victorian music - biggar high school origins of the victorian music hall lie in the late 17th...

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Victorian Music • Worksheet� ��

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Victorian Music



1

Victorian Britain 1837 - 1901

Queen Victoria became Queen in 1837 and her reign lasted until 1901. This reign was longer thanany other monarch in British history. The Victorian period was an age of rapid development andchange, both socially and in industry. People in Victorian Britain were able to create great wealth butat the same time there was also great poverty. A child of seven could be made to work long hours foras little as £10 a year in appalling conditions at factories and mills. During Queen Victoria’s reign theBritish Empire dominated the world stretching from Canada right down to New Zealand.

Music in the Victorian period saw a great deal of change too. People wanted to hear new things andthe audience for popular music grew and spread throughout all the classes, not just in the rich andprivileged classes as before. The Music Hall became a way for people to listen to and enjoy popularsongs and music. Concerts in grand new town halls also became a regular feature of city life, offeringeveryone an opportunity to have an introduction to the world of classical music. The large citieswould compete with one another to have the biggest and best town halls, orchestras and organs.

In 1877 an inventor called Thomas Edison invented the phonographwhich was to revolutionise the way that people listened to music. Forthe first time music could be recorded and played back. Edison recordedsound onto a cylinder, which was then rotated against a needle. Thisproduced vibrations of sound that were amplified through a large horn.By 1887 a German inventor called Berliner had taken things one stepfurther and the gramophone was born; a forerunner of modern recordplayers. Not quite CD quality sound but a huge step forward!

New instruments were developed during the Victorian period andorchestras grew in size. It was an exciting time musically and in theselessons we will learn more about the world of Victorian Music.

Things To Discuss & Do: -

What do you know about life in the Victorian period? Make a list ofthings that you associate withVictorian Britain and discuss themwith the class.

What other inventions were madeduring the Victorian period?

How did people travel?

What food did they eat?

What were the popular toys andgames that Victorian childrenplayed?

Children Skipping

Penny Farthing

Phonograph



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The Victorian Music Hall

People have always come together and made music. Graduallythrough time these informal get-togethers became moreorganised. The origins of the Victorian Music Hall lie in thelate 17th century when Pleasure Gardens, such as VauxhallGardens, offered people music and entertainment as well asfood, and most importantly for many of the audience thechance to have a drink!

By the 1800’s the gardens had declined in popularity andnew Singing Clubs were formed instead. The working classestended to go to Taverns and the upper classes to so-calledSong and Supper rooms. Often comic singers appeared alongwith solo singers and choruses for an evening’s entertainment.Women were not usually allowed to attend these clubs butwere occasionally allowed to view from behind a screened-offarea in the balcony. The Taverns were also developing rapidlyand many also had music licences and held regular events.

In 1843 the Theatre Act was passed and this meant that the Singing Clubs could either become MusicHalls with a licence to sell drinks or Theatres without the right to sell drinks but able to show plays.This naturally caused a split and meant that the Theatres became more the haunts of the upper classeswho attended plays. The lower classes tended to attend the Taverns, or Music Halls as they becameknown, as they were looking for a jolly, boozy night out.

At first Music Halls were literally just halls with a raised area at one end and a gallery around theother three sides for the audience. Women were eventually allowed to attend, although no lady ofrepute would want to be seen at the rather riotous evening’s entertainment at the Music Hall.

By the 1870’s there were nearly 30 Music Halls in London. The appealof the Music Hall lay in the many different acts that performed, rangingfrom acrobats to comedians and of course singers who sang popularsongs such as Don’t Dilly Dally On The Way, Come Into The GardenMaude and The Man Who Broke The Bank At Monte Carlo. Themain ingredients for Music Hall songs were humour and a catchy tune.


Discuss with the class why you think the Music Hall was so popular?Why do you think that the upper classes tended to go to the Theatreand the lower classes to the Music Hall?Plan an evening’s entertainment at the Music Hall - what kind of musicwould you like to hear and what kind of acts would you like to see?

