This introductory video explains how you and your cohort might enjoy and benefit from Musical Storyland.
Narrator:
Musical Storyland invites children into a world of stories and music, where they can see and hear lots of different instruments, and play music specially composed for them.
Nihal Arthanayake:
Welcome to Musical Storyland with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra.
Narrator:
The music is performed by members of the world-renowned BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, with some incredible guest musicians.
Sidiki:
Hello, my name is Sidiki, and I play djembe and calabash.
Narrator:
All the instruments play a part in the storytelling.
Nihal Arthanayake:
The giant couldn't find Jack, so he went to bed instead, soothed by the sound of a magical, golden harp.
Narrator:
The stories and catchy songs will spark a love of music and singing.
Jan Blake:
Who's that trip trapping over my bridge? Who's that trip trapping over my bridge?
Narrator:
And an interest in musical instruments, that will last a lifetime.
Musical Storyland is a unique resource, created with the educational value to children at its heart. Each film comes with ready-to-use, and easy-to-follow classroom activities. These are devised to cover a range of musical skills in line with the curriculum for the age group.
The activities have clear progress routes that children can work through at their own pace, and that teachers can track and record. Downloadable guides enable teachers, including those with limited or no musical expertise, to explore connections with the wider curriculum.
Jan Blake:
Trippy-trappy, trippy-trappy. Trippy-trappy, trippy-trappy, trippy-trappy, trippy-trappy.
After watching an episode together, children can discuss what they saw and heard with the help of the listening guide. Your lesson could start with the Foundation activity, which provides the basis from which the learning can begin. The extension and advanced activities then follow.
Images highlighting the instruments, and key vocabulary used in the stories, are also available, and could be put on the wall as posters. Children can even meet the musicians, and learn about their instruments in more detail.
Angharad:
To make a sound on the bassoon, I use one of these. It's called a reed. It's made from two pieces of bamboo that vibrate together.
Narrator:
All the Musical Storyland films and resources are designed to enable teachers to meet the requirements of the music curricula of all four UK nations.
The Enormous Turnip is presented by deaf trumpeter Sean Chandler, who presents bilingually in English and British Sign Language.
Sean Chandler:
Hello, my name is Sean, and I play the trumpet. Together, we're going to tell the musical story of The Enormous Turnip.
NarratorTo accompany The Enormous Turnip, there's a teaching guide that has been designed for use for children who are deaf or have hearing loss.
Musical Storyland is well-loved by teachers and parents, providing an engaging and unique way to teach children about music and instruments in your setting. Watch Musical Storyland on CBeebies or BBC iPlayer, then go to BBC Teach for all the supporting resources.
Magic.
Jan Blake:
Goodbye friends, called Ananse, [monkey noise] said the monkeys.
Musical Storyland is a unique series of films that gives children the opportunity to see and hear Western orchestral instruments played by the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, and instruments from other traditions played by renowned musicians.
The musical instruments play an integral part in each story, told by a storyteller. Across the series, every instrument of the Western orchestra is featured, plus a number of instruments from other traditions such as the guzheng, n’goni, djembe, calabash, and tabla.
The films are accompanied by lesson plans and programme guides that are devised to cover a range of musical skills and experiences as well as wider curriculum subjects for children between the ages of 3 and 7. There are watching and listening guides (particularly useful for non-specialist teachers) and activities for the classroom.
Three Billy Goats Gruff. video
Join in with the goats’ rhythmic patterns and the troll’s catchy song as they trip trap over the bridge. Which instrument size matches which goat size? And which instrument represents the grumbly troll?
Jack and the Beanstalk. video
Jack meets a giant in his adventures at the top of the beanstalk. Join in with the giant's song and see and hear the instruments that help tell this enduringly-popular story.
Ananse and the Monkeys. video
Ananse, a character from the Caribbean, meets some monkeys who steal his hats. Join in with Ananse's call and response chant as he tries to get his hats back.
The Great Race. video
The Jade Emperor invites the animals of the world to race to decide the order of the years of the Zodiac. This Chinese story, told at Lunar New Year, features the guzheng, piccolo, violin and cello.
The Little Fir Tree. video
This fir tree may be little, but she has some big emotions. She contemplates what life has in store in this musical Christmas story with a sustainability theme.
Hare and Tortoise. video
Has Tortoise got what it takes to beat Hare in a race? This upbeat version of the well-known story features bassoon, clarinet and double bass and includes activities that can help develop co-ordination.
The Enormous Turnip. video
Unexpected characters arrive to help the farmer and her daughter pull up their enormous turnip. Trumpeter Sean Chandler presents and plays in this brass version of the story that’s all about team work.
The Stone Cutter. video
The hard-working Stone Cutter wishes for greater things in life. Join in with the chants in this cyclical story from India, featuring oboe, violin and tabla.
The Baobab Tree. video
Can the hungry forest animals find the magical tree which will give them food and water? This traditional tale from West Africa features the n’goni, calabash, djembe, clarinet and cello.
The Three Little Pigs. video
Can the three little pigs make houses strong enough to keep the hungry wolf out? Children can join in with the call and response chorus in this enduringly popular tale featuring horn, clarinet and accordion.
BBC Bitesize: Instruments of the orchestra
A Bitesize page introducing primary pupils to various instruments of the orchestra. Through this page pupils can watch musicians from the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra - who appear in Musical Storyland - play and talk about their different instruments.
Using these resources
The resources were devised to cover a range of musical skills and experiences as well as wider curriculum subjects for children within the ages of 3 to 7. Each story appears on its own dedicated page and includes the following resources:
- Downloadable teacher notes
- Full size image highlighting the instruments
- Full size image highlighting the key vocabulary used in the story.
These are appropriate for the educational curricula in all nations of the UK.