Minibeasts Level: Key Stage 1 - Listening, appraising & movement

Dzenguze Kuko (timbre, texture)

This is a gentle Latvian folk-song about a cuckoo. I believe that children should have the opportunity to see and hear choirs and orchestras from an early age. I have found that young children love the music that I'm enthusiastic about and that they listen in an open-minded way to everything I share with them. Experiencing music like this live is just not an option for many children so I'm offering it with no apology, in the spirit of equal opportunities.

Aviary (texture, pitch, tempo)

Aviary is from The Carnival of the Animals by Saint-Saens. The children will need to know before listening that the music is about birds because they will probably be unfamiliar with the word, 'Aviary'. The music is good for fluttering around to - the children could pretend to be a flock of birds, all travelling in the same direction. After moving to the music, you could explore what makes it sound bird-like eg the fluttery tune, the high-pitched notes played on the flute, the quick tempo, the full texture of several instruments playing at once.