Level 1 programme concludes

Level 1 concluded with a concert and presentation of certs in the hall  on Wednesday afternoon. We played some of our favourites from the course for the classes of Ms Browne, Ms Moran and Mr Vaughan. All aparticipants were presented with certificates of achievement .
A special thank you to Ms Pilkington for her assistance and also |Ms Moran for being our guest narrotor today.
Our closing number was Mazeltov which means Good wishes . So we say Mazeltov to Swinging Strings 2012/13 .

Next week: Brass in the Class

During the year, I met some adults who were learning violin for first time. Here are three of the class on our final session of term held at the Junction Centre. Ennis .  Bravo Mr Cullinane, Mr Murray and Mrs McQuillan! 'Never too early and rarely too late' to learn an instrument

Second Chance Class on outing to The Junction

Annie's Kilfenora Jig

A little after class jamming with girls from the Walsh Ensemble

Today  we had a music marathon. We looked back over the programme  of  two terms work of string tuition .  Looking forward to presenting a class  for an invited student audience next week.  Bravo to Annie who played the Kilfenora Jig

 Introduction 1     Welcome to our violin class . We have been working hard over the year and we are glad you can join us for our last session. Today we are going to introduce you to some new tunes and instruments.  But first   Feel The Beat Rap

Link 2 Our next piece features the instruments that are low in pitch the cellos and double bass . This backing track is a piece by Vivaldi .He was an Italian composer who wrotes loads of music just for strings

Link 3 Our next piece is called the Toreadors March . A Toreador is a Bullfighter . This piece is played at Munster Rugby Matches sometimes as the players are coming on to the field.

Link 4 Our final pizzicato piece is Foxtrot   Mr Walsh

Link 5 Scales are like musical ladders .  with notes going up and down , one step at a time . Here is a Scale starting on D

Link 6 Our next piece is a samba a dance from Brazil  Mr Corry

Link7  The song Twinkle Twinkle uses the tune of a French folk song

Link 8 Next a story you know well  . In our version we use our violins to add sound effects Three Little Pigs Story

Link 9  Finally Mazeltov  means Good Wishes in Hebrew  the language of the Jewish tradition. You can hear clarinets in the backing track.  A good number for a finale (Fin a_ lay)

Link 10  Tango is a form of dance from Argentina  This one is called La Cumparsita

Cellos today Calum, James, Eimear Basses Jordan, Sean  Leaders Faye


Notices 
Thanks to Ms White for the pics today 

Last session with presentation of certs next week for invited audience  and  

Optional class for improvers starts 15th May 

Mazel tov

Great to be back in Room 12 after a break of a few weeks.  Today we listened to some Klezmer music and played along with a song called Mazel tov . Mr Corry tells me that the phrase features in a song by chart topper will. I .am.

Mr Walsh's class worked on the Three Little Pigs and Ms Walsh began work a musical illustration to Three Billy Goats Gruff.

Next week Annie and Farah Lisa have agreed to play something

Welcome to Ricky a new student inb Mr Corry's Class


Recognise these two Ennis Brass Band members ?

Music Class for  2nd Class

The 'Nash' Ensembles On the Ground at Shannon

Pic courtesy Shannon_Airport via twitter 

Mr Corry's Group

The weather outside was frightful but inside was quite delightful as for a third year in a row , the 80 plus 4th class participants in the Swinging Strings programme headed to the wide expanses of the departure lounge of Shannon Airport for a performance extravaganza . This year it was an exclusively  Nash Event  we joined the choir under Ms Carrigg and the band under Ms de Buitleir for a variety show of song , dance and instrumental items making a combined corps of  160 students, guests and teachers

Our special guests were tenor,  Mr Tony Murray and star of the stage Mr Ken O Shaughnessy who narrated our special retelling of the Three Little Pigs complete with startling sound effects on strings by Ms McMahon's 4th class. MrWalsh's group doubled up on percussion to give an extra oomph to Mr Corry's class rendition  of our string samba.

Narrator Mr O Shaughnessy with Ms McMahon's 4th Class

Mr Walsh

Students loved these cool fridge magnets 

Two Tenors 

After the show, there was a fab  lunch  for everyone upstairs at the Limestone Café  and going home a goody bag for everyone.  We sang all the way there and back . Thanks to Dorothy Quinn and  all at Shannon Airport  for their warm  welcome and hospitality. We had a wonderful and memorable day!



ps This is our third year to return to this wonderful venue as part of our inclusive music endeavour.   Every student at ENS from 4th 5th and 6th class has now participated at this event . You can read my reports from the 2012 and 2011 events here by clicking on the dates.  You can hear some voices from the day on the audioboos below.

Play On Group

Ms McMahon's Group with Suzie 

Mr Walsh's 4th Class

4th Class Mr Wals

BRAVO TUTTI!!

How do you get to Shannon Airport. Practice. Practice Practice ! 

Swinging Strings Programme

Mr Walsh             Scale on D  Joanne  Martin       
                              Twinkle Twinkle   
                              Foxtrot   Peter Martin 
                              Open string riffs Barn Dance Michael Row the Boat Marines' Hymn

Ms McMahon     Three Little Pigs  Sounde Effects including Blues  Peter Martin
                             Twinkle Twinkle Little Star 
                             Riffs Mo Gile Mear, Can Can and Waltzing Mathilde  Tremelo on Goodbye

Mr Corry              Beguine  (Peter  Martin)    with auxiliary percussion from 4th class Mr Walsh
                              Ireland's Call and Amran na bhFiann      
                             You'll Never Walk Alone  Tremelo D 

r 

Real pros Waiting patiently to start.

