March 25, 2011

Escarpment View Public School finished its last day of school before the start of March Break with music and a mini-play about science.

On March 17, the Milton school hosted the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, which presented a concert entitled “The Galileo Project”. Playing the parts of Galileo and “Halley’s Comet”, the narrator of the concert talked about the different kinds of music and instruments used during the three time periods