‘The Oxford’A Famous London Music Hall

Music Hall Performer

2.12.1



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Using this poster template plan your evening’s entertainment at the Music Hall - what kind of musicwould you like to hear and what kind of acts would you like to see?

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A Grand Evening’sEntertainment Featuring

act 1 - the main event

act 2

act 3

act 4

at



2.3


Here is the chorus from two popular Victorian Music Hall songsfor the class to sing. Add percussion instruments to accompanythe singing.

Marie Lloyd was the Queen of theMusic Hall and died in 1922 at theage of 52, worn out by her constantappearances.

Daisy Bell Sung by Katie Lawrence

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3

Dai - sy, Dai - sy, Give me your

an - swer, do! ----- I’m half cra - zy,

All for the love of you! ----- It won’t be a

styl - ish mar - riage, ---- I can’t af - ford a car - riage, ---- But you’ll look

sweet on the seat of a bi - cy - cle built for two!

. . .

. . . .

.

Daddy Wouldn’t Buy Me A Bow-wow Sung by Vesta Victoria

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2

Dad - dy would-n’t buy me a bow-wow (bow-wow), Dad-dy would-n’t buy me a

bow-wow (bow-wow), I’ve got a lit - tle cat I am ve - ry fond of that, But I’d

ra - ther have a bow-wow, wow.



3

Victorian Street Sellers

In Victorian times street sellers would walk through the streets advertising theirgoods and wares with songs. These street cries could be heard each day in the citiesand towns. Here are some examples of popular street cries of the time.

Ripe Strawberries RipeMost fruit was sold by the pound, but strawberries were sold by the pottle whichwas a kind of cone shaped basket used to measure out the fruit. If you have seenthe musical Oliver, you will have heard some of these Victorian street cries includingRipe Strawberries Ripe.

Milk Below MaidsFresh milk was sold by milkmaids from big churns carried on their shoulders.They would cry Milk Below Maids to the servants that were working below stairsin the large Victorian houses.

Knives Scissors And Razors To GrindThe knife grinder was a familiar figure on the streets. He would sharpen the knives,scissors and cutlery that became blunt with regular use. His charges usually variedfrom a penny to three halfpennies depending on the size of the blade and theamount of polishing required.

Things To Do: -

Imagine you were a street seller today.What kind of things would you sell?Make up some “cries” and a tune to help you sell your wares or goods.



3

Composition Activities

Victorian Music • Teacher’s Sheet 1

Discuss with the class different types of people in the Victorian period. Look at differences betweenthe lives of the rich and poor. What kind of things did people do? What jobs? What did they do forrecreation? This will give some ideas that should lead into the composition.

Divide the class into small groups and ask the children to pick a scenario relating to the Victorianperiod. Here are some suggestions:

Passengers travelling on the first steam train journeysA child working in a mill or factoryLife in a big cityVictorian street sellersLife in a Victorian nursery

Within the scenarios that the children have chosen ask them to plan out a framework for theircomposition. Explain the need for a well-planned piece that leads somewhere as opposed to noise!

Give out sheets of paper for them to plan their composition. Once they have worked out some ideasand discussed the best instruments for the effects and themes they wish to incorporate, let themchoose instruments.

Once the composing projects are underway, it would be useful in another lesson to encourage thegroups to present their working ideas to the rest of the class for discussion and to encourage theexchanging of ideas.

When all the groups are finished record the different compositions and play them back to the class fora final critique.



4

Gilbert & Sullivan Introduction

Long before the musicals of Andrew Lloyd Webber audiences were beingentertained with operettas or musicals by the English team of Gilbert andSullivan. Sir William Gilbert and Sir Arthur Sullivan established a uniqueand characteristically English type of operetta during the Victorian period.Gilbert wrote the words and Sullivan wrote the music to these comicmusical plays. What made their operettas so popular was the combinationof humour and satire with tunes that audiences could remember and join

in singing with. Their operettas were performed by the D’Oyly Carte Company, which was formedjust to perform the hugely popular works of the duo. Richard D’Oyly Carte was an impresario whoalso built the Savoy Theatre in London.

