Northern Ireland Β· CCEASyllabus
Music syllabus, dot point by dot point
Every dot point in the Northern Ireland Musicsyllabus, with a focused answer for each one. Click any dot point for a worked explainer, past exam questions, and links to related dot points. Written by Claude Opus 4.8, Anthropic's latest AI.
A2 Unit 3 Responding to Music
Module overview β- What advanced aural and score-study skills does the A2 listening paper demand?The A2 test of aural perception and unprepared score study: advanced recognition of harmony, modulation, cadences, texture and devices by ear, dictation, and the analysis of an unfamiliar score, identifying chords, keys, structure and stylistic features without prior study, as examined in the A2 Unit 3 listening paper.13 min answer β
- How did orchestral music change in the twentieth century, and what features identify its main styles?Area of Study: Music for Orchestra in the Twentieth Century. Twentieth-century orchestral styles including impressionism, neoclassicism, nationalism and modernism, the techniques composers used (new harmony, rhythm, timbre and form), the set works studied for this area, and how to identify and analyse twentieth-century orchestral music in the listening and written paper.14 min answer β
- What are the Mass and Requiem, and how have composers set their texts across the centuries?Area of Study: Sacred Vocal Music (Mass and Requiem). The structure and texts of the Mass and the Requiem Mass, the development of settings from Renaissance polyphony to later styles, choral and orchestral forces, word setting and text expression, and the set works studied for this area, as examined in the listening and written paper.14 min answer β
- How has secular vocal music for solo voice and ensemble changed from 1600 to the present day?Area of Study: Secular Vocal Music (1600 to the present day). The development of secular song and vocal music across the Baroque, Classical, Romantic and modern eras, including aria and recitative, the Lied and the art song, word setting and the voice-accompaniment relationship, and the set works studied for this area, as examined in the listening and written paper.14 min answer β
Unit 1 Performing and Appraising
Module overview βUnit 2 Composing
Module overview βAS Unit 3 Responding to Music
Module overview β- What aural skills does the AS listening test demand, and how do you hear and notate music accurately?The AS test of aural perception: identifying intervals, chords, cadences, keys, metre and rhythm by ear, melodic and rhythmic dictation, recognising instruments, textures and devices, and spotting errors against a printed score, as examined in the AS Unit 3 aural paper.12 min answer β
- What musical vocabulary, harmony and score-reading skills underpin the listening and written paper?The musical elements and harmonic language underpinning Responding to Music: the elements (melody, harmony, tonality, rhythm, metre, texture, timbre, dynamics, articulation, structure), diatonic chords and Roman-numeral and figured-bass labelling, keys and modulation to related keys, common devices, and reading a score, as applied across the Areas of Study.13 min answer β
- How did orchestral music develop from the Baroque to the Romantic, and what features identify each period?Area of Study: Music for Orchestra 1700-1900. The development of the orchestra and orchestral genres across the Baroque, Classical and Romantic periods, including the concerto grosso, the symphony, sonata form, the growth of the orchestra, and the stylistic features that identify each period in a listening and score-based exam.13 min answer β
- What is an anthem, and how did sacred choral music for the church develop in style and texture?Area of Study: Sacred Vocal Music (Anthems). The English anthem and related sacred choral music, the distinction between verse and full anthems, word setting, the use of choir, soloists and accompaniment, and the textures, harmony and text expression examined in the listening and written paper.13 min answer β
- How is music used in musical theatre, and what features identify songs and numbers from the musicals?Area of Study: Secular Vocal Music (Musicals). Music for the stage musical, including song types and structures (verse-chorus, the thirty-two-bar AABA form, ballads and up-tempo numbers), the role of song in drama, ensemble and chorus numbers, accompaniment and orchestration, and the stylistic features examined in the listening and written paper.13 min answer β