MUSIC OF THE 20TH CENTURY
LESSON SIX: Sacred Music. And the not very Sacred.
Carrying on from our festive theme of the last couple of lessons, we'll now look at a Christmas work by another British composer - Benjamin Britten. Many believe him to have been the most brilliant British composer since Henry Purcell in the 1600's… Anyway, we shall listen to 2 of his carols (the lullaby 'Balulalow' and the war-like 'This little Babe') rom 'A Ceremony of Carols' in the listening excerpts below.
Following this, we'll look at what was happening in Germany, and the composer who changed music education forever, Carl Off. (If you wondered whose idea it was to have you play the xylophone since primary school, he's the guy!) Brilliant Mr. Orff not only wrote about music education - he also has an impressive catalogue of 20th Century compositions to his name. Probably his most famous is his choral / orchestral work known as 'Carmina Burana'. Not so sacred in its text, the Carmina Burana was originally a collection of satirical and irreverent poems written by various different poets in the 1200's. The opening and closing work - O Fortuna, is well known, and has featured in many movies, and even a beer ad! Have a listen to the recording of O Fortuna below, and see if you recognise it. :-) Oh, and keep your ear out for the end of year chapel service on Thursday 3rd December 2014, where the Senior Choir will be performing the full A Ceremony of Carols by Britten. |
LISTENING:
'Balulalow' and 'This Little Babe' from Ceremony of Carols by Benjamin Britten
& 'O Fortuna' from Carmina Burana by Carl Orff
'Balulalow' and 'This Little Babe' from Ceremony of Carols by Benjamin Britten
& 'O Fortuna' from Carmina Burana by Carl Orff