The actors and actresses who took the lead roles also became very famous. Sir Henry Alfred Lytton, afamous British comic actor of the period, was best known for his roles in their operettas and became sofamous that the Prime Minister attended his stage jubilee celebration.

The operettas of Gilbert and Sullivan are still performed today and many societies and groups existcelebrating their unique style. If you search Gilbert and Sullivan on the Internet you will find inexcess of 13,000 links to the famous musical partnership.

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TVLSMIKADOC

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EXSDEHBZOAO

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Use the wordsearch to help fill in the missingwords in the paragraph below.

Sir Arthur _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _and Sir William Schwenck_ _ _ _ _ _ _ were two ofthe most famous _ _ _ _ _ _ _partnerships of the_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ period.Their comic _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _produced by the D’OylyCarte Opera Companystarred the greatperformers of the day in-cluding Sir Henry _ _ _ _ _ _ .Their works include ThePirates of Penzance,_ _ _ _ _ _ _ and The _ _ _ _ _ _ ,which is set in Japan.

�Things To Do: -



5

Gilbert & Sullivan Biographies

Sir Arthur SullivanSullivan was born in 1842 and died in 1900. He was a chorister at the Chapel Royal and was laterawarded the Mendelssohn scholarship, which enabled him to study at both the Royal Academy ofMusic and the Leipzig Conservatory. Sullivan first found fame with his music to accompany Shakespeare’splay The Tempest, which he wrote when he was twenty and was performed at The Crystal Palace inLondon. At the age of forty one Queen Victoria knighted him.

In the period from 1871 to 1896 Sullivan collaborated with W.S. Gilbert on fourteen comic operas.Their first work was Thespis and their final operetta was titled The Grand Duke. Although bestremembered for his partnership with Gilbert, he also wrote many serious pieces of music includingthe tune to the famous hymn Jerusalem.

Sir William GilbertGilbert who was born in 1836 and died in 1911 was the son of aretired naval surgeon. He wrote the librettos (words) and plots toaccompany the music of Sullivan. Incredibly Gilbert was kidnappedin Italy by brigands at the age of two and held to ransom. This wascertainly a dramatic start to his life!

Beginning in 1861 Gilbert contributed dramatic criticism andhumorous verse to the popular British magazine FUN. Being fondof drawing cartoons Gilbert often accompanied some of his writtenwork with drawings, which were signed Bab. Many of the charactersin the Gilbert and Sullivan operas were modelled after some ofGilbert’s Bab characters. A collection of these Bab Ballads was laterpublished in 1869.

Gilbert was knighted by Edward VII in 1907 and died at the ageof seventy-four, while attempting to save a drowning woman.

Things To Do: -

1. What year was Sir Arthur Sullivan born? ______________________2. Where was Sullivan a chorister? ______________________3. Where did Sullivan study music? ______________________4. What famous hymn did Sullivan write the music to? ______________________5. What year did Sullivan die? ______________________6. When was Gilbert born? ______________________7. What happened to Gilbert when he was 2? ______________________8. What magazine did Gilbert write for? ______________________9. Which monarch knighted Gilbert in 1907? ______________________10. What year did Gilbert die and how? ______________________

An example of Gilbert’s BABdrawings. This one illustrates ascene in H.M.S Pinafore.



6

The D’Oyly Carte Company

In 1871 the manager of the Gaiety Theatre in London asked thecomposer Arthur Sullivan to compose some music to a librettoby William Gilbert. The result was Thespis which was such asuccess that it ran for sixty three performances. Alas afterwardsneither Gilbert nor Sullivan thought of collaborating on anyfurther works and they went their separate ways.

