF until 5th Jan. 2013

The ideal winter treat, Scrooge is a heart-warming family story with

stunning sets, costumes and illusions. In fact, they have brought in

Paul Kieve, the man responsible for the magic effects in the Harry

Potter films, to develop all the stage illusions. This is your chance

to catch all the legendary characters from Charles Dickens’ novel

onstage, including Ebenezer, Bob Cratchit, Tiny Tim and all the

ghosts of Christmas past, present and future! At the time of writing

there is an offer of 50% off all top-price tickets.

Viva Forever! 27th Nov. 2012 - 1st Jun. 2013 Piccadilly Theatre, 4 Denman St., London, W1D 7DY

“Friendship never ends,” declared the Spice Girls back in 1997, and

now they have proven that by standing united behind this jukebox

musical built from the songs which they helped launch in July this

year. Brought to you by the same people behind Mamma Mia!, Viva

Forever! manages to weave a tale of the value of friendship in the

face on fame and fortune, held together by the same thread of

Spice Girls’ songs that brought on a sales record of 65 million copies!

So spice up your Christmas to the tunes of Wannabe, 2 Become 1

and Holler in what seems to be a feel-good night out at the theatre.

Cirque du Soleil: Koozå Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore, London, SW7 2AP 5th Jan. 2013 - 3rd Feb. 2013

Cirque du Soleil returns to the origins of circus with Koozå, a

show based around acrobatic performance and the art of

clowning. There will be more acrobatic acts than in an

average Cirque du Soleil show, including high wire acts,

contortion and balancing on chairs. The highlight of the show

includes the Wheel of Death, involving an eight-storey circus

apparatus never before used in such closed confines like the

Royal Albert Hall!

All information regarding ticket prices, dates and venues in this listing are correct at the time of printing. They

might be, however, subject to change. Please check all relevant websites for any possible updates.

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LOWER SCHOOL CORNER

Decipher this secret musical code

and see what it says!

Secret message

ANS:

C E H I

M R S T

U V W Y

CODE BREAKER

COMPOSER HUNT

The names of six famous composers are hidden on the musi-

cal staff. Part of their first name is over part of their surname.

Can you figure them out?

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PRIMARY PROMS A TRIP TO THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL

On the 10th of October, UT and Form 1 pupils were treated to a concert at the Royal Albert Hall.

They were there to enjoy the Primary Proms, a free music concert by national music education

charity Music for Youth, and were treated to a first-hand experience of live music-making!

On the 10th of October the F1s and UTs had a trip to the Royal Albert Hall. It was our visit to the Primary

Proms. When we got there we had to wait for about 20 minutes for the show to start but while we were

waiting there were a few quizzes about the Royal Albert Hall on the two big screens. When we knew the answer we

shouted it out and it showed the right answer. Then the show started! Barney Harwood was the host. The first song which

was performed was called Crazy Frog. A lot of us really liked it! Three boys performed it on xylophones, one boy on a

keyboard and one boy on the drums. Ann Murray then came out and she made up a song which we sang along. It was

about the seaside and a seagull attacking you. A famous orchestra then came out and did a song about skeletons

dancing. A choir came and sang a really nice song that I enjoyed very much. Then a man called Sam came to join and he

gave us a fun exercise. We had some pretend bubblegum and we chewed it, made a giant bubble and popped it, then we

had to roll it into a ball and stick it on our shoe. We took it off and chewed it again before swapping it with

someone else’s. Everyone thought it was really fun. We were there for two or three hours and then went back

to school. I thought it was a great trip!

Here is what Stephanie Peretz from F1 had to say about it!

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Shanaaze Mang-Smith

YOUNG MUSICIAN OF THE MONTH

Q: Hello Shanaaze, thanks for speaking to Music Matters.

Could you list the instruments that you play?

A: I play the flute and I also sing.

Q: How long have you been singing, and who is

your singing teacher?

A: I have been singing for about two years, and my teacher is Ms. Magnin,

as well as Mr. Egerton.

Q: .Oh really? When did you have lessons with Mr. Egerton?

A: When I first started learning singing. Mr. Egerton was my first teacher.

Q: So, what grade are you at with singing?

A: I am currently preparing to sit for my Grade 3 exam. Because I scored above 90% for my Grade 1

exam, Ms. Magnin has decided for me to skip Grade 2 and work straight towards Grade 3.

Q: That is fantastic, well done! What was the exam process like?

A: It was quite simple. I sang a song from High School Musical 2, called “You Are The Music In Me”. I

really enjoyed using props for my exam, and for that song I used a picture frame and a chair. I also

sang another song, “Oh What A Beautiful Morning” from the musical Oklahoma. I had to use

movement to portray both songs as well; Ms. Magnin taught me all the moves.

Q: Tell us a bit about what you’re learning in singing now.

A: I am currently learning “Where Is Love”, from the musical Oliver. I really love musicals and I enjoy

singing songs from musicals!

Q: Have you sang much at school concerts during your time at St. John’s so far?

A: Yes I have! Once, during the Christmas concert, I sang the first opening

verse solo of “Once In Royal David’s City”. Mr. Egerton trained me to sing it,

and I volunteered to sing solo when they asked who would be interested. It

was rather hard but it was all worth it!

Q: It all sounds very promising! If you were to become a singer, who would

you want to be like?

A: I would want to be like Fergie from Black Eyed Peas. And my dream

venue to sing at is the O2 Arena in London! Fergie

If you would like to train to be a young singer like Shanaaze has, speak

to Dr. Rosswick and she will point you to a suitable singing teacher for

you to have lessons within St. John’s. The school offers singing teachers

who will train you up for different types of exams that suit your strength,

including ABRSM, Trinity and LAMDA exams. Who knows, you just might

be the featured soloist at the next school concert!

M U S I C M A T T E R S

Published by St. John’s Prep. School

© 2012 Jonathan Ang