Edexcel As Music, listening.......... ahhh Options

[Manek]

I can't remember what I put, apart from my answers were wayyy out.

Was one of the questions how you could tell it was Irish?

Yes...

And the mark-scheme says it was Irish coz it was in compound time!!


I only got 4/12 for it in my mock... Which p1ssed me off coz I was one mark off an "A" grade in that mock!

[nicki_flute]

I remember putting down:
- in compound time
- use of flute? (at least I am sure there was - but this was a lonnnng time ago

[Manek]

I remember putting down:
- in compound time
- use of flute? (at least I am sure there was - but this was a lonnnng time ago

Yes...

And those were the right answers!!

Although how those things make it Irish I don't know...!
The only thing I can think of is that James Galway is Irish and it might've been him playing??

[nicki_flute]

Nope, definitely WASN'T James Galway

[cellocase]

I did the melodic dictation for that one, but I remember thinking I'd have been tempted to put "Irish accent" as one of my reasons (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[nicki_flute]

It made it Irish because:

- Irish folk songs are often based on 6/8
- Irish folk uses a lot of flutey/pipes things

[flute fanatic]

I'm not looking forward to my As listening after half term (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

[guilmant]

I think there is an article in the latest edition of Classroom Music for tips on the comparison question at AS in the listening. Worth asking your teacher for a copy, or just to read it, you never know what you might pick up.

cello case? were you referring to the AS listening comparison or the A2 one? I know they always seem like completely different pieces (they are!), but actually there are always lots of things in common. I know at AS its the tune that is the same, but at A" they choose things that still have plenty in common. Looking back over previous papers, that could be:

-pieces written in the same period (but different genres)
-pieces in same genre, but different periods
-pieces written by same composer etc

That always gives teachers plenty to go on when coming up with practice material.

Hope this is helpful. Enjoy the AS exam and go in positively and confidently.

[DrumKat]

I'm worried about both the oral and the anthology papers for AS; I can't do either! In the oral, I always end up having to resort to totally guessing most of the answers! So, these exams are going to be fun!!!

[loopyluce]

[quote name='nicki_flute' date='May 19 2007, 05:09 PM' post='515524']
[quote name='Manek' post='515521' date='May 19 2007, 05:07 PM']
For anybody who's done last year's Edexcel listening test... How hard was that question with the Irish singer??
[/quote]
I know!

I had NO idea what it was (bear in mind this was my actual AS exam)

If you want to know, it's a song from Guys and Dolls - musical. But, I didn't even think of that.


Would you believe I had just performed in Guys and Dolls in our local youth operetta group a couple of months before taking that AS paper?! I knew the song straight away and thought I had done really well ....but Edexcel 'lost' my paper. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/angry.gif) They supposedly looked for it for a month (they had definitely received it) with no joy and then gave me an aegrotat mark which left me a couple of marks below an A. I'm now resitting the AS listening paper but have had to pay £20 for the pleasure of doing so. Hopefully I will push my marks up, but more importantly, hope they don't lose the retake paper or indeed the A2 listening paper!! Edexcel has a very bad name within our music department so I hope nobody else has a similar experience this year.

[nicki_flute]

What! How did they decide which mark to give you?

[loopyluce]

What! How did they decide which mark to give you?

They looked at the marks I had for the other modules, and then at everyone around the country who had simlar marks and then took an average of what those particular people got for the music listening paper - or something like that! Either way, they didn't take into consideration that all the modules are so different in their requirements that it really wasn't right to give me a mark based on what others got. I've got over the anger and annoyance now but I just hope it doesn't happen to anyone else.

It didn't help that my head of music didn't warn me that the level of music we did for the performance during course module should only be at a grade 6 ish level. I had passed Grade 8 distinction flute a few months before the tape was submitted, but Edexcel gave me a high B. Then my music teacher marked me at 100% which we now realise he shouldn't have, as they automatically downgrade you if your teacher gives you that mark. It was a comedy of errors from start to finish! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

[nicki_flute]

What! How did they decide which mark to give you?

They looked at the marks I had for the other modules, and then at everyone around the country who had simlar marks and then took an average of what those particular people got for the music listening paper - or something like that! Either way, they didn't take into consideration that all the modules are so different in their requirements that it really wasn't right to give me a mark based on what others got. I've got over the anger and annoyance now but I just hope it doesn't happen to anyone else.

It didn't help that my head of music didn't warn me that the level of music we did for the performance during course module should only be at a grade 6 ish level. I had passed Grade 8 distinction flute a few months before the tape was submitted, but Edexcel gave me a high B. Then my music teacher marked me at 100% which we now realise he shouldn't have, as they automatically downgrade you if your teacher gives you that mark. It was a comedy of errors from start to finish! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

They can't do that! They can't discriminate you because you're good. I got 100% for performing throughout the course for AS, and my grade didn't get marked down. This year I got 24.5/25 for performing throughout this year from my teacher.

[loopyluce]

What! How did they decide which mark to give you?

They looked at the marks I had for the other modules, and then at everyone around the country who had simlar marks and then took an average of what those particular people got for the music listening paper - or something like that! Either way, they didn't take into consideration that all the modules are so different in their requirements that it really wasn't right to give me a mark based on what others got. I've got over the anger and annoyance now but I just hope it doesn't happen to anyone else.

It didn't help that my head of music didn't warn me that the level of music we did for the performance during course module should only be at a grade 6 ish level. I had passed Grade 8 distinction flute a few months before the tape was submitted, but Edexcel gave me a high B. Then my music teacher marked me at 100% which we now realise he shouldn't have, as they automatically downgrade you if your teacher gives you that mark. It was a comedy of errors from start to finish! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

They can't do that! They can't discriminate you because you're good. I got 100% for performing throughout the course for AS, and my grade didn't get marked down. This year I got 24.5/25 for performing throughout this year from my teacher.

If you read the examiners report on the Edexcel website, it says something about it, can't remember what exactly as ages since I looked at it. Anyway, the A2 recital has been recorded and hopefully sent and received, and a recording done for the A2 performance - learnt a Grade 7 piece really quickly just to appease the exam board! - so we will see what happens when the results come out.

I did Faure Fantasie as one of my recital pieces - I think I read somewhere that you did too. It's a diploma level piece but we won't get any credit for that fact so I hope we performed it beautifully!! I'm sure mine wasn't upto the correct speed but I'm past caring! Hey ho!

[ChevvyChev]

I got 100% for my performances last year too, and that didnt bring my grade down!
Not sure what I got for my A2 one....dreading my recital marks, I've heard Edexcel mark really harshly, although all the staff at college said it was a great recording and that I'd do really really well (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blush.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif)

eeeeeeek, dreading the AS papers more than the A2 I think!!!!

xoxox