However, in 1875 Richard D’Oyly Carte who was the managerof the Royalty Theatre in London was looking for a work to useas a curtain raiser to Offenbach’s La Periochole. He contactedGilbert and Sullivan and the result was the one act musical dramaTrial by Jury. It was a great success and D’Oyly Carte quicklyrealised that this partnership could prove to be very profitablefor all concerned and suggested that Gilbert and Sullivancontinued writing together.

D’Oyly Carte’s first commission was The Sorcerer produced in1877. This was quickly followed a year later by H.M.S. Pinafore,The D’Oyly Carte Opera Company was formed to perform theworks of Gilbert and Sullivan and it soon became the mostpopular type of musical theatre of the Victorian age.

Over the next couple of decades Gilbert and Sullivan wrote asuccession of hit operettas including The Pirates of Penzance,Patience, Iolanthe, Princess Ida, The Mikado, Ruddigore, TheYeoman of the Guard, The Gondoliers, Utopia Limited andThe Grand Duke.

D’Oyly Carte built the Savoy Theatre in 1881 and he wasarguably the most successful Victorian impresario. An impresariois someone who organises public entertainment. He died in 1901but his Opera Company has continued to flourish and stillperforms the works of Gilbert and Sullivan to this day.


Think about the audience for Gilbert and Sullivan shows - discusswhat you think would encourage them to come and see Gilbertand Sullivan’s Operetta The Pirates of Penzance?

Design a poster for the Gilbert and Sullivan’s operetta ThePirates of Penzance by the D’Oyly Carte Company in 1884 atthe Savoy Theatre in London.



7

The Pirates Of Penzance

The Pirates of Penzance or The Slave of Dutywas one of Gilbert and Sullivans most famous comicoperas. It tells the story of Frederic, a young manwho has been apprenticed to a band of pirates dueto a mistake made by his rather deaf nurse calledRuth. Frederic decides that he wants to leave thepirates and live an honourable and decent life;something that none of his pirate friends can understand. Matters are further complicated by Fredericmeeting and falling in love with Mabel the daughter of the Major General.

There are many comic twists as Frederic is torn between his love ofMabel and his rather over-developed sense of duty towards his formercomrades, hence the subtitle Slave of Duty. The Pirates of Penzancewas first performed in 1880 with the famous singer/actress MarionHood playing the part of Mabel. She was to later take the lead in manyGilbert and Sullivan productions. The opera ran for over a year to apacked theatre. Many of the songs or arias have become very well knownand loved by audiences throughout the generations since it was firstperformed.

The Pirates of Penzance has all the hallmarks of a Gilbert and Sullivancollaboration including lively, rousing choruses with memorable tunesand humour that also slyly comments on Victorian society and values.The comic misunderstandings and mishaps are resolved with a flourishin the end and everyone lives happily ever after.

Listen To: -

With Cat-like Tread sung by the PolicemenA Policeman’s Lot Is Not A Happy One also sung by the PolicemenI Am The Very Model Of A Modern Major General sung by Mabel’s FatherPoor Wandering One sung by MabelThe Paradox Trio sung by Frederic, Mabel and the Major General


Once you have listened to the songs listed above write down and discussthe features of the music. What effects do Gilbert and Sullivan use?What instruments can you hear?What kind of texture does the music have?Is it loud or soft? Fast or slow?Do you think you get a good idea of the characters from the kind ofsongs that they sing?

A Policeman’s LotIs Not A Happy One

The Major General



8

H.M.S. Pinafore

H.M.S. Pinafore or The Lass that loved a Sailoris a comic opera in two acts. It was first producedin London in 1878 and proved to be an instant hitwith audiences. H.M.S. Pinafore has a nauticaltheme and is set aboard her Majesty’s ship Pinafore.

