A-level teachers buying Advanced Music will never need to think again. Claimed to be the “complete package for teaching the new specifications effectively” the resource adopts the sledgehammer approach to the curriculum established by Heinemann with its Music Matters course for younger secondary students.

For those who welcome this approach, the new publication provides a wealth of material, correlated to AQA, Edexcel and OCR AS and A2 levels. The resource texts, comprising a teacher’s file and student’s book, are divided into sections on listening and understanding, and on composing. Performance issues are linked to comparisons of techniques and performances, referenced to the CDs. There are notes on aspects of performance in the student book.

Advanced Music provides analyses of works from the western classical repertoire together with some analyses of pop, rock and jazz pieces. Composition topics include classical string quartet pastiche, using serial techniques and writing in popular music styles.

But the approach results in unsatisfactory coverage of some of the musical topics set in the various syllabuses. A mere three authors, albeit experienced teachers and examiners, cannot bring to bear the skills and knowledge needed to define and explore, with equal authority, the gamut of musical styles specified, so while western classical coverage is generally acceptable, that of some popular genres is disappointing.

For example, the section on reggae in the student’s book describes the rhythmic basis of the music confusingly, fails to define Jamaica’s national dance-song as mento and refers to its nation-language, unacceptably, as “patois, or slang-accent”. Advanced Music offers much to harassed teachers. They should, however, treat some of its proposed curriculum resources with caution.

Michael Burnett Michael Burnett is senior lecturer in music at the University of Surrey Roehampton