Junior Cert Music – Choice Songs and Choice Works

Choice Songs

1. Accompanied and unaccompanied Irish Songs

I Know my Love (The Corrs)

This is an arrangement of an Irish traditional folk song sung in English.

The tonality is Major and the tempo is Moderate

Features include a range of over an octave, melodic repetition and the use of backing
vocals.

2. Folk Songs from other countries

Early One Morning (England)

Early one morning is a traditional English folk song. It tells the age-old story of
unrequited love.

The simple melody captures the pain of a broken heart

The tonality is major, the mood is sad and the speed is Moderate.

Musical features include – repetition, a melody based on triads and a wide range.

3. Songs composed by the great masters and recognised 20 th Century

composers

‘The Lotus Flowers’ – Robert Schumann (1810-1856)

Schumann was a German composer. This short art song is about a lotus blossom, which
closes its petals in the sunlight and opens them in the cool night.

The tonality is major, the time signature is 6/8 and the mood is calm.

Musical features in this work include repeated notes in the melody, the words are
repeats and the melody changes key.
 4. Historical and Modern Ballads

‘The Fields of Athenry’ – Pete St John

A ballad is a song that tells a story. The fields of Athenry is a historical ballad set
during the famine. It tells the story of a young man who has been sent to Australia for
stealing corn to feed his family.

The tonality is major, the speed is slow and the mood is sad.

Musical features include repeated notes in the melody, the verse and chorus have the
same music and syncopation.

5. Popular Songs, Negro Spirituals, Jazz and Blues

‘Saints and Sinners’ – Paddy Casey

A popular Irish song

The tonality is major, the mood is reflective, and the speed is fast.

Musical features include unusual phrase lengths, backing vocals and a syncopated
rhythm.

6. Accompanied and unaccompanied vocal church music and carols

‘May the road rise up to meet you’

The words are based on a traditional Irish blessing.

The tonality is major, and the speed is moderate.

Features include: Step movement, syncopation and the use of a counter melody.

7. Songs from operas, operettas, cantatas, oratorios and stage musicals.

‘America’ from West Side Story – Leonard Bernstein

West Side Story is one of Bernstein’s most famous musicals. It is based on Romeo and
Juliette.

The tonality is major, and the speed is moderate. The Mood is dramatic and humorous.

Features include Syncopation, repeated notes and phrases and the use of two different
time signatures.
8. Songs involving simple descants, ostinato, simple two-part songs, rounds and
cannons.

‘Frére Jacques’

A round based on the nursery rhyme ‘frére jacques’.

The tonality is major, the speed is moderate, and the time signature is 4/4.

Features include – melodic repetition, polyphonic texture and the use of a melodic
ostinato.
 Junior Cert Music – Choice Works

1) Dance Movements

Dance of the Swan from Swan Lake – P. Tchaikovsky (1840 -1893)

Dance of the swan is a dance work from the ballet Swan Lake. Dancers dance high
on their toes and tilt their heads in time with staccato notes in the music.

Features of this work include – Minor key, Staccato, main instruments are from the
woodwind and string family

2) Movements from either a classical symphony or a symphonic suite

Badinerie – JS bach.

A Badinerie is a short and lively dance. The badinerie is the final piece in Suite No.2
by Bach.

The tonality is B minor; the speed is fast and the time signature is 2/4

Features include – the use of sequences, ornamentation and both sections start with
the same melody just in different keys.

3) Theme and variations in the classical, Irish or Jazz repertoires.

When the saints go marching in - Louis Armstrong

Based on a gospel song of the same name. Louis Armstrong is considered to be one
of the greatest jazz musicians of all time.

Each of the 7 verses of this song are altered in some way.

Musical features include – Syncopated rhythm, Call and response, use of different
rhythms at the one time.
4) Movements Involving an instrumental or vocal solist or a group of Soloists
interacting with an accompanying ensemble.

‘The Anvil Chorus’ from Il trovatore – Giuseppe Verdi (1813 – 1901)

One of the most famous scenes from this work is the Anvil Chorus. It tells the
story of a group of gypsies signing at dawn about the sad day that awaits them at
work. As they sing they hammer steel. The beat of the hammers can be heard in the
music.

Features include: Major Key, opening theme based on triads, the voices sing in
unison.

5) Illustrative and Film Music

‘Hogwarts March’ – Patrick Doyle

The march begins with a strong rhythmic introduction like fan fare on brass
instruments. This is very appropriate for the start of the tri wizard cup.

There are two main themes in this work.

Features include – Repeated notes, major key, the brass family, exciting mood.

6) Concert Overtures

Oklahoma Overture – Richard Rodgers

An overture is a piece of music that is played at the start of a musical. It contains

snippets of the main songs from throughout the musical.

The Oklahoma overture opens with trills on strings followed by swirling notes.

Features include: Lively mood, major key, contrast between the melody’s, rising
scales.