Smiley Faces on Bus Home

listen to ‘Ens on tour’ on Audioboo

listen to ‘Bus home airport’ on Audioboo

listen to ‘Tenor Tony Murray  ’ on Audioboo

Shannon Spectacular: Preparations Continue

We squeezed a few extra tutorials in today

Ms McMahon 
Sound Effects Story

One or two small changes  Glissando down on A for That was the end of the big  Bad Wolf'

Band 
School Orchestra Group plus Band  Suzie on Bass

Double Bass Tutorial  Suzie

Mr Walsh 
Twinkle Tutorial  

Proposed Running Order below

Running Order  Shannon School Band Extravaganza

 Swinging Strings in Class Groups

Mr Walsh

 Students in  four lines  Seven in each row smaller students to front .   3 students from after school   group added . In place at beginning

With the Band 

 1 Barn Dance Bows on G   Two short quavers  Ri-ver   Bite the string

 2 Michael Row  Down Bow Retakes on D on Row and Lu   Micahel ROW the Boat ashore all Lu  ia       Repeat Watch the leader for start and finish

 3 Marines Hymn Down Bow Retakes on D    except Line 3 D G D G  Watch me for knee dip to show change of string

Solo

Bows Down Foxtrot pizz 

Scale (on D)

Twinkle   1  Rhythm only  2 Tune

Exit Group 1 quietly  while choir stand  to perform

*************************************************************************************

Ms McMahon’s Group line up  

  With Band     1 Waltzing Mathilda  G G zz D D zz   2 Can Can    DDDD zzzz DDDD zzzz

Dancers    rest position

Hollys Tune tbc 

Munster Cloak G D G D Mini  Retakes 

Solo

Three Little Pigs  inc BluesPizz Special class Friday 

With Band 

 May We Never Sing with choir  Watch me Tremelo on D 

Mo Gile Mear Double Stop   Heavy quavers GG z z  or D D z z

Mr Corry 

Into line after choir item

With Band Polkas   1 2 Quavers on G   2 Down Bow Retakes on A   Every second part A A(play) B Play

Solo   

Beguine  

With Band 

  Finale Irelands Call   Retakes on D 

  Amhran na bhFiann as rehearsed 

      

Getting the act together School Ensembles Extravaganza

From the archive Swinging Strings Group 2012  with the School Band 

Mr Walsh  Class
Scale on D
Foxtrot
Twinkle Twinkle Arco

Barn Dance Drone on   G  Down Bow Retakes  G /D.
Part B Flag Wave Motion

Marines Hymn 

Down Bow Retakes

Line 1 D   D   D    D
Line 2 same
Line 3 G   D   G   D
Line 4  D   D  D    D

Michael Row
Down Bow Retakes on D  on ROW and LU

Ms McMahon
Scale on A

Three Little Pigs inc Blues Sound Effects Story


Waltzing Mathilda

G G zz  D D zz  repeat Ending   D D G_

Munster Cloak
G D G D G D D G
"         "     "    D  G

Can Can
Kilfenora  V V on D

Mo Gile Mear
2 groups D and G  Row the Boat riff on chorus flag waving on middle section

Mr Corry

Scale on D and A
(Twinkle)  variation
Beguine

Polka 1
A A B B
A   and B    Quavers G and D  2 gps

Polka 2
A  Down Bow Retakes   Every 2nd bar

Irelands Call
National Anthem
Down Bow retakes  on D  tremelo to finish


Mr Walsh         Foxtrot, Scale on D, Twinkle Twinkle  Rhythm Only
Ms McMahon   Scale on A  Blues and Riffs on Waltzing Matilda  G G zz D D zz
Ms Corry         Rap,  Scale Beguine  Polka Riffs  Ti Ti G and Down Bow Retakes A
                        Irelands Call and Amhran na bhFian

Follow on Gp   Tunes Michael Row,  the Boat Calypso and Munster Cloak
                        Mo Gile Mear Scale and arpeggio.   G and  D
2nd Chancers   Review of term

Fiddle Rap and Violin Drum

 4 rhythms/ 4 strings
It was all about the beat today  at Swinging Strings . We  began with a rap before turning our violins upside down to make drums .  We worked on 4 of our rhythms before bowing them.  Which is your favourite .  Our new rhythm today is Bow River  no 4.  

Rhythm Chart

Mr Walsh Scale on D and Twinkle Foxtrot
Ms McMahon Sound Effects Story 
Mr Corry Beguine and more Twinkle

Violin Rap 
Music Has a steady beat, Can you feel it in your feet]
Hear the music in the band , can you feel it , clap your hands
Now let me show you a clever trick, can you make your fingers click 
No Feel the beat is what I said, can you think it in your head 
    ***********************************************

Open String Notes on Stave

After school Gp
CF, AF, Ma. LF, KO, JP, 

Absent  LD

Arpeggios 

Swinging Strings tunes Foxtrot, Blues, Beguine,

Michael Row, Mo Gile Mear 

Advanced gp Munster Cloak 

2nd Chancers Arpeggios , Essential Elements  page 2 Fainne Geal , rhythm work Twinkle in G