AS

AS (Year 12)

The AS level is broken down into 3 units as follows:

• Unit 1: Performing, 30%, Examination & Coursework
• Unit 2: Composing, 30%, Coursework
• Unit 3: Aural, Listening & Understanding, 40%, Examination

Music scholars or other pupils who have taken GCSE music a year early are encouraged to take at least unit 1 of the AS in their upper 5th (year 11) year.

Unit 1

• Examination
  Pupils give a short recital lasting about 7 minutes on their main instrument or voice.  This is recorded at the end of the Lent term of the year of examination.
   
• Coursework
  Pupils log performances of a varied nature given throughout the course.  This should show a variety of solo and ensemble performances as well as those taking place on occasions in or out of school.  One composition should be performed at some point during the year and another solo performance is recorded for moderation.  All of these performances can be of music of any style; classical; rock; jazz.

Unit 2

Candidates explore ‘free’ composition further and produce one composition lasting at least three minutes for presentation at the end of the Lent term of the year of examination.  A number of different styles will be explored through the course; 32 bar  blues, Music for film an television, romantic miniatures, string quartets etc.

Pupils also study two further disciplines of compositional techniques, learning how to compose in the style of other composers.  The chorales of Bach and other Baroque two part music by composers such as Handel is explored in this part of the course.  This paper is examined by a paper which is given to the candidates to take away and complete over a four week period over the Easter holidays of the year of examination.

Unit 3

There are two components to this part of the course:

• Aural: Listening paper, 45 mins
  During the year pupils are introduced to many styles of music and their social and historical background.  They develop a vocabulary of musical technical terms and are encouraged to listen to a wide variety of music.  They learn the skill of chord recognition, cadences, melody and rhythm dictation in context.  There are 4 questions on the paper.  These are:
  1) Timbre & Texture
  2) Comparison of Performances
  3) Aural Recognition
  4) Perception of Tonality & Harmony
   
• Listening & Understanding, Extended answers on set topics, 90 mins
  Pupils study TWO prescribed areas of study (AoS) through a special focus on five or six extracts within the topic.  These topics are varied eg. secular vocal music, keyboard music, 20th century art music, music for film and television, sacred vocal music.  Through listening and analysis this give pupils a breadth and depth of knowledge.
  The examination divides into TWO parts; one for each area of study.  The same structure of questions is true for both parts.  Each part has FOUR questions as follows:
  1) Asks the candidates to define technical terms appropriate to the AoS.
  2) Asks for a sitation from the extracts of the terms defined in question 1.
  3) Refers to one or two of the extracts and asks broader questions.
  4) An extended question again referring to one or two of the extracts.