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 “POPULAR COMPOSERS”

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Fanfarra (Cabua-Le-Le), Sérgio Mendes

Posted on 23rd July 2024 at 11:02

Sérgio Mendes as a young man in 1968 (Public domain/Arquivo Nacional Collection)

The Brazilian composer Sérgio Mendes has achieved major success both in the US, where most of his albums have been recorded, and around the world. The Grammy Award winner is notable for brining bossa nova to global audiences, and for having collaborated with a wide range of musicians spanning multiple genres over the years. We explore Mendes’ career, from his beginnings in the jazz clubs of Rio de Janeiro to his more recent musical partnerships.

Our activity this month focuses on Fanfarra (Cabua-Le-Le), a piece recommended in the Model Music Curriculum for Years 1-6.

Rachmaninoff at 150: the pianists’ composer

Posted on 16th March 2023 at 12:52

Sergei Rachmaninoff in 1921. Source: Wikimedia Commons (Kubey-Rembrandt Studios, Philadephia, Pennsylvania)

This year sees the 150th anniversary of the birth of renowned pianist and composer Rachmaninoff, whose music has divided opinion yet remained popular for many decades. We take a look at his life and work, and ask what has made his compositions – which are renowned for being challenging to play – so successful with audiences around the world.

Ralph Vaughan Williams at 150: a champion of music education

Posted on 14th October 2022 at 12:35

Even if you are not familiar with classical music, you will undoubtedly have heard the music of Ralph Vaughan Williams. The Lark Ascending and Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis consistently appear in the top 10 of Classic FM’s listener polls, and he is considered one of the quintessential composers of British history.

Yet his music still divides opinion, and for many years, much of his output was neglected. Alongside these most famous pieces, Vaughan Williams wrote a huge variety of works including operas, ballets, chamber music, vocal pieces and orchestral compositions, with nine symphonies to his name. This month, we mark the 150th anniversary of his birth with a look back at his musical life.

2020 – the year of Beethoven?

Posted on 14th January 2020 at 10:41

December 2020 marks the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth.

The event seems to have split the Classical Music community.

Some individuals and organisations see the occasion as an opportunity to celebrate Beethoven’s musical achievements.