Year 12
Building Performance and Composition Skills
In Year 12, you will begin developing your practical skills through Component 1: Performing, preparing a programme of two contrasting pieces with a total performance time of 6–8 minutes, worth 30% of the course. This will be complemented by Component 2: Composing, in which you will create original works totalling 4½–7 minutes, also worth 30%.
Alongside performance and composition, you will study The Western Classical Tradition (1750–1830), focusing on the development of the symphony during the Classical and early Romantic periods. You will explore how composers like Haydn shaped the orchestral repertoire of the era, supported by score analysis and contextual understanding. This combination of practical and academic work will lay a strong foundation for your final year, helping you develop both technical ability and musical interpretation.
Year 13
Refining Expertise and Expanding Musical Knowledge
In your final year, you will deepen your performance skills, extending your recital programme to demonstrate technical mastery, stylistic awareness, and communication with an audience. Compositional work will become more sophisticated, with greater emphasis on thematic development, orchestration, and structure.
The academic study continues with Component 3: Appraising, a written examination worth 40% of the course, which will test your listening, analysis, and contextual knowledge. You will also explore Musical Theatre, studying the work of composers such as Richard Rodgers, Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, Claude-Michel Schönberg, and Andrew Lloyd Webber. This area encourages you to consider how different styles, genres, and staging decisions influence audience impact.
By the end of Year 13, you will have developed into a confident, versatile musician with strong performance, composition, and analytical skills, fully prepared for higher education or a professional career in the music industry.
Contact
The Thomas Adams School
Lowe Hill
Wem
Shropshire
SY4 5UB
Tel: +44 1939 237000
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