The Sixteen has released a brand-new set of digital resources designed to help teachers get choral singing happening in their schools with confidence and ease, and Music Education Solutions has played a small part in bringing these to life!
Ignite: Digital features three specially commissioned choral pieces by celebrated British composers Bob Chilcott, Lucy Walker, and Will Todd. Each piece comes in a two-part version for upper voices, ideal for use in primary schools, and in mixed voice versions for secondary school use, allowing students from primary and secondary schools across the UK to sing virtually with the renowned choir.
Let Me Walk in Peace by Will Todd, is inspired by music from Handel’s Messiah. It uses familiar musical ideas from this famous oratorio in a new way, with lyrics that reflect a positive and inclusive message.
Tallis Nightsong is an arrangement by Bob Chilcott of Tallis’s famous ‘Canon’. The original piece was written as a prayer for a restful night, and in this new version Bob has reflected this feeling with the lyrics he has written.
The Nightingale by Lucy Walker is a setting of Christina Rossetti’s poem ‘Bird Raptures’. Matching the timeless essence of the text, the musical style is that of a folksong – something simultaneously new and ancient-sounding.
Each piece comes with a suite of support materials including performance videos, line-by-line learning guides, backing tracks, and teaching activities, giving teachers everything they need to bring these pieces to life with their pupils, whatever their level of confidence and skill.
Dr Liz Stafford from Music Education Solutions® who assisted in the development of the teaching resources says: “The three pieces are fantastic new additions to children’s choral repertoire which are set to become classics that schools return to again and again. It has been a pleasure to have worked alongside The Sixteen during this project and seen how dedicated they are to supporting teachers and their students to develop the skill of choral singing. No stone has been left unturned in ensuring that teachers have everything that they need to successfully deliver this new repertoire in their classrooms, whether they are confident choral leaders or starting completely from scratch. I look forward to hearing these pieces sung by schools across the country for many years to come.”
The resources are available completely free of charge to primary and secondary schools across the UK, with the aim of introducing and reinforcing the joy of choral singing to children and young people across the country. You can find them here.