About MusicShare
MusicShare is a partnership project between Lichfield Cathedral School and Lichfield Cathedral. MusicShare is a singing programme for schools and is delivered in various ways: Projects & CPD Working with schools in a series of workshops culminating in a final concert in Lichfield Cathedral. Much of this funded work is based in the Lichfield Diocese, which consists of 7 local education authorities although we work, on a charged basis, with schools outside this area. Our most regular work is with The Music Partnership, the music education hub for Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent and Telford & Wrekin. We are currently pleased to receive significant funding from The Arts’ Council England via The Music Partnership. Choirs MusicShare runs four outreach choirs, which are open access, without audition and for a small termly sub, rehearsals are based in Lichfield. Mini Voices (0-5 years) Young Voices (6-11 years) Youth Voices (12-18 years) Ladies who Lark (18+ Ladies) Resources We are building up a large bank of resources, including Hub Singing Sessions, which are available via YouTube on the Entrust or City Music Service YouTube channels plus virtual projects for EYFS, KS1, KS2 and KS3 and CPD videos for teachers. Further information If you are interested further in any of MusicShare’s work or getting your school involved then please contact [email protected]
Where to find us on social media Organisation
The Music Partnership The Music Partnership @tmpartnership Music Share MusicShare @lichmusicshare Lichfield Cathedral School Lichfield Cathedral School @LichfieldCSchl Lichfield Cathedral Lichfield Cathedral @LichfieldCath
Singing with KS2
These are some more general practical notes to accompany the more specific KS2 Video resource we have created. Singing during the Coronavirus Pandemic
This document has been created in November 2020. As time goes by you will be informed by government advice as it gets updated. However, it still remains clear that a detailed risk assessment should be in place if you are going to undertake any singing activity, taking into account the following mitigating measures:
• social distancing guidelines from the government in place at the time (ultimately it appears clear that at least a 2-metre square between singers is important, whether or not they are in the same bubble) • the space you are using (ultimately singing outdoors is going to be a lot safer) • can you work with smaller groups (ultimately there are going to be few spaces where you can accommodate a whole class with social distancing in place) • ventilation if using an indoor space (keeping windows and doors open is crucial as there does seem to be evidence to suggest that aerosols build up collectively over time) • singing without the need for printed resources (use a whiteboard if possible or teach by rote) • if you have somebody leading from the front make sure that they are well away from potential aerosols and (use a screen or wear a visor, stand more than 2-metres away) Warming up voices
Do always make sure you warm-up at the beginning of any session even if it is just for a very short period of time. Use the warm-ups to reinforce principles of good singing such as standing/sitting well, good breathing down and vocal Choosing repertoire for KS2
By KS2, children’s voices are a lot more flexible - their range may actually be wider than yours. A good range is often starting on Middle C and going to the E an octave and a bit beyond that, or possibly even higher. Despite the greater flexibility it is still important to consider very carefully the repertoire you choose – try not to choose anything that might cause them to force their voices. Consider finding out more about the Kodaly (Tonic Solfa) method, which is an extraordinarily brilliant way of developing musicianship through singing.
MusicShare KS2 Video Singing Resource
“When I grow up” - written by Cathy Lamb A joyful song which looks at the anxieties around thinking what one might want to be when grown up. Item Link Video that teaches the song and then gives a full performance
Sheet music – vocal line with chord symbols
Sheet music – full score with piano part
Lyrics sheet
Performance track
Backing track (no vocals)
“The Toothache Blues” – words by Susan Hobkirk, Charles Borthwick & Kit Hobkirk with music by Kit Hobkirk (with thanks for permission to use) A fabulous song in the blues style.
Item Link Video that teaches the song and then gives a full performance
Sheet music – vocal line with chord symbols
Sheet music – full score with piano part
Lyrics sheet
Performance track
Backing track (no vocals)
“There was an old woman who swallowed a fly” – traditional arr. Ben & Cathy Lamb with thanks to the following… A fun arrangement of this traditional nursery rhyme – taking quotes from the following works: Incy-wincy spider – traditional nursery rhyme The Thieving Magpie – opera by Italian classical composer Rossini – this is taking from the Overture, which is perhaps the most famous part Everybody wants to be a Cat – a song which features in Disney’s 1970s animated film ‘The Aristocats’ with music by Floyd Huddleston & Al Rinker How much is that doggie in the window? – a popular novelty song, released in 1953 as a single by Patti Page and written by Bob Merrill The Lonely Goat-herd – show tune from 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical ‘The Sound of Music’ – it uses yodeling – a part of traditional music of the Austrian Alps, where the musical is set Old MacDonald had a farm – traditional nursery rhyme William Tell – this is the overture from another of Rossini’s famous operas. This was Rossini’s last opera.