It is a tale of true love frustrated by class andcircumstance. The handsome young sailor Ralphis in love with Josephine, the daughter of CaptainCorcoran, and plans to elope with her. Josephine

has been promised by her father to Sir Joseph, the Admiral of the fleet. Alas Ralph is overheard by theevil boatswain, Dick Deadeye, who reveals the plan to Josephine’s father.

The Captain also has another problem, as Buttercup, a comic character who is certainly not as sweetsounding or looking as her name suggests, is madly in love with him but because of her class theCaptain feels he cannot marry her.

It is eventually revealed after many twists and turns that the Captain and Ralph had been accidentallyswitched at birth. Sir Joseph, the Admiral of the fleet, decides that because of this mix up Ralphshould be Captain and Josephine’s father a mere Able Seaman. Thus all obstacles of class are removedand Ralph can marry Josephine with the now ex captain free to marry Buttercup. Sir Joseph marrieshis cousin Hebe.

Now you may think this plot sounds very far fetched and indeed when you look at many of Gilbertand Sullivan’s stories logically they make very little practical sense! Their appeal lies in the comictwists and turns that eventually conclude in a happy ending and a cheerful finishing chorus witheveryone onstage.

Listen To: -

We Sail the Ocean Blue sung by the crewI’m Called Little Buttercup sung by ButtercupWhen I was a Lad sung by Sir JosephI am the Captain of the Pinafore sung by Captain CorcoranO Joy O Rapture Unforeseen sung by the whole cast


Discuss the characters in H.M.S. Pinafore.Which characters do you most like and identify with?Do you think that the music gives you any clues about the characters?How does Gilbert and Sullivan try to present the characters using the music and words?

Buttercup and Sir Joseph



9

Edward Elgar

The composer Edward Elgar was born in 1857 and died in 1934. He was oneof the most famous composers of his period in Britain and is arguably one ofthe finest of all English composers. His father was a piano tuner and owned amusic shop so Elgar grew up surrounded by music.

As a child he learnt the violin, organ and several other instruments and bythe age of sixteen he had become a freelance musician. Life was not easy forthe young Elgar and he worked in various orchestras, as an assistant organistand then finally as organist at St. George’s CatholicChurch. In the 1890’s he finally achieved fame andsuccess with his Imperial March composed forQueen Victoria’s Jubilee.

Elgar went on to write the famous Enigma Variations which is a kind ofmusical puzzle with a portrait of the composer’s friends in each variation. Healso wrote the Pomp and Circumstance Marches which can be heard everyyear at the last night of the Proms and the oratorio called The Dream ofGerontius. An oratorio is a work that is usually based on a religious text andis set out in dramatic terms written for soloists, chorus and orchestra.

Elgar is perhaps best remembered for his Cello Concerto, a highly romantic and intense piece that wasmade famous to audiences in the 20th century by the popular cellist Jacqueline Dupre. Elgar neverreally recovered from his wife’s death in 1920 and sadly he wrote very little after that date.

Listen To: -

Elgar’s Cello Concerto and Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1What do you think about the mood of the Cello Concerto?What kind of emotions do you think Elgar is trying to communicate?Think about the tempo, dynamics and rhythm - where do they change?In Pomp and Circumstance what effect is Elgar trying to create?Does the mood of each piece stay the same throughout or does it change?What musical effects does Elgar use?

Things To Do: -

1. What year was Edward Elgar born? ______________________2. What was the profession of Elgar’s father? ______________________3. What is the name of the piece he composed for Queen Victoria’s Jubilee? ________________4. What was the name of Elgar’s famous oratorio? ______________________5. What is an oratorio? ______________________6. What year did Elgar die? ______________________

Edward Elgar

Queen Victoria



10

Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy

Felix Mendelssohn was born in 1809 in Germany.He was the grandson of the Jewish philosopherMoses Mendelssohn but was brought up as aLutheran. Mendelssohn was a famous pianist,organist and conductor as well as composer.

A frequent visitor to England Mendelssohn mademany friends here. Mendelssohn’s music was verypopular in England and Queen Victoria herselfwas a great admirer of his work.

