ROYALIRISHACADEMYOFMUSIC
CeolAcadamhRoganahireann
36WestlandRow,Dublin2
Tel:016325300Fax:016622798Email:[email protected]
Website:http://www.riam.ieExtranet:http://extranet.riam.ie
SyllabusofSingingExaminations
forLocalCentres&Schools
20152018
REVISEDFOURYEARSYLLABUSFORVOCALEXAMINATIONS
TEACHERSANDCANDIDATESAREADVISEDTOCHECKTHERELEVANTSECTIONSCAREFULLY
PleasenotethatwheresongsarelistedintheSyllabus,thepublishersaregivenmainlyasanaidtolocatingmaterial,andaremerelysuggestions;otherauthoritativeeditionsofthe
musicwillbeequallyacceptable.
TABLEOFCONTENTS
Page
Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
UserGuide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
AuralTests(PreliminarytoGradeV) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
TheoryRequirements(PreliminarytoGradeV) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
CombinedAural/TheoreticalTests(GradeVIupwards) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
MusicTheatre&PopularSingingMusicianshipTests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
RecitalCertificateProgramme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Singing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
MusicTheatre&PopularSinging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
VocalDuets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
ClassSinging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
ChoralSinging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Theory&HarmonyWrittenPaper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Publishers&Suppliers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Compilers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Foreword
1
Foreword
AsIrelandsoldestmusic institution,theRoyalIrishAcademyofMusichasbeenfosteringmusicaltalentandcultivatingaloveandappreciationofmusicsince1848.Consciousoftheimportanceofdevelopingasenseofmusicineveryone,theRIAMisdedicatedtoinclusivitymusicbelongstousallandshouldbenurturedateveryageandeverylevel.
ThroughtheLocalCentreExaminationSystem,theAcademyaimstoofferasenseofstructuretothegradedexaminations,wherebyallareasoftechnicaldevelopmentandmusicalawarenessarecarefullymeasuredtoensurethatprogresscanbeattainedateachlevel.Anextensiverangeofrepertoireisonofferforeachinstrumentandateachgradeinthehopethatthereissomethingtosuiteveryonestaste!
Thepurposeoftheexaminationistoprovideanopportunityforeachcandidatetobegivenafairandbalancedassessmentoftheirprogress,wherepositiveelementsoftheperformancewillberewarded,andweakerareaswillbehighlightedinaconstructivemanner.
Forthosewhodonotwishtotakeexaminations,thesyllabuscanstillbeausefultooltoindicatemilestones,andguidetheteacher/studenttowardsthegradualdevelopmentofbothtechnicalandmusicalskills.
Whetheryouchoosetositanexaminationornot,thereisnoshortcuttosuccess:regularpracticeistheonlywaytoensuresteadyprogress,andwillhelptobuildconfidence ineveryoneyoungandold!
TheUserGuideoutlinedoverthefollowingpagesoffersadvicetocandidatesandteachersonthevariousaspectsofourexaminationsandrecitalcertificateprogrammes,andwillhopefullyprovidesomeinsightintothereasonsfordevelopingeacharea,aswellasofferingsuggestionsonhowtobesttopreparefortheexaminationitself.
LornaHoranChairpersonSeniorExaminers
RIAMLocalCentreSyllabusofSinging20152018
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UserGuideforLocalCentreExaminations
UsefultipstohelpprepareforyourExaminationEachareaoftheexaminationservesapurpose,andplaysanimportantroleindevelopingawellroundedmusician.Listedbelowareafewusefultips,aimedathelpingtheteacher/candidatetounderstandthereasonsbehindeachareaoftheexamination,andhowtoimproveonthoseareas.
PiecesThefirstmissionistochoosepiecestosuiteachcandidate,andbothstudentandteachershouldhaveinputintothistask.Fromtheteachersperspectiveitisimportanttochoosepiecesthatwilldevelopthetechniqueofthestudentbutwillalsoshowoffthestudentsabilitytotheirbestadvantage.Fromthestudentsperspectiveitisimportanttochoosepiecesthathe/shelikes,asthiswillencouragemorededicationatpracticetime!
Theearlystagesoflearningapiecearehugelyimportant,andwhilenotelearningcanbeaslowandarduoustaskitisessentialtolearnthecorrectnotesandrhythmfromtheverystart.Slowandcarefulpracticeisstronglyencouragedtobegin,graduallybuildingupthetempoovertime.Oncethebasicsareinplace,themusicaldetailcanbeintroducedlittlebylittle.Itshouldbenotedthatsomemusiceditionsdonotoffermuchdetailbywayofdynamicmarkingsorphrasemarks,butallmusicshouldhaveshapeandcolour toenhance thecharacterof thework.Alwayslookatthecomposerandtitleofthepiecethiswillalwaysgiveanindicationofhowthepieceshouldsound.Listeningtoarecordingofthepieceswillalsoinspiremusicalideas!
