Music for Events
and Cultures

These starters and plenaries focus on the context and purpose for which music is composed. They provide links between Music and other curriculum areas, such as Geography and PE. Many of the activities address the requirements of Section 5 (Breadth of Study) of the National Curriculum for Music at Key Stage 3. They offer an ideal starting point for compositions at Key Stage 4/GCSE, and in particular the ‘Music for Special Events’ Area of Study in the AQA Music GCSE specification.

Having considered the role that music plays in ceremonies and in sport, students may wish to draw up a ‘composition brief’ for a wedding, coronation, party or sporting occasion.