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Concert Curriculum Project Overview Document

Anne McGinty’s Phoenix Overture is a simple piece for beginning band. It consists of

three distinct sections; an introductory fanfare, the primary theme, and a secondary theme

expressed at a slower tempo. The introduction is based off of a triad, the primary theme is an

extension there-of. The primary theme returns after the secondary theme with a richer

harmonization. The piece finishes with a combination of both the primary and secondary themes

together. This is a quick piece, timed in around 2:30, but is scored for simple ranges, lots of rich

harmony, and plenty of educational content. This would be a superb piece for beginning

ensembles to grow from, and sound great in the end.

The collection of pieces that is the Riverdance are tunes from the Irish music spectacular

under the same name. The original work by Bill Whelan was for orchestra. The wide variety of

instrumentation in the original score presented quite the challenge for any common group to

perform the music. Whelan had extended out the music into a 2-hour show, pulling various

cultural tunes from all over Ireland to create an Irish music spectacular worthy of countless

awards. This arrangement, by Carl Strommen, is merely a collection of some of those tunes such

that they are appropriate for a fourteen-minute performance that still contains the same character

as the entire show. There are five pieces in this arrangement: The Wellspring Theme, Women of

Ireland, The Hearts Cry, Thunder and Lightening, and the Riverdance Finale. The great variety

in musical style across the five pieces presents an amazing learning opportunity for students as

they dive into Irish music and its common music genres. All of the songs also have cultural

significance in their purpose and meaning. The tunes are beautiful, well crafted, and amazingly

fun to perform and listen to. This is a very well rounded piece of music.
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Concert Curriculum Project Bio and History Document

Anne McGinty, born June 29th, 1945 in Findlay, Ohio, is renowned as one of the most

prolific female wind ensemble composers in the world. She began her collegiate studies at Ohio

State University as a performance major under the mentorship of Donald McGinnis. She

pursued a career in flute performance performing in groups such as the Tucson Symphony

Orchestra, Tucson Pops Orchestra, and the TSO Woodwind Quintet. She returned to college and

received both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Duquesne University in Pittsburg,

Pennsylvania. With her concentration now in music theory and composition as well as flute

performance, she began a rich career in education and composition. She was the first woman to

be commissioned by the United States Army Band to compose a piece; this piece, titled “Hall of

Heroes,” was premiered in March of 2000. This is just one among many, many

accomplishments, awards, and honors McGinty has been awarded over the years. She has been

praised as, “Thousands of people have played her music and discovered the joy and beauty of

playing music that is both educational (helping instrumentalists learn basic musical skills) and

also musical, engaging their imagination and encouraging them to stay in the instrumental music

program.” (McGinty Music Website)

Originally her piece named “Encomium,” the “Phoenix Overture” was a reimagining

arranged and condensed by Anne McGinty. “Encomium” was McGinty’s first piece composed

for concert band. Once the piece was out of print and the rights were given back to the

composer, McGinty was able to raise the piece out of its ashes to better fit beginning band

settings (hence, the name of the piece). The original was grade 3 and ran around five and a half

minutes. Composed in 1998, this arrangement runs only for around two and a half minutes. The

editor’s notes assure the director, “this version is not “watered down” or simplified. However,
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due to time and space limitations, certain sections have been omitted and some keys have been

changed.”

Bill Whelan Bio

Bill Whelan, born May 22nd in Limerick, Ireland, is an Irish composer and musician of

incredible merit. His collegiate education began at Crescent College, and continued through the

University College Dublin and the King’s Inns. Throughout his career, Whelan composed for

various theatres, movie soundtracks, and commissions. He made many ground-breaking

contributions to the Irish repertoire from the 1970’s onward, including grand pieces such as The

Seville Suite, The Spirit Of Mayo, and The Connemara Suite. His most famous work, however,

is indubitably Riverdance which rocketed him to international acclaim after developing it into a

2-hour long spectacle. With this piece, he made Irish music international known and won the

1997 Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album.

