Music: Blog items
Date: 20th Mar 2026 @ 10:14am
This week two musicians came to school with lots of big and interesting instruments. Some were very long, some were very loud, and some looked very strange! They played music from different places around the world. We saw a trumpet with a dragon head, a huge horn, and some giant tubes that made deep, booming sounds. The children loved hearing all the different noises. Reception joined in with clapping, actions, and music games. Everyone had a fantastic time and left the hall feeling happy and excited.
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Date: 19th Mar 2026 @ 8:03am
This week in Year 4, the children continued their musical journey with the lively folk tune Old Joe Clark. After revisiting key musical vocabulary and warming up their voices, pupils enjoyed listening to — and singing along with the song once again. The focus of today’s lesson was developing confidence in improvising and composing using the glockenspiels.
Using simple call‑and‑response activities, the children experimented with musical questions and answers, building their understanding of how short melodic ideas can fit together. They then explored a selection of notes (D, E, F♯, A and B) to create their own short patterns to accompany the song.
We discussed important musical features such as the stave, treble clef, line and space notes, and the time signature. Pupils were encouraged to think creatively: Which notes sound good together? How do you want your melody to move? What tempo will work best?
The class showed fantastic creativity and enthusiasm, and it was wonderful to see them composing confidently and proudly performing their new ideas.
Year 2- Travelling by Tuba- Birch
Date: 12th Mar 2026 @ 1:41pm
Today we had an amazing visit from Travelling by Tuba! Firstly we had an exciting assembly travelling all around the world by a range of different instruments and songs! Then Birch class went to a workshop where we learnt a range of different samba rhythms and played a wide range of instruments! They loved working as a team to create this!
Year 2- Travelling by Tuba- Elm
Date: 12th Mar 2026 @ 1:40pm
Today we had an amazing visit from Travelling by Tuba! Firstly we had an exciting assembly travelling all around the world by a range of different instruments and songs! Then Elm class went to a workshop where we learnt a range of different samba rhythms and played a wide range of instruments! They loved working as a team to create this!
Date: 12th Mar 2026 @ 12:15pm
This morning, Year 3 enjoyed an energetic and engaging musical assembly from the Travelling by Tuba duo. Designed to inspire pupils across the primary range, the session delivered exactly that. The performers introduced a fascinating collection of unusual wind and brass instruments—many completely new to the children—and filled the hall with humour and captivating storytelling.
Pupils were taken on a musical journey around the world, encountering remarkable instruments such as the Chinese dragon‑headed trumpet, the Swiss alpine horn and giant Tibetan dungs. The children were amazed by their size and unique sounds, and the duo’s lively delivery kept everyone thoroughly entertained.
Year 3 especially enjoyed joining in with rhythms, actions and musical challenges. The performance also reinforced learning across music, history, geography and science, creating a rich cross‑curricular experience. The children left the hall buzzing with excitement and eager to share their favourite moments from this memorable musical adventure.
Date: 12th Mar 2026 @ 9:38am
This morning, our Year 4 children were treated to an exciting musical assembly delivered by the Travelling by Tuba duo. The session had been designed to engage pupils across the primary age range, and it certainly lived up to expectations. The performers brought a range of unusual wind and brass instruments, many of which the children had never seen before, and filled the hall with captivating stories and laughter.
The assembly took pupils on a musical journey around the world, featuring incredible instruments such as the Chinese dragon‑headed trumpet, the Swiss alpine horn and even giant Tibetan dungs. The children were amazed by the scale and sounds of these instruments and delighted in the humour and energy of the performance. Travelling by Tuba have nearly 30 years of experience entertaining large groups of children.
Year 4 particularly enjoyed the interactive elements, joining in with rhythms, actions and musical challenges. The performance also subtly reinforced learning across subjects including music, history, geography and science, offering a rich cross‑curricular experience. Overall, the children left the hall buzzing with excitement, eager to share their favourite moments from this memorable musical adventure.
