What is an Anthem? Overview The purpose of this activity is to create an anthemic song, a Haka-style dance for the Welsh rugby team and a creative dance inspired by a story from the Mabinogion. Pupils will: o Listen and appraise different anthems o Create a brand new National Anthem for Wales o Create a Welsh Haka and appraise dance performances o Learn the story of Bran and Branwen from the Mabinogion o Plan a storyboard for a creative dance o Rehearse and perform their creative dance Enrichment o Opportunities for collaboration with musicians, dancers, storytellers, choreographers, costume designers and make-up artists Curriculum links The main areas of the current curriculum addressed in this rich activity are: LNF: Literacy Skills Digital Literacy Music: Skills: P1, P3, P6-8; C2, C4; A1-3 PE: Skills: CA 2- 6, 8 1 Resources included with this activity o Circle Map sheet o Storyboard sheet o Video clips with suggestions for warm-ups and guidance on creating a haka dance Resources that need to be made available o Computer/internet access o iPads or other video recording equipment o Photocopies/enlargements of relevant sheets o Available spaces for groups to work around the school if possible Preparation o Computer/internet access o iPads or other video recording equipment o Photocopies/enlargements of relevant sheets o Available spaces for groups to work around the school if possible 2 Task 1: What makes an anthem special? Collaboration & Potential LNF Resources progression pathways The pupils listen to a selection of national anthems and learn what an anthem is. The aim of Task 1 is to Songwriter or Literacy provide background knowledge and examples so pupils can attempt to write their own anthem musician to Oracy OS2: explaining provide specialist information and • DISCUSS - What songs do you enjoy? What is your favourite song? Imagine picking one song to input… ideas represent the whole class – would it be easy? So imagine selecting a song to represent an entire OS3: extending talk nation! What do we call these songs? What makes an anthem special? What is its purpose? Community Music OL1: listening Wales carefully • http://community OL3: asking questions WATCH/APPRAISE/SING – Which of these anthems do you prefer and why? OC1: contribute to Mae Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau, sung by a Male Voice Choir musicwales.co.uk/ discussions https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XiSpdeVbbw en/ OC2: purposeful talk Welsh anthem sung at the Millennium Stadium before a rugby match. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AM4mIlYKG9s Ty Cerdd Writing UK National Anthem, God Save the Queen http://www.tycerd WM3: planning writing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9eK9fWUb3s d.org/about-us US National Anthem, The Star Spangled Banner https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAYPN-1Yjt0 Consider contacting a local • DISCUSS – Musically, what do these anthems have in common? Discuss in groups, focus on Musical choir - could their Elements e.g. Duration (these examples are all in beats of 3), Tempo (steady pace, slower allowing big conductor come in groups of people to sing together), Pitch (they start with lower notes then hit the high notes later, to talk about often in the chorus part), Dynamics (start quietly, build to a louder, triumphant sound). anthemic songs? • WRITE – Using enlarged Circle Map sheet provided, groups stick on Post-it notes to record what they’ve learned about anthems 3 • DISCUSS/LISTEN/APPRAISE – Can a pop/rock song be an anthem? Play the link for the Manic Street Preachers’ Design for Life – does it have the characteristics of an anthem? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfEoVxy7VDQ 4 Task 2: Creating lyrics for a new Welsh National Anthem Collaboration & Potential LNF Resources progression pathways Task 3: Creating a melody for a new Welsh National Anthem Collaboration & Potential LNF Resources progression pathways The class has chosen its most effective verse and chorus. The aim of Task 3 is to create a suitable melody Visit by a for it songwriter… Literacy Oracy • DISCUSS/WATCH – Writing a tune for lyrics can be a difficult task for pupils. Discuss the musical OS2: explaining information element of pitch and how melodies often smoothly step from one note to another (like walking up Community and ideas and down the stairs) and then they might add a few note leaps for variety. The clip below of Music Wales OS5: Role-play. OL1: listening carefully Beethoven’s ‘Ode to Joy’ illustrates this, a first section of ‘steps’ and later on ‘leaps’ http://communi OL3: respond to others https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siDZXR-zbwI tymusicwales.co OC1: contribute to discussions .uk/en/ OC2: purposeful talk • DISCUSS – Notes don’t have to keep changing – staying on one note, repeating it in a rhythmic way Reading0RC3: identifying