Originally a 7-minute long piece for orchestra, Riverdance was composed for a

Eurovision Song Contest in 1994 where it was first performed. Whelan extended this piece into

the full Riverdance spectacle it is renowned for today. It was written to “star Flatley and Butler,

the Anuna Choral group directed by Michael McGlynn, and with a feature by Pages.” (Oxford

Music). Many different arrangements and excerpts of the widely popular show have shown

through the decades; many want the lively tunes to be accessible by any group of musicians.
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Sources

McGinty Music, LLC. => https://mcgintymusic.com/inspiration/meet-the-composers/

Score notes for “Phoenix Overture” in the “Developing Band Book NO.7” by John Edmondson

and Anne McGinty

"Whelan, Bill." Encyclopedia of Popular Music, 4th ed. Ed. Colin Larkin. Oxford Music

Online. Oxford University Press. Web. 7 Dec.

2017.<http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.proxy.bsu.edu/subscriber/article/epm/62741>.

The Wind Repertory Project, Bill Whelan => https://www.windrep.org/Bill_Whelan

Score notes for Riverdance by Bill Whelan and arranger Carl Strommen
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Concert Curriculum Project “Heart’s Cry” Lesson Plan

Standards

MU:Pr6.1.E.5a Demonstrate attention to technical accuracy and expressive qualities in

prepared and improvised performances of a varied repertoire of music.

Objectives

 Students will be able to perform “Heart’s Cry” with technical facility (play the right notes

and rhythms).

 Students will be able to identify moving lines and rehearsed melodies within the full

texture of the ensemble.

Materials

 Baton; Score of Riverdance by Bill Whelan; (Students need instruments, copies of music,

writing utensil, and instrument accessories)

 Optional: metronome, tuner

Students will be led in the following:

Warm-ups and Sound-before-Sight preparation (3-4 min)

 B-flat scale

 B-flat scale as round

 Have students echo these patterns on voice, then instrument

o Do-re-mi-fa-sol-mi-do

o Mi-fa-sol-la

o La-sol-mi-fa-sol

Rehearse “Heart’s Cry” from Riverdance by Bill Whelan (11 min)

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 Begin with mm. 18 – 22

o What pattern did we recognize in m. 20?

o Work out any issues

 Continue on mm. 18 – 26 – Listen for the other patterns!

o What pattern did we here at m. 23?

o Who played it?

o What pattern was in mm. 24 – 25?

o Who played it?

 Continue on mm. 18 – 32

o Something happened in m. 29… Can anyone tell me what was different?

 Rehearse mm. 30 – 35 (flute solo)

 Put it all together

Assessment

 Formative – how bad is intonation? Which chords and measures are the worst? Also,

take note of dynamics. Are they being executed correctly?

 Formative – take note of the answers given to questions on pattern recognition.

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Concert Curriculum Project Phoenix Overture Lesson Plan

Standards

MU:Pr6.1.E.5a Demonstrate attention to technical accuracy and expressive qualities in

Prepared and improvised performances of a varied repertoire of music.

Objectives

 Students will demonstrate proper articulation, differentiating between slurs and common

articulations.

 Students will demonstrate dynamic contrast that supports the melodic line while keeping

acceptable tone and intonation.

Materials

 Baton; Developing Band Book NO.7 Conductor version;

 Optional: Tuner

Students will be led in the following:

Warm-ups and Sound-before-Sight preparation (3-4 min)

 B-flat scale in 4/4, ¾

 Rhythm pattern of slur two, tongue one -> on scale in ¾

 Arpeggio same pattern

 Chromatic starting on concert A-flat if time

 Have students learn melody of rep. by rote

Rehearse Phoenix Overture by Anne McGinty mm. 26-40 (8 min)

 Start reading mm.26-40 – who sees the rhythm pattern we worked on?

o Mm. 26-30 then stop – prompt question.

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o Play four measures again: Who all has melodic material in this section?

 Continue on – mm. 30-34

o Who all has the melodic material in these measures?

 Put both sections together – mm. 26-34

 Play whole section – mm. 26-40

o If needed, work the molto rit.

 Iron out issues as they come; notes and intonation!

