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 “SONGWRITERS”

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Sherman Brothers

Posted on 16th December 2025 at 14:49

The 19th December 2025 would have been Robert B. Sherman’s 100th birthday. Robert worked with his brother Richard M. Sherman, and together they wrote more song scores for motion picture than any other songwriting teams: over 200 songs for 27 films and 24 television productions. Their songs remain popular today, and two of them (‘Colonel Hathi Elephant March’ from The Jungle Book and ‘Hushabye Mountain’ from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang) are listed in the Model Music Curriculum’s recommended listening.

Image: Howard352 at English Wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

JS Bach St John Passion

Posted on 14th March 2024 at 10:24

J. S. Bach’s St John Passion was first performed on Good Friday, 7th April 1724. This year we celebrate the 300th anniversary of this remarkable work.

Bach is one of the most famous composers of the Baroque era and his work has been celebrated by many notable composers including Mendelssohn.

The Chorale from the first part of St John Passion is recommended in the New Model Music Curriculum.

Taking inspiration from Bach's use of written text, our activity explores some things to consider when writing songs based on poems.

Image: Johann Sebastian Bach (aged 61) in a portrait by Elias Gottlob Haussmann, second version of his 1746 canvas. Bach is holding a copy of the six-part canon BWV 1076.

ABBA Waterloo

Posted on 15th February 2024 at 10:16

ABBA is one of the most popular and best selling musical groups of all time. The four-piece first as a group between 1974 and 1982, and reunited in 2016. In 1974 they won the Eurovision Song Content with the song "Waterloo" which kick started their International Career.

The song is recommended by the Model Music Curriculum. Our suggested activity links to preparing for performance based on ABBA's iconic stage presence.

Image: Bert Verhoeff for Anefo

Poetry and the Joy of Human Expression

Posted on 17th March 2020 at 18:09