Unit 4 – Singing
Singing is an integral part of the primary school music curriculum. Singing aims at developing the student’s musical, vocal, and expressive skills as well as their sensitivity and emotions. It can be used as a tool to teach
topics across the music curriculum such as history of music, musical notation, the playing of the recorder, and those topics related to Maltese music, to mention but a few. It can also work across the primary curriculum where together with the class teachers it can be part of cross-curricular projects involving history, science, religion, art, drama as well as languages.
All the singing sessions can be developed and completed in the time-frame of a lesson with successful results achieved almost immediately. Apart from the songs recommended below, teachers may choose more Maltese and foreign folk songs suitable for their class.
Voice Warm-Up
Some simple voice warm-up exercises are being provided. These can be used in a class lesson or even prior to a choir singing session.
Link to Voice Warm-Up exercises audio files: click here
Folk songs
Folk Songs are those songs which speak about the traditions and customs of a group of people. The rhythms and melodies of these songs often give away the country they are from, as folk tunes are different from one country to another. Many times folk music is passed down from older to younger people. Other times, composers write folk tunes themselves or else use colours and rhythms from folk music in their works. One such Maltese composer is Charles Camilleri. There are also music groups who sing and perform mostly folk music, as the Maltese group Greenfields.
Activity 1 – Il-Festa
Il-Festa (The Feast) is a Maltese song composed by Charles Camilleri to words by Joe Friggieri. It describes a typical Maltese village festa with its colourful flags and banners, fireworks, typical Maltese food, ice-cream, brass band as well as families and friends who would meet on this special occasion.
Activity 2 – Santa Lucia
This is an Italian popular song from the town of Naples. Santa Lucia is one of the most famous Neopolitan songs. It describes the Borgo Santa Lucia, the colourful waterfront district in the Bay of Naples. In the song, a boatman invites us to take a ride in his boat, to better enjoy the cool air.
Activity 3 – Is-Sagristan
The song ‘Is-Sagristan’ speaks of a sacristan found in a church, possibly in a busy village. Everything must be prepared in the church by the sacristan, whatever the ceremony, be it a marriage, a funeral or a baptism. He is happy to be of service to the people of the village, and does his work with a smile and with enthusiasm. He rings the bells as he announces the beginning of mass, or a special feast. His bustling kind character makes Christopher the sacristan everyone’s friend.
The author, Victor Cutajar, is a music teacher in primary schools, and has composed numerous songs for children in different styles.
