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 “American Music”

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Walker Lyric for Strings

Posted on 19th June 2024 at 16:50
George Walker had a long, prolific composing career, was a respected teacher and was the first Black composer to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music alongside many other accolades.  
 
As a composer, he drew from a wide range of influences, and he made a huge impression on the music world, in spite of the racism that he experienced throughout his career. 
 
We explore his life and works, and suggest an activity inspired by his best-known composition, ‘Lyric for Strings’, which is recommended by the Model Music Curriculum for Year 4 and above. 
 
 
Image: Composer George Theophilus Walker at the piano, early 1940s. Source unknown. 
 
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Dvořák Symphony No 9 New World

Posted on 16th December 2023 at 13:30
Dvořák's Symphony No 9 "From the New World" is one of his most famous works and it's slow movement "Largo" was inspiration for a song and a classic advert. As a Cor Anglais player, MWC's Artistic Director Maria Thomas has played the famous solo on many occasions and it remains one of her favourite works. 
 
The title "From the New World" highlight's Dvořák's contribution to the development of American Classical Music. 
 
The second movement of the Symphony is recommended listening for Year 3 upwards in the New Model Music Curriculum. 
 
For ideas for activities linked to the work click here. 
 
Image: By Unknown author - This file comes from Gallica Digital Library and is available under the digital ID btv1b8417521d, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=101281 
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