can be very effective. Remind pupils of the anthems they studied. They started with lower notes Ty Cerdd information and kept the high notes for later so that the song could build. http://www.tyc RC4: deduction RA5: writer’s viewpoint erdd.org/about- RA6: evaluating content • IMPROVISING/COMPOSING – Give each pupil a copy of the chosen verse/chorus lyrics from the us last lesson. MAT musicians and members of school choir will find it easier to create melodies, as Writing this is challenging. iPads can be useful – pupils could find a quiet space and record their melody Recording WM1 adapt style for purpose companies WM4: explore ways to present ideas into the video camera so that the teacher can listen back. Confident pupils may be able to WM5: reflect, edit, redraft. sing their ideas to the class for appraisal, but often the class teacher will need to listen to ideas and http://www.sai WL2: varied vocabulary sing them for the class so that they can decide. nwales.com/ • EXTENSION - You may decide that composing the melody will be an extension task for your MAT http://www.ffla music pupils, working in a small group with an LSA or collaborating with a local songwriter. ch.co.uk/cms/in dex.php • REHEARSE/PERFORM – When the melody for verse and chorus is completed, use an iPad to record your more able singers performing it. Play it to the class so they can learn it. To be a successful 5 anthem, it needs to be sung with enjoyment and pride. The class rehearse singing it acapella, no instruments, and record it. Listen back and appraise whether it sounds like an anthem. If not, what can be done to improve it? Task 4: Welsh Haka! Collaboration & Potential LNF Resources progression pathways Did you know? The first recorded occasion of a National Anthem being sung before an international sporting occasion was in 1905. The Welsh crowd sang Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau in an impromptu response to the New Zealand rugby team’s traditional Haka at the Cardiff Arms Park. The WRU would like the Welsh team to have their own Haka-style dance for the next time they play Invite a Literacy New Zealand. The aim of task 4 is to create a Welsh Haka professional Oracy OS2: explaining information dancer to lead a workshop and ideas • DISCUSS – Have you seen the New Zealand Haka? Why do their players do it? What is it like? Does OS3: extending talk it consist of random moves with everyone doing their own thing? or is it organised and OL1: listening carefully Contact local choreographed? OL3: asking questions dance schools / OC1: discussions community dance OC2: purposeful talk • WATCH – Clips of the Haka – a war dance or challenge to the opposition, by countries such as New organisations Zealand and Samoa. Reading https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqfHv9FOpXw Foundation for RS2: reading strategies to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiKFYTFJ_kw Community decode RS3: reading different texts Dance http://www.com RS5: skimming and scanning • MOVE/MODEL – How many moves can you remember? Which group can remember and perform RS8: on-screen texts munitydance.org. the most? (eg. stand up tall, stamp, squat, chant etc.) RC3: identifying information uk/about- RC4: deduction 6 Writing • RESEARCH – By viewing the online clips using iPads/laptops, pupils research what makes a good community- WL2: developing vocabulary Haka? How many moves are there? What is the first move? What sounds are used? (Do they note dance.html that the movements are strong, repetitive, and the chant has a question and answer structure?) National Dance Company Wales • CREATE/REHEARSE/REFINE/PERFORM – Using their research for inspiration, groups create their http://www.ndcw own Haka for the Welsh team (will their chant use Welsh words?) They plan, rehearse and refine it ales.co.uk/en/get ready for a performance to the class. Which one would be most effective against the All Blacks at -involved/ the Millennium Stadium? Having available spaces around the school to send groups will be useful. Watch the Warm up Video provided for ideas on warm-up activities for your pupils. Ballet Cymru http://welshball • EXTENSION – Can pupils combine singing their new Welsh National Anthem and dancing their et.co.uk/ Welsh Haka into one performance? This could be a special performance for St David’s Day. Check out the members map of Creu Cymru’s website to find a venue that programmes dance near you: http://www.cre ucymru.com/ Theatre, Dance & Performance Wales has a useful A-Z http://www.theat re- 7 wales.co.uk/com panies/ 8 Task 5: Choreograph a dance about Bran and Branwen Collaboration & Potential LNF progression Resources pathways Pupils discuss what makes an effective dance performance and how stories can be a Opportunity for a Literacy stimulus. The aim of Task 5 is to select an aspect of the Bran & Branwen story to turn into a choreographer to Oracy dance visit school.