The Music Workshop Company Blog

Each month the Music Workshop Company publishes two blogs. One blog, written by the MWC team addresses a key issue in Music Education or gives information about a particular genre or period of music. The other blog is written by a guest writer, highlighting good practice or key events in Music Education. We hope you enjoy reading the blogs.

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To contribute as a guest writer please email Maria@music-workshop.co.uk

Posts tagged “#CLASSICAL MUSIC”

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Woodwind family

Posted on 17th June 2026 at 11:38

Photo by Thea Paraskevaides, used under Creative Commons licence

Continuing our series of blog posts about the Western Classical Orchestra, this month we explore the woodwind family.

A typical woodwind section in an orchestra is made up of flutes, oboes, clarinets and bassoons, but different pieces of music require a different combination of woodwind instruments. Sometimes, the extended instrumental families are needed, from piccolo to contra bassoon or even the saxophone.

Woodwind instruments are aerophones – instruments that create sounds by making air vibrate.

String Family

Posted on 16th May 2026 at 14:07

Last month, we started our exploration of the Western Classical Orchestra with a history of the ensemble.

This month we explore the string family. In terms of players, the string family are the largest instrumental family in the orchestra and is made up of the violin, viola, cello (or violincello) and double bass.

The Orchestra

Posted on 17th April 2026 at 16:05

The orchestra has been at the heart of much of Western music for over 350 years. Many of the pieces in the recommended listening list in the Model Music Curriculum for England are written for orchestra. We explore how the orchestra developed throughout the centuries, for the first of our series of posts examining the make-up of Western orchestras.

Check back in May for the next post in the series, when we’ll delve deeper into the string family.

Louise Farrenc

Posted on 14th September 2025 at 15:53

Louise Farrenc was a celebrated pianist and composer.

Writing pieces from symphonies to piano solos to choral works. She worked with her husband to publish key piano anthologies and influenced a generation of pianists through her role as Professor of piano at the Conservatoire de Paris.

She died on 15th September 1875.

On the 150th anniversary of her death, we celebrate her life and work.

Image: Portrait of Louise Farrenc (1804-1875), French composer by Luigi Rubio

Concerts for Schools 2025

Posted on 12th August 2025 at 15:42

Recently we were asked about concerts and other trips linked to music that would be suitable for school visits. Such events can be a fantastic opportunity for students, opening up new ways of experiencing music and inspiring would-be young musicians to pursue their passions.

Many orchestras across the country offer concerts for schools as well as other activities to support young people’s music education. We’ve collated a selection of events across the country for the 2025/26 academic year. While our list is not exhaustive, it includes a range of events on offer from the some of the UK’s major musical institutions.

Information correct at August 2025.

Handel Zadock the Priest

Posted on 16th May 2024 at 11:56

Handel wrote ‘Zadock the Priest’ for the Coronation of George II in 1727. The work has been performed at the coronation of every British monarch since this date, most recently at the Coronation of King Charles III and Camilla on 6th May 2023.

The work is recommended for Year 4 and above in the Model Music Curriculum. Our activities inspired by the work explore how to create drama and anticipation in music.