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CHILDREN’S SPECIAL: TEN PIECES FEATURE

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Do you live near the sea? The British composer Benjamin Britten did, and he loved it so much that he used to go swimming in it every day! Brrrrrr. Chilly. As well as heading out for his daily splish-splosh, Britten also liked to write music about the sea, most famously in his 1945 opera Peter Grimes. This opera, about a fisherman who is hated by everyone in his village, is not the cheeriest tale you’ll ever hear, but the music is incredible, especially the four ‘Sea Interludes’ played by the orchestra

while scenery is being moved around. In each of these, Britten’s music makes us think of the sea, from the sun rising over the still water in ‘Dawn’, to a bright sunny harbour on ‘Sunday Morning’ and the calm-but-rather-creepy

scene of the sea at night in ‘Moonlight’. And then there is ‘Storm’, full of howling winds and crashing waves. Those crashes are heard in the drums, while the rest of the orchestra scurries, blows and swirls around like a ferocious gale. It’s all rather terrifying, in fact. Whatever you are holding onto, hold tight!

Every month, we introduce one of the BBC’s ‘Ten Pieces’, each specially chosen to bring the wonders and joys of classical music to children of primary school age

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Five brilliant Britten facts! BRITTEN

‘STORM’ FROM PETER GRIMESBritten didn’t just write for adults. Many of his most famous pieces were composed for children!He was superb at sport, and especially loved playing tennis (below).He thought he was a fantastic driver; his passengers thought he was a terrifying driver.He once passed the time during a boring ship journey across the Atlantic by writing carols.In the last year of his life, he was officially made ‘Lord Britten’.

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Listen to the music on your cover CD!

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1 0 8 B B C M U S I C M A G A Z I N E

CHILDREN’S SPECIAL: TEN PIECES FEATURE

Britten Noye’s FluddeThere’s lots more water around in Noye’s Fludde, the opera Britten wrote in 1958 about Noah and his ark (below). He composed it for children to perform, and it has some cracking tunes!

Richard Strauss An Alpine SymphonyOne of the wildest storms to be heard in music comes in this, Richard Strauss’s dramatic piece about a day spent climbing to the top of a high mountain in the Alps (above).

Beethoven Sixth SymphonyIn 1808, Beethoven wrote the most famous storm music in history – it’s in the fourth movement of his Sixth Symphony, nicknamed the ‘Pastoral’ that you can hear the thunderclouds gathering.

Thankfully, the storm soon passes and all is happy again.

How much did you like this music?

I hated it! Not a lot… It was OK I liked it I loved it!

Now explore other great music!

Things to do!1. Listen to the CD. How many different types of drum can you hear playing in the piece?..................................................................2. What do you think happens to the storm for a short time at 2:18?...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................3. We hear a rather magical-sounding instrument at 2:22 and 2:39. What is it?.....................................................................................4. Do you reckon you could dance to this music? What sort of dance would it be, do you think? ........................................................................................................................................................................................5. Overall, how does this music make you feel?.................................................................................................................................................................

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