Mendelssohn gave many concerts in England andconducted the premiere of his oratorio Elijah in Birmingham in 1846. This work was very influentialduring the Victorian period as there was a great interest in these large-scale religious works. Choralsocieties sprang up all over the country and performed the great oratories by composers such asMendelssohn, Bach and Handel. As well as being one of the most influential musical figures in England

during the Victorian period Mendelssohn was also an important influencein the Bach revival of the 19th century. Mendelssohn gave the firstperformance of Bach’s great work the St. Matthew Passion since thecomposer’s death in 1750. Berlioz said of Mendelssohn “There is one God- Bach - and Mendelssohn is his prophet”.

The Hebrides or Fingals Cave Overture

During a stay in Scotland withhis friend Klingermann in 1829Mendelssohn visited the isolatedFingals Cave; it could only be

approached by boat and it was a very rough journey althoughthe scenery was breathtaking. Mendelssohn was inspired bythe raw power of the sea and began the composition that isnow known as the Hebrides Overture, a fragment of whichhe sent home to his family in a letter telling them of hisjourney. Mendelssohn also wrote a Scotch Symphony afterthis visit to Scotland.


Listen to a recording of the Hebrides Overture and see if you can identify the different instruments asthey take up the main tune.Do you think it sounds like the sea? How does Mendelssohn try to get across the idea of the waves andthe sea? Does the music have the same mood the whole way through or does it change?

Felix Mendelssohn

Rugged Scottish Coastline



Orchestras in the 19th century rapidly increased in size and manynew instruments were introduced. The brass section now includedthe tuba and a new valve system meant that there was a muchgreater flexibility in the range of brass instruments generally. Valvesmeant that composers could write music with a much wider choiceof keys and it was easier for performers to play accurately.

The woodwind section also increased in size with the piccolo, coranglais, bass clarinet and bassoon becoming regular features in newwritten work.

Percussion became more varied and this offered composers theopportunity to explore new effects. This added to the overall

dramatic performance of music and new music was much more personal in style and less bound totradition.

As a result of these additions the string section had to increase in size too. The violins were nowusually divided up into two sections - violin 1 and violin 2 in addition to the violas, cellos and doublebass. The harp was used more regularly and again offered composers a new effect with its shimmeringsound.

Music in the 19th century explored these new instruments and effects to the full. Composers were lessbound to follow the traditional rules when writing and the increasing experimentation led to a widevariety of new directions in music. Many composers explored nationalist themes, looking to the folktunes and rhythms of their homelands for inspiration. Music became much more about emotion andeffect rather than writing music to satisfy the Royal Courts or the Church. For the first time musicianswere able to earn a living as freelance composers, performers and teachers which gave them a greaterfreedom to explore new career avenues.

Things To Do: -

List the four main sections found in an orchestra and the instruments which belong to them.

11

The 19th Century Orchestra



12

The Piano

The piano, or fortepiano as it was known then, was firstinvented during the 18th century around 1709 by an Italiancalled Cristofori. The piano had strings that were hit with ahammer rather than plucked and it had a much wider range ofdynamics than other keyboard instruments at the time.

The piano became very popular with Romantic composers suchas Chopin, Liszt and Brahms because it allowed for a muchgreater range of expression. Forte means loud and Piano meanssoft so hence the piano was literally called Loud Soft, althoughthis has been shortened over the years to just the piano.

The piano has 88 keys and an iron or wooden frame across which the strings are stretched tightly andtuned to differing pitches. Pianos can be upright (the strings are vertical) or grand (where the stringsare stretched horizontally). Each note on the piano has three strings.

The piano usually has two or three pedals. The sustaining pedal is operated by the right foot and holdsor sustains the notes by preventing the dampers on the hammers connecting with the strings andstopping the sound. The soft pedal is operated by the left foot and lessens the volume by causing thehammer to hit fewer strings. Some pianos also have a middle sostenuto pedal, this allows only selectednotes to be sustained.