Item Link Video that teaches the song and then gives a full performance
Sheet music – vocal line with chord symbols
Sheet music – full score with piano part
Lyrics sheet
Performance track
Backing track (no vocals)
“Si Si Lanobana” - written by Dan Baker, Ben & Cathy Lamb This is a song with invented words – it is great for learning to sing in simple parts as it breaks into 4-parts using the material learnt for the unison section.
Item Link Video that teaches the unison version of the song and then gives a full performance
Video that teaches the 4-part version of the song and then gives a full performance
Sheet music – vocal line with chord symbols
Sheet music – full score with piano part
Lyrics sheet
Performance track (unison version)
Performance track (4-part version)
Backing track (no vocals)
“The New Normal” - written by Cathy Lamb This is an upbeat song – written in Lockdown 1, 2020.
Item Link Hub Singing assembly where we teach the song (this also includes a warm-up)
Video that gives a full performance of the song
Sheet music – vocal line with chord symbols
Sheet music – full score with piano part
Lyrics sheet
Performance track
Backing track (no vocals)
How you might use the KS2 songs in your lessons…
Generally - we would advise to sing little and often – however, we realise that by the time KS2 hits this becomes less easy to include in the daily round and when you are learning more complex songs, slightly longer sessions are useful. Therefore, this plan is based on 2 x 30 minutes session per week for 10 weeks. Although we are gradually building up a bank of more MusicShare songs for you – here is a suggested route you might begin to use these songs within your planning:
Week 1 (each session need not last longer than 30 minutes) Session 1 Use one of our 10-minute singing sessions available on YouTube (either on the Entrust or Stoke City Music Service channels) to warm up the voices and learn a quick short song. Then watch the ‘Humming Song’ teaching video, which will hopefully do everything you will need. Feel free to stop the video and recap/do things more slowly where needed. Session 2 Use one of our 10-minute singing sessions available on YouTube to warm up the voices and learn a quick short song. Then watch the ‘There was an old woman’ video – teaching part 1 and join in as best as possible.
Week 2 (each session need not last longer than 30 minutes) Session 1 Use one of our 10-minute singing sessions available on YouTube (either on the Entrust or Stoke City Music Service channels) to warm up the voices and learn a quick short song. Then recap the video of ‘There was an old woman’. Extension activity: Can you find out a little more about the composer Rossini? What period of music did he compose during? Can you find the music to ‘The Thieving Magpie’ and listen to the original version which includes the quote that we sing as part of ‘there was an old woman’ Session 2 Use one of our 10-minute singing sessions available on YouTube to warm up the voices and learn a quick short song. Recap the humming song with the performance track. Watch the teaching video for ‘Si si Lanobana – unison version’.
Week 3 (each session need not last longer than 10-15 minutes) Session 1 Use one of our 10-minute singing sessions available on YouTube (either on the Entrust or Stoke City Music Service channels) to warm up the voices and learn a quick short song. Then watch the ‘Humming Song’ teaching video, which will hopefully do everything you will need. Feel free to stop the video and recap/do things more slowly where needed. Extension activity: Can your children compose their own humming song? Look at the structure of the piece – the first 2 musical sentences (known as a phrase) are 2 bars long (each bar has 4 counts) and the last one is 3 bars long. The whole thing then shifts up a little higher and does the same thing again. Look at the first 2 musical phrases in the melody only version – what do you notice about the opening of each (hint…they all start in exactly the same way) Session 2 Use one of our 10-minute singing sessions available on YouTube to warm up the voices and learn a quick short song. Then watch the ‘There was an old woman’ video – teaching part 2 and join in as best as possible.
Week 4 (each session need not last longer than 30 minutes) Session 1 Use one of our 10-minute singing sessions available on YouTube (either on the Entrust or Stoke City Music Service channels) to warm up the voices and learn a quick short song. Then work on the second half of ‘There was an old woman’ either using the teaching video or the performance track Extension activity: Find a recording of the song ‘How much is that doggie in the window?’ as quoted in ‘There was an old woman’ and listen to it. When was the song written? What was special about it in relation to the UK charts? Session 2 Use one of our 10-minute singing sessions available on YouTube to warm up the voices and learn a quick short song. Then recap ‘Si Si Lanobana’ – perhaps this time you might watch the video teaching the 4-part version.
