Tuesday 17th November - sequence, reflection, repetition

I'm teaching melody writing to one class at the moment - the room resounds to a gentle bonging of chime bars.

The trick is to show them how an effective melody may well consist of just two or three simple phrases, repeated.

Like Jingle Bells: (thinking only about the tune, not the words)

Tune 1  Jingle Bells, Jingle all the way, Oh what fun it is to ride
Tune 2  in an one horse open sleigh - Hey!
Tune 1  Jingle Bells, Jingle all the way, Oh what fun it is to ride
Tune 3  in a one horse open sleigh

Driving home, I was struck by how that works visually:

Watching a veritable storm of leaves rush against the windscreen in a wild disorder, like red-russet-brown litter, and then seeing rooks above the road whirling madly in just the same way, but sooty and black and shapeless, like ash from burning paper on a bonfire. The same motif, just slightly translated.

Seeing a silver glint through the heavy clouds, reflected in the standing water on the dull grey/black tarmac.

It put me in mind of an old LP of Grieg's Peer Gynt Suite (haven't thought about that in years)

I think this might have been the cover picture: and the link will take you to youtube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KCOXiTx-Lg

 Oh, and as for the rooks; they were  "a building" or a parliament" of rooks, not a flock.