Jacob's Ladder Productions
  • Home
  • Makaton
    • What is Makaton?
    • Makaton Courses
  • Hummingbirds Music
    • Music & Drama Education Expo
    • Creature Cantata 3
    • Creature Cantata 2 >
      • Animal Videos with songs
    • Folk Music Adventure
    • Olympic Torch Relay
    • Trailblazers Cantata
    • Planet Blue >
      • Lyric Booklet, Lead Sheets & Lesson Resources
      • 1. Planet Blue
      • 2. Tread Lightly
      • 3. Da Da Darwin
      • 4. I cannot change the world
      • 5. Thief of time
      • 6. You and me
      • 7. Water into wine
      • 8. Bug Sushi
      • 9. Palomita
      • 10. Back on track
    • Creature Cantata >
      • Creature Cantata Resources >
        • Song Lyrics
        • Instrumental Parts
        • A-Z Collective Nouns
        • Creature Poems
        • Creature Caricatures
        • Glossary
        • Makaton Signing
        • Artwork
      • Butterflies and ladybirds
      • Gorillas and monkeys
      • Rattlesnake rumba!
      • Crocs basking
      • Flambo of flamingos
      • Giraffes and lions
      • Iguanas in a mess
      • Hummingbirds and parrots
      • Spiders!
      • Shiver of Sharks!
    • Coventry Cultural Cantata >
      • Cuca Resources
    • Accidental Scientific Breakthrough
  • Kevin Stannard Music
    • Berkswell Music Festival
    • TGBXS
    • Blue Coat School Choir Spring 2024 >
      • Blossomise 2024
    • Blue Coat School Choir Autumn 2023
    • Come and sing Vivaldi
    • Lady Godiva Musical
    • Piano Tuition >
      • Piano Tuition Pieces
      • Vocal Tuition Pieces
      • Piano music composers A-Z
      • Music Theory >
        • Theory Grade 1
        • Theory Grade 2
        • Theory Grade 3
        • Theory Grade 4
        • Theory Grade 5
        • Theory composers A-Z
  • Resources
    • Nativity Musicals with Makaton Signing
    • Junior Voiceworks Songbooks
    • Songs
    • Hymns & Prayers
    • World Down Syndrome Day
    • Coming soon....
  • Online Shop

Coventry Schools' Cultural Cantata
​Teaching notes

The Cultural Cantata is a magical, musical tour for young people living in Coventry today; an invitation to sing (dance/play) through the history of our city, and celebrate its characters and culture, from the present day back to the times of the Countess of Mercia. Journey through the ages and experience the war-time blitz; meet Sir Frank Whittle, recall the age of the motor car, the bicycle, celebrate the importance of Coventry’s industrial heritage before arriving in the times of the iconic Lady Godiva. 

Here is an opportunity for schools to offer musical experiences to their pupils and exposure to performing which has been understandably lacking in the last two years. However, we should not shy away from the challenges of the Cultural Cantata. There is much to be gained from engaging with the materials which may seem challenging initially, but with application will pay dividends. Children should be encouraged to have a go!  Encourage your young people to use the resources within these pages as a starting point for their own self-led exploration.

Use our MUSIC mnemonic - Musicality, Understanding, Singing, Instrumental Skills and Curriculum links - to help you discover the learning potential of each song, and to explore the common musical ideas and concepts running through the cantata.
 
KS1 pupils should sing/chant the melody/lead part starting with songs 3, 6, 7, 8 and 10  and then work through the parts marked KS1 in the others. Be familiar with as many songs as possible (except 9).

​KS2 pupils should aim to learn to sing all the songs and divide (wherever possible) for harmony parts. 

​Our recommended approach is to share the 'vocal video' of each song in its entirety to allow children to learn through immersion, repetition and familiarisation; be wary of focusing on detail too early as many of the initial challenges will resolve themselves using this approach.
  Then, as with all areas of learning, you can tackle any persistent errors.  Move on to the BT video when your singers have developed vocal independence and confidence.

M
U
S
I
C

Musicality     Demonstrating children’s ability to express themselves in music through performance in a choral       ensemble (+ untuned percussion instruments). 

Understanding         Exploring the song’s character/structure and learning to communicate the meaning of the song through sensitive phrasing and an awareness of how the melody fits with the music around it.

Singing skills        
​Developing specific vocal techniques and styles; breathing, pitching, harmonising, listening to each other.

 Instrumental skills       Improving coordination by clapping and playing percussion rhythmically with control (on the beat, off the beat, in canon).

Curriculum links         Letting the learning flow into other areas of the curriculum through discussion and research.
Song 1
Song 2
Song 3
Song 4
Song 5
Song 6
Song 7
Song 8
Song 9
Song 10
Website by Gabriel Media Limited