Famous composers for the piano in the 19th century include:Frederic Chopin Polish 1810 - 1849Franz Liszt Hungarian 1811 - 1886Johannes Brahms German 1833 - 1897Robert Schumann German 1810 - 1856Franz Schubert Austrian 1797 - 1828


Try to listen to at least one work for piano by each of thecomposers above. What differences do you notice in theirstyles? Which piece do you like the best and why?

Here is a diagram of part of a piano keyboard, name the notes for the white keys and black keys if youare able. (Remember in music the notes use the first seven letters of the alphabet).

Victorian Upright Piano

Victorian Grand Piano



13

The Proms

The very first Proms were the idea of Robert Newman who was themanager of the New Queens Theatre in London and the first concertswere billed as Mr Robert Newman’s Promenade Concerts. Newmanwanted to bring classical music to a wider audience, so with the helpof the conductor Henry Wood the first Proms concert series made itsdebut on 10th August 1895.

The concerts were very informal and also very long, often aroundthree hours. Tickets were cheap, only one shilling for one concert or aguinea for a season ticket.

The audience could eat, drink or smoke during the concerts. Themore serious parts of the concerts were in the first half with the lightermusic in the generally shorter second half, which often includedmusic from popular operas of the period.

The conductor Henry Wood who was born in 1869 was alwaysinterested in music and even in his teens found fame as an organist,conductor and accompanist. However, it was with the Proms that Wood found international acclaim.From the start of the Proms series he proved a great hit with audiences by playing the great classicsand introducing many new composers to them. The 50th anniversary of the Proms in 1944 saw HenryWood conduct for the last time at the age of 75, he later died on the 26th July 1944 in the same year.

Things To Do: -

Create a concert programme for the Proms. What music wouldyou choose and why? Think about who you would like to cometo your concert such as children or adults. Choose music to appealto the different age groups.

Design a poster advertising your Proms concert which will beheld in the Albert Hall. Finally write the programme for theaudience which should contain information about the pieces youhave chosen to be included in the concert.

��

��

The Albert Hall Homeof The Modern DayProms Every Year.



Romantic composers were not so influenced by the Churchas composers of previous periods but there were some greatsettings of the Requiem or Mass for the Dead written duringthe 19th century.

Verdi wrote a famous requiem in 1874 in memory of thewriter Alessandro Manzoni. It is scored for a huge orchestraand includes the Verdi drum which ia a huge drum that isused to great effect in the Dies Irae (Day of Judgement).

Berlioz also wrote a concert requiem employing hugeorchestral forces in 1837. This setting requires eight pairsof kettle drums (timpani) and four extra brass groups, whichare positioned at the corners of the chorus and orchestra. A

contrast to these large scale dramatic works is the requiem composed by the French composer Fauréthat contains the hauntingly beautiful setting of the Pie Jesu.

Often settings of the requiem use a Latin text as they aretaken from the Roman Catholic Mass for the Dead, howeverBrahms wrote a requiem which used biblical texts and waswritten using the German language instead.

Just like the requiem the oratorio saw a revival in interestduring the 19th century. Oratorios written during theVictorian period include, Elijah written by Mendelssohn,Dream of Gerontius by Elgar and Berlioz’s Childhood ofChrist. These works were very dramatic in style and had amuch richer orchestration than was found in earlier oratoriosand religious works.


Listen to similar extracts from two requiems which were written in different periods. For example theDies Irae from Verdi’s Requiem and Mozart’s Requiem.

Write down and discuss with the class what you notice about the style of each piece?How do the composers use the orchestra?What differences do you notice in the movements?What similarities do you notice in the movements?The Dies Irae is about the Day of Judgement. How do the composers try to portray this?