Date: 11th Mar 2026 @ 5:23pm
The children first listened attentively to the traditional folk song “Erie Canal”, taking in its simple melody, catchy chorus, and the story it tells about life along the historic canal. They were encouraged to appraise the song, discussing elements such as the rhythm, instrumentation, and the narrative in the lyrics. Many noticed the repetitive, sing-along structure that makes the song memorable and easy to engage with.
After this, the children listened to a modern interpretation of the same song by Bruce Springsteen. This version had a different style and energy. The children compared the two versions, discussing how the mood, tempo, and instrumentation changed the feel of the song.
Date: 10th Mar 2026 @ 3:37pm
Today, our school was filled with excitement, rhythm, and a whole lot of noise as we welcomed Travelling by Tuba for a fantastic day of music-making!
We kicked things off with a lively assembly, where we were introduced to an amazing collection of instruments from all around the world. From deep, booming brass to unusual instruments we’d never even seen before, every demonstration came with a burst of fun facts, sound effects, and plenty of laughs. It was a brilliant way to discover just how diverse—and entertaining—music can be.
What an incredible experience! 🎵✨
Date: 10th Mar 2026 @ 2:40pm
Today, our school was filled with excitement, rhythm, and a whole lot of noise as we welcomed Travelling by Tuba for a fantastic day of music-making!
We kicked things off with a lively assembly, where we were introduced to an amazing collection of instruments from all around the world. From deep, booming brass to unusual instruments we’d never even seen before, every demonstration came with a burst of fun facts, sound effects, and plenty of laughs. It was a brilliant way to discover just how diverse—and entertaining—music can be.
In the afternoon, the fun continued with a hands-on workshop. Everyone had the chance to play a wide range of instruments, each with its own unique rhythm. Working together, we layered these rhythms to create our very own musical masterpiece. The room was buzzing with energy, teamwork, and creativity as we explored how different sounds can blend to make something amazing.
Travelling by Tuba gave us a day full of discovery, laughter, and unforgettable music. We learned that you don’t have to be a professional to enjoy making music—you just need curiosity, enthusiasm, and a willingness to try something new!
What an incredible experience! 🎵✨
Reception- Chinese Ribbon Dancing
Date: 27th Feb 2026 @ 2:14pm
This week we have been celebrating Chinese New Year and learning how to do a Chinese ribbon dance.
Chinese ribbon dance is a captivating art form that combines grace, rhythm, and visual beauty, deeply rooted in Chinese culture and history.
We had our own ribbon and moved in different ways, waving our ribbon in different directions whilst listening to Chinese music.
"I can move my ribbon around my body" Ava
"I like to twirl around with my ribbon" Noah
"It is so much fun- dancing to the music with my ribbon!" Raya
Date: 24th Feb 2026 @ 6:19pm
Date: 24th Feb 2026 @ 6:15pm
Today in music, we revisited our listening skills using the Listening Mats. We recapped how toidentify musical elements and used them to appraise the song “Free.” The class focused ondescribing what they could hear, including instruments, dynamics, tempo, and mood.
We then continued learning to sing “All Over Again.” After practising the melody and developingconfidence in performance, we revisited the meanings of improvisation and composition. Thechildren discussed how improvisation involves creating music spontaneously, while composition isabout planning and writing musical ideas.
Finally, we performed the song 'All Over Again" - discussing its themes of the resilience anddetermination to overcome a bad day or feelings of frustrations, accepting that tomorrow is a newchance for a fresh start and to start... ALL OVER AGAIN!
Date: 9th Feb 2026 @ 9:19am
They worked brilliantly together, using their loud, clear voices and putting real enthusiasm into every line. The recording session gave them a fantastic preview of what it will feel like to perform on the big stage, and their energy was wonderful to see. We can’t wait to hear the final performance—well done, everyone!
Year 5 - National Story Telling Week - R.A.P
Date: 3rd Feb 2026 @ 11:55am
Year 5 Celebrate National Storytelling Week with Alim Kamara
As part of National Storytelling Week 2026, our Year 5 pupils enjoyed an inspiring online workshop led by storyteller and rapper Alim Kamara. The session, delivered live via Zoom, was a vibrant celebration of music, rhythm and the power of storytelling.