Week 5 (each session need not last longer than 30 minutes) Session 1 Use one of our 10-minute singing sessions available on YouTube (either on the Entrust or Stoke City Music Service channels) to warm up the voices and learn a quick short song. Sing through the entirety of ‘There was an old woman who swallowed a fly’ either using the teaching video final performance (end of the video) or the performance track. Extension activity: Find out about ‘The William Tell Overture’ as quoted in ‘There was an old woman’ and listen to it – who wrote this work? Session 2 Use one of our 10-minute singing sessions available on YouTube to warm up the voices and learn a quick short song. Then recap ‘Si Si Lanobana’ – perhaps this time you might watch the video teaching the 4-part version.
Week 6 (each session need not last longer than 30 minutes) Session 1 Use one of our 10-minute singing sessions available on YouTube (either on the Entrust or Stoke City Music Service channels) to warm up the voices and learn a quick short song. Then watch ‘The Toothache Blues’ teaching video, which will hopefully do everything you will need. Feel free to stop the video and recap/do things more slowly where needed. Extension activity: Research ‘The Blues’ – what is it? This extension activity could take many weeks. Although it is a GCSE resource – BBC Teach has a good video on the Blues and ragtime by Howard Goodall, which is a good starting point. Session 2 Use one of our 10-minute singing sessions available on YouTube to warm up the voices and learn a quick short song. Recap the ‘Toothache Blues’ either using the teaching video or the performance track.
Week 7 (each session need not last longer than 30 minutes) Session 1 Use one of our 10-minute singing sessions available on YouTube (either on the Entrust or Stoke City Music Service channels) to warm up the voices and learn a quick short song. Then watch ‘The New Normal teaching video, which will hopefully do everything you will need. Feel free to stop the video and recap/do things more slowly where needed. Extension activity: Can you write some new lyrics for the verse of ‘The New Normal’ based on the kind of activities people have been doing in lockdown. Session 2 Use one of our 10-minute singing sessions available on YouTube to warm up the voices and learn a quick short song. Recap ‘The New Normal’.
Week 8 (each session need not last longer than 30 minutes) Session 1 Use one of our 10-minute singing sessions available on YouTube (either on the Entrust or Stoke City Music Service channels) to warm up the voices and learn a quick short song. Then watch the ‘When I grow up’ teaching video, which will hopefully do everything you will need. Feel free to stop the video and recap/do things more slowly where needed. Session 2 Use one of our 10-minute singing sessions available on YouTube to warm up the voices and learn a quick short song. Recap their favourite song of the term so far.
Week 9 (each session need not last longer than 30 minutes) Session 1 Use one of our 10-minute singing sessions available on YouTube (either on the Entrust or Stoke City Music Service channels) to warm up the voices and learn a quick short song. Then recap ‘When I grow’ up using the teaching video or the performance track. Session 2 Use one of our 10-minute singing sessions available on YouTube to warm up the voices and learn a quick short song. Recap another favourite song.
Week 10 (each session need not last longer than 30 minutes) Session 1 Use one of our 10-minute singing sessions available on YouTube (either on the Entrust or Stoke City Music Service channels) to warm up the voices and learn a quick short song. Then recap as many of the other songs as possible. Extension activity: Can you plan the order of the songs to make a well-balanced programme (think about mixing songs by tempo, or dynamics) Session 2 Perform your programme – even if it is just to your class – or perhaps you might video it?
Recommended further resources for KS2
National Youth Choir of Scotland (NYCOS) Some fabulous resources sprang up online from this fabulous organisation during lockdown. For KS2 their #NCOSdaily challenge songs are brilliant. All songs that NYCOS use are songs based on the Kodaly method of singing and are fabulous for developing musicianship skills and you can purchase a whole host of songs in their ‘Singing games and rhymes’ books available from their website shop.
Voices Foundation Virtual Singing Assemblies The Voices Foundation recorded 33 virtual singing assemblies during lockdown plus some particular videos on repertoire – all of which are excellent. MusicShare 10-minute Virtual Singing Sessions Don’t forget to tap into our 10-minute singing sessions. There are already nearly 20 available online via Entrust Music Service & City Music Service You Tube channels. Further assemblies will continue to be added.
Junior Voiceworks (Oxford University Press) This is an outstanding series of books and the 2 Junior Voiceworks books are particularly brilliant for this age category and are a photocopiable resource.