14

Choral Music In The 19th Century

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Victorian Choral Singer



15

Popular Victorian Instruments

The Player Piano, Autopiano or Pianola

Today technology allows digital pianos and keyboards to playthemselves, but during the Victorian period the player pianowas a novelty that was very popular. They were invented in1842 by a Frenchman called Claude Felix Seytre and had astiff sheet of card with pierced holes that represented thedifferent notes. When operated using a handle or pedals themechanism made the piano play the notes. These devices werenot an internal part of the piano but a separate cabinet thatpushed the keys down when attached to the keyboard. Thiswas rather heavy and bulky and in 1848 an Englishman calledBain patented a roll-operated piano which took normalthickness paper and used an internal mechanism to make theinstrument play. The player piano could also be played like aregular piano.

Things To Do: -

The Harmonium, Reed Organ or American Organ

The harmonium dates from the beginning of the 19th century. Themost important maker of the harmonium was a Frenchman namedDebain. A harmonium is a keyboard instrument which has air pumpedby footpedals into free beating metal reeds, usually one for each note,which vibrate to make the sound. Harmoniums were very popular inthe home during the Victorian period and also in smaller chapels.

The Pipe Organ

The organ flourished in the Victorian period and began to move out of theChurch and into the concert hall. The grand new town halls that sprang uparound the country competed to have the biggest and best instrument.Organists gave regular concerts, often-performing popular classics of the day.Like the orchestras of the period the organ grew in size and became muchmore versatile. Huddersfield town hall has a fine example of a Victorian Willisorgan with a highly decorated case and characteristic sound. In Manchesterthe town hall organ was built by Cavaille Coll, the greatest French organbuilder of the period.

Cavaille Coll ____________________Debain ____________________Willis ____________________Bain ____________________Claude Felix Seytre ____________________

What instrument did thefollowing makers produce?

Victorian Player Piano

Victorian Harmonium

Organ Pipes



16.1

A Victorian Christmas

Christmas was an important part of Victorian family life. Thetradition of sending Christmas cards began in Britain around1840 when the first Penny Post public postal delivery servicebegan. The efficiency of the postal service was greatly increasedby the new railways that were being built all over the country.A card in an unsealed envelope could be posted for one halfpenny, half the price of an ordinary letter. Christmas cardstraditionally showed religious scenes of Mary, Joseph and Jesusor winter scenes.

Many of the Christmas carols that are a familiar part of Christmas today were written during theVictorian times, including Once in Royal David’s City, O Come All Ye Faithful and We Three Kings.

Carol singers would go wassailing and would hopefully be rewarded with mulled wine or figgypudding. The Christmas song We wish you a Merry Christmas is about this practice.

In Victorian times Christmas was an important part of the year andeveryone from servants to nobility was expected to attend church.

The increasing popularity of the piano and harmonium meant that manypeople could sing Christmas carols at home together. Educated peoplewere expected to be able to play an instrument so there was no shortageof performers. Impromptu concerts were often given when families gottogether for the holidays.

The Christmas tree was introduced into England during the Victorianperiod by Prince Albert in 1841. Traditionally it would be decoratedwith candles, ribbons and candy canes. The Christmas song O Tannenbaumwhich celebrates the Christmas tree was written during the 19th century.

Things To Do: -

Try to compose a Christmas carol of your own. Think carefully about the words first and then thetune. Try to have a chorus that is easy to remember with a catchy tune and a strong rhythm. Once yourwords and tune are written choose the instruments you wish to play the music. Think about whatinstruments and sounds remind you of Christmas.

Or

Design a Christmas card that illustrates a popular Victorian Christmas carol. On the inside of the cardtry to write the words for a new verse to the carol you have chosen.

Victorian Carol Singers“Wassailing”



16.2

A Victorian Christmas

Try to match the tunes below with the correct carol title from the bottom of the page.

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The Holly and The IvyO Come All Ye FaithfulSilent NightGod Rest Ye Merry GentlemenGood King WenceslasAway in a Manger

victorian music - biggar high school origins of the victorian music hall lie in the late 17th...

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