Itisimportanttopractiseplayingthepiecesthroughwithoutstoppingitisnotnecessarytorestartthepiecebecauseofasmallslip,andthiscanbecomeabadhabitalwaystrytokeepgoing! It isaverygood idea toplay through thepieces for familyor friendsprior to theexamination,asthiscanreallyhelptobuildconfidence.
Forinstrumentalistsandsingersitisessentialtopracticewiththeaccompanist,tobefamiliarwiththeaccompanimentpartandalltheentries.
ScalesQuiteoftenstudentstendtounderestimatethebenefitsoflearningscales,anddonotenjoypractisingthem,buttherearemanyreasonsforpractisingscales,andhugeadvantages,forexample: Theyhelptodevelopasenseofkey Theyhelptodeveloprhythmicpatterns Forallinstrumentaliststheyhelptodevelopfingerfluencyandcoordination Forstringplayerstheyhelptodevelopbowcontrolandkeypatterns ForsingersandwindplayerstheyhelptodevelopbreathsupportandphrasingRegularpracticeisadvisedthisdoesnotmeanthateveryscalehastobepractisedeverydaybettertoconcentrateonafewscalesatatime(selectdifferentkeyseachtimeyoupractise).Theexaminerwillbelisteningoutforafluentpacewithclearrhythmicpatterns,goodtoneandarticulation(whereappropriate)andfingerclaritythroughout.
UserGuide
3
SightReadingStudentstendtohaveadreadofsightreadinganunfamiliarpieceofmusicisplacedonthemusicstandandalmostinstantlytheroomisfilledwithasenseofpanic!Likeallotherareasofmusical learning, this skill can be easily improved, andwill help to develop a quickunderstandingofrhythmicmotifs,notepatterns,keysignatures,accidentals,andultimatelywillbeanaidtofasterlearning.
Tobesuccessfulatsightreadingdoesnotnecessarilymeananoteperfectaccountofapiecetheaimofsightreadingistogiveanimpressionofhowthepieceshouldsound.Withthisinmind,theexaminerwillbelisteningforasenseofcontinuity.Acautiousreading,wherethecandidatepausestoponderoverthenextnotescanonlyresultinahesitantattempt,withnorealsenseofhowthenotesfit intophrases,orhowthephrasesmakeupapieceofmusic.Always lookaheadandkeep thepiecemovingalongwithasteadypulse forbestresults.Again, thisareacanonly improvewithpracticea fewbarseverydaywillmakeall thedifference!
TheLetsGetReadingsightreadingbooksforpianoarewrittenbyJeanArchibaldandMarieMoranandofferastepbystepguidetolearninghowtosightreadwell.ThesebooksareavailablefromPreliminaryleveltoSeniorCertificate,andareextremelyusefulbooksforbothteachersandstudentsasaguidetosuccessfulsightreading.Theyalsoincludesamplesightreadingtestsatthebackofeachbook.
Forotherinstrumentalists,weareworkingonsamplesightreadingtestswhichwillbeavailableonourwebsitewww.riam.iethisisstillworkinprogressbutwehopetohavesomeofthemaininstrumentscompletedinthenearfuture.
TheoryKnowledgeandunderstandingoftheorywillequipanycandidatewiththenecessarytoolstodisplayawellthoughtoutperformanceoftheirpieces.Notes,rests,rhythmicvalues,timesignatures and key signatures provide the nuts and bolts of basic learning; expressionmarkingsallowustoliftthenotesoffthepageandcreatecolourandshape,addingcharacterandstyletothemusic.Ifyoudonotunderstandthemeaningofthetheoreticaldetailsandexpressionmarkings,thismakesitratherdifficulttoportrayinperformancethisareaisworthfivemarksintheexamination.
ThepublicationMusicWorkoutbyJeanArchibaldandBernadetteMarmionisaseriesoftheoryworkbooksbasedonthesyllabusoftheLocalCentreexaminationsinTheory.Eachworkout(PreparatorytoGrade8)includesdetailedexplanatorynotes.Thismaterialalsoprovidesusefulpreparation for the reading elements of the Aural Tests programme (practical musicexaminations).
TheTheoryRequirementslistedonpages12and13shouldbestudiedcarefullyforeachgrade,astherearesomechangesandadvancementstothisnewsyllabus.Forexample,candidateswillbeencouragedtodescribethecharacterofthepiecesperformed(GradesIIandIII),andwillbeaskedtodescribethestyleofthepiecesperformed(GradesIVandV).
RIAMLocalCentreSyllabusofSinging20152018
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AuralTestsThe key to developing a strong sense ofmusicianship is through listening. Having anawarenessofmelodicshape,rhythmicpatternandmusic