The workshop formed part of the National Literacy Trust’s nationwide events for Key Stage 2, designed to help children explore how stories can be told through sound, lyrics and performance. During the interactive session, pupils learned how storytelling and rap can come together to create powerful narratives. They were guided through the process of shaping their own lyrics and experimenting with rhythm—discovering firsthand how words can come alive through music.
Throughout the 45‑minute session, Alim Kamara captivated the children with his energy, enthusiasm and creative approach. Year 5 particularly enjoyed collaborating on a class rap, using ideas shared during the workshop to craft imaginative verses that told a story with both meaning and momentum.
The event formed part of this year’s national theme, “Soundtrack Your Story”, celebrating how music can enhance storytelling and ignite children’s love for reading and writing. Supported by the National Literacy Trust and the National Year of Reading 2026, the workshop provided a rich opportunity for pupils to develop their confidence, creativity and enjoyment of literacy.
Year 5 thoroughly embraced the experience, and we are excited to continue building on their enthusiasm in our upcoming storytelling and creative writing projects.
Year 4 - playing our compositions
Date: 3rd Feb 2026 @ 10:10am
This week, we played our compositions from Charanga last week on the glockenspiels.
Year 2- What is Ragtime music?
Date: 29th Jan 2026 @ 1:10pm
In this lesson we focussed on looking at the musical style of Ragtime. We explore key features of this type of music, we looked at key artists, what instruments were played at this time and what musics it inspired. The children wrote down all the facts they gathered.
Date: 26th Jan 2026 @ 2:26pm
To start this week's lesson, we recapped what musical notation is and clapped the beat to the section of the song we were going to compose a piece of music for. We focused on ostinato (a pattern that repeats). We logged into Charanga (YUMU) and used the composition page of 'Bringing us together' to improvise our own section of the song using an ostinato. We discussed which notes gave us 1, 2, 3 or 4 beats.
Year 4 - listen and appraise 'Mambo'
Date: 19th Jan 2026 @ 2:57pm
To start this week's lesson, we recapped what musicalnotation is. We then had a listening, appraising andsinging lesson. We focused on melody, rhythm, beat,tempo and tonality of the song 'Mambo' from West SideStory. We used our stem sentence mats to help usdiscuss what we thought of the song. Before we sang'Bringing us together' we discussed what our postureneeds to be like before we sing.
Date: 16th Jan 2026 @ 11:16am
Year 2- Listening and Appraising!
Date: 16th Jan 2026 @ 8:06am
Year 5 - Music Update: Freedom Is Coming!
Date: 16th Jan 2026 @ 7:32am
- Find the steady beat and keep it consistent throughout the piece.
- Play in unison, making sure everyone stayed together.
- Handle multiple notes, which meant thinking carefully about timing and coordination.
Date: 13th Jan 2026 @ 11:24am
This week, we practised singing 'Bringing us together'. Then we looked at the three notes we would be using on the glockenspiels (G, A and C). We located them on the instrument and pracitsed playing. Some of us were brave enough to play solos or duos to the whole class.
Date: 5th Jan 2026 @ 4:03pm
This week we had a listening and appraising lesson. We remembered that to listen and appraise we need to have good active listening skills to be able to talk about the dimensions of the music. For our group task, we had to discuss what the beat was like, the time signature, the tempo, what instruments we could hear, the structure of the song, the genre, the pitch and the tonality. Afterwards, we had a go at singing the song for the first time.
Date: 17th Dec 2025 @ 1:50pm
In our final Royal Opera House Magic Flute lesson, we brought together all the skills and knowledge we’ve built throughout the last half-term.
We began by revisiting our year group’s composers and reflecting on the musical ideas we’ve explored. Then we warmed up with the lively “Pa Pa Pa” vocal exercise and completed a character role call to refresh our understanding of the story and its key personalities.
To finish, we came together as a full class choir for a joyful performance of “Pa Pa Pa Papageno,” celebrating both our learning and our confidence as performers.
Date: 16th Dec 2025 @ 4:28pm
What a fantastic performance from all of our Nursery children at this years Christmas Sing Along! The children have been working so hard to learn our Christmas songs and sang their hearts out for their families. Well done everyone, we're so proud of you!
