Activities and worksheets to support a practical sequence of lessons on using Keyboards to help understand and apply knowledge of triads. No particular order. The activities could be applied during different KS3 units, such as improvisation, variations, structure, or could be put together to support a keyboard unit.

A powerpoint to revise themes of the elements. (Get the children to predict what is on each page). A group card sorting activity which should pick up holes in knowledge, maybe for a new GCSE group, and a writing frame encouraging use of element vocab in comparing two pieces of music.

A progressive set of ukulele sheets from first strum, easy songs to scales and reading simple melodies.

A prompt for a very simple structured activity creating Variations from a tune. A writing prompt for comparing variations from a listening activity. A worksheet to help with a look at the Trout Variations by Schubert Ideas for group work creating variations from proverbs. Keyboard task Variations on Oh When the Saints

A sheet to teach the well known tune using two hands. The tune can be played unaccompanied, but chord symbols are added so a pupil can be accompanied, or more able students might merge chords and tune ignoring the 2 hand fingering. A second sheet puts the right hand tune up an octave and gives indications as to how the right hand changes position. A version for Guitar with Tabs in the same key. Bonus! Jingle Bells for Keyboard and for Guitar with TABS Second Bonus Lulajze Jezuniu for Keyboard

A graphic representation of the progression of key signatures around a circle. For anyone studying music theory.

Simple ensemble fanfare written for Wider Opportunities Mixed Brass project. Suitable for beginners

A ship sailed up to Bideford The Wildwood Song Faces on the stair. Intermediate String Orchestra Arrangements of original folk song tunes written while I was performing with a North Devon folk group. Copies of the songs available on request. (pdf)

A modern carol words and melody, piano part also. Suitable for junior-middle school choirs. Get recorders and guitars involved too!

This Christmas carol became quite popular in North Devon and West Somerset when I was teaching there. In the bundle are mixed ensemble arrangements for different instrumental groups including some very simple parts. Any combination should work! The Exmoor Carolers Perform this with hand bells picking out the chords of the chorus which can be quite effective!

First performed in North Devon and West Somerset when I taught there. Includes 4 part easy arrangement for school orchestra to accompany. Parts come in different transpositions.

A set of 20 short sight reading exercises in 4 levels from basic open strings to the use of three fingers and some phrase marks.

Not related to the TV programme, this tune was written for a poem by Cicely Fox-Smith. Melodic, with lots of textural variety, useful training piece for intermediate to senior ensemble, but with a range of difficulties in the parts.

A piece written for a collaborative festival with plenty of scope for getting primary and secondary musicians to work together. Orchestral score and piano and percussion score would suit a double conductor role. Primary Percussion score has the piano part and can be performed without orchestra. Orchestration works without primary percussion and can include improvised drum kit or djembes instead.

Engaging melody and range of parts to suit most mixed school ensembles. No percussion parts written, but performs well with Djembes or Drum Kit improvisation. Full instrumentation not necessary, but the more the merrier!

Written for an able student (grade 6 ish) with orchestral parts ranging from grades 1 to 5 Piano parts can be used to boost orchestra if required.

A Symphony made up of a medley of traditional sea shanty tunes. When printed each part can be made into an A3 booklet (A4 pages). Put a blank page at the beginning and there won't be any page turns during a movement. This is the third of 5 Symphonies I've written for Junior Orchestra. The others are all original compositions. rupert.kirby@btinternet.com if you're interested in finding out more. Very cheap as it'll cost you an arm and a leg to print! Performing rights granted freely. (Recordings would be very gratefully received!)

A four movement Double Concertino for Viola and Trumpet composed for Jasmine and Abi in the West Somerset Junior Orchestra. When printed the parts can be compiled without page turns with 1st and 4th movements taking 2 pages and the shorter inside movements a page each. ABRSM Grades 1-6 standard, with the solo parts roughly 5-6 Permission to perform granted. If you record I'd love to hear your interpretation of it!

The second in a series of 5 Little Symphonies for School or Amateur Orchestras Written for and first performed by the West Somerset Junior Orchestra. Performing rights freely granted, if you want to share a performance on YouTube or Soundcloud that would be brilliant!