- Department: Music
- Credit value: 20 credits
- Credit level: M
- Academic year of delivery: 2023-24
- See module specification for other years: 2024-25
‘Orchestration’ considered as the use of timbre across instrumental, vocal and electronic media.
Occurrence | Teaching period |
---|---|
A | Semester 2 2023-24 |
Orchestration is not (only) about writing for orchestra. Considered more generally, the technique of orchestration can be understood as the use of timbre to support, enhance, and often lead a musical argument – which is to say it is a fundamental aspect of composition, not a decorative addition.
While composers often specialise, today’s artists need to be confident in creating music across a variety of media. The different timbral resources and performing traditions of instrumental, vocal and electronic music offer different compositional possibilities: an awareness of and facility in each of these will support greater scope for your individual creative work.
In this module you will write for each scenario (instrumental ensemble, vocal ensemble, electronics with or without instrument) according to a specific brief. Your work will be supported by a series of introductory seminars in each area. There will be the opportunity to hear some of your music workshopped by performers from within the School.
By the end of the module you should be able to:
Produce convincing compositions for instrumental, vocal and electronic forces;
Strategically deploy available timbral resources for structural and expressive effect in their creative work
Present performance materials to a professional specification
Task | % of module mark |
---|---|
Essay/coursework | 100 |
None
You will complete a portfolio of three short (2-3 minutes each) compositions to a prescribed brief, one each for instrumental, vocal, and digital (or mixed) media.
Task | % of module mark |
---|---|
Essay/coursework | 100 |
You will receive written feedback in line with standard University turnaround times.
TBC