The Music Workshop Company Blog 

Each month the Music Workshop Company publishes two blogs. One blog, written by the MWC team addresses a key issue in Music Education or gives information about a particular genre or period of music. The other blog is written by a guest writer, highlighting good practice or key events in Music Education. We hope you enjoy reading the blogs. 
 
To contribute as a guest writer please email Maria@music-workshop.co.uk 

Posts tagged “MUSICAL THEATRE”

Back to all posts

Celebrating pantomime: an art form where the audience is king

Posted on 15th December 2022 at 10:06
It’s panto season! (Oh no it isn’t…) 
 
Okay, we’re sorry. Terrible jokes aside, this December we take a look at one of the quintessential British traditions of the festive season: the Christmas pantomime. It’s a format that has endured for many years, and one that puts the audience at its centre. For decades, the panto has provided an important first experience of live performing arts for many young children in the UK. But where did it come from, and how has it survived? 
 
 
Image: Two pantomime dames at Arts Fest (credit: roogi) 
Read more

Richard Rogers’ Oklahoma! The Story of a Game Changing Musical…

Posted on 13th December 2018 at 14:01
Musical Theatre, or ‘Music for Theatre’ is a diverse topic, and the variety and quality it offers ensures its place in the exam board syllabus. Both the AQA and Eduqas at A-Level curriculums give Musical Theatre equal weight to hefty genres like the western classical tradition and jazz. 
 
One composer common to both syllabuses is Richard Rogers (June 28, 1902 – December 30, 1979). Rogers wrote 43 Broadway musicals and more than 900 songs, and is recognised as one of the most significant composers of 20th century American music. He is known in particular for his song-writing partnerships with the lyricists Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II. His work has had a significant impact on musical theatre and popular music, and 2018 marks the 75thanniversary of the opening of his ground-breaking musical Oklahoma! 
 
Read more

Shakespeare: Inspiration in Music

Posted on 13th April 2016 at 14:00
April 2016 is the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death. William Shakespeare (1564-1616) was a poet, playwright and actor, widely regarded as one of the greatest English writers ever. Widely known simply as The Bard, his plays are some of the most commonly performed to this day. In a new book titled The 101 Greatest Plays, Guardian theatre critic Michael Billington finds room for three of Shakespeare’s works, depite going as far back as Aeschylus and Aristophanes. 
 
Many composers have been inspired by Shakepeare’s gift for storytelling. Songs, incidental music and film music has all been influenced by the plays, and there are about 400 works, many of which are operas, plus songs and symphonic pieces based on Shakespearian tales. 
Read more

Archives

Designed and created by it'seeze
Our site uses cookies. For more information, see our cookie policy. Accept cookies and close
Reject cookies Manage settings