Assessment

 Formative assessment on success from individuals and group. Do we need to go over this

again? Take note on who is not successful with execution and urge them to practice.
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Concert Curriculum Project “Heart’s Cry” CM Lesson Plan

Standards

MU:Pr4.3.E.IIa Demonstrate how understanding the style, genre, and context of a varied

repertoire of music influences prepared and improvised performances as

well as performers’ technical skill to connect with the audience.

MU:Cr6.1.E.IIIa Demonstrate an understanding and mastery of the technical demands and

expressive qualities of the music through prepared and improvised

performances of a varied repertoire representing diverse cultures, styles,

genres, and historical periods in multiple types of ensembles.

MU:Cn11.0.T.IIIa Demonstrate understanding of relationships between music and the other

arts, other disciplines, varied contexts, and daily life.

Objectives

 Students will demonstrate their understanding of the meaning of the symbols and lyrics

of the song “Heart’s cry”

 Students will connect the similarities and differences between the original chorale and the

brass choir arrangements

 Students will participate in discussion to determine how the information learned about

“Heart’s Cry” will affect their future performances

Materials

 Baton; Score of “Heart’s Cry;” lyrics to “Heart’s Cry” chorale; Copy of “Heart’s Cry”

melody with words underneath; Some form of presenter (projector or TV); pitch pipes;

Pitched Drone app; Speakers; Students responsible for instruments, accessories, etc.

 Optional: tuner, metronome

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Students will be led in the following:

Warm-ups and Sound-before-Sight preparation (4-6 min)

 Play concert B-flat drone over speaker system, loud enough to fill room (but not so that

you cannot hear yourself)

o Have students sing a B-flat scale in unison

o Have students sing a B-flat scale in a round (3 to 4 groups; 4 if strong group)

o Sing through excerpts from “Heart’s Cry” on solfege, perhaps tricky intervals or

strange melodies to assist students

 Pass out “Heart’s Cry” melody with words

o Listen to a recording of a choir sing the song

o Have the group sing through the melody

Heart’s Cry as both a Chorale and Brass Feature: Learn about the words (11-14 min)

 Ask students to write down on a piece of blank paper for about a minute or 2 their

thoughts on who the speaker of the lyrics might be.

o Once done, ask a few students to give their interpretations

o Have a short discussion about the two main figures represented: salmon and

eagles -> womanhood (old Irish vision)

 Does this piece have a recognizable form?

o Hopefully, quick to answer ABAB

 Let’s Play through Section A

o Then Sing it – based on the words and how the piece sounds, where might we

want to put our emphasis?

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o Do the same for Section B – it translates in the chorale to the next two sections!

 Wait! Is the chorale the same as the instrumental version?

o There is a difference in the last section B – Let’s figure out how it is different.

 Run the piece through with the emphasis that was decided earlier.

Assessment

 Formative: fix any issues that might appear in either the singing or the playing. Also,

collect what the students wrote down on the paper to put in their portfolios.

 Summative: Have students complete a short paragraph after done with the lesson

describing the meaning behind the song and one way they might convey that meaning in

how they play.

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Concert Curriculum Project Assessment Document

Formative Assessments

 Students will be informally assessed by receiving continuous feedback during rehearsals

on how to make immediate improvements on the pieces in question.

 Based on individual lesson plans, students may be assessed in multiple ways detailing

student progress through short writing exercises; will be kept in student portfolios for the

teacher’s convenience

 Student leadership will be asked to keep track of areas that need improvement within

their respective sections; these areas will be kept track of through BLT (band leadership

team) slips that will be turned into the teacher at the end of each rehearsal.

 Students will be responsible for completing practice forms that require parent signatures

Summative Assessments

 Scales associated with the pieces will be aligned with scales on “Development Card” –

playing tests will be scheduled individually to access scale mastery

 After the concert, students will be prompted to evaluate the performance: what went

well?, what went poorly?, what piece did you enjoy the most?, what piece prompted the

most growth from the ensemble?, etc.

 Students will choose from a list of traditional Irish tunes/compositions to research. In

their written work, students will discuss the history, meaning, and culture surrounding the

work. Students will then summarize their personal experience with the work; did they

like it?, how do they connect with it?, how would you explain this to a friend or family

member?, etc.
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o Hopefully, space and time could be secured to have an afterschool showing of a

recording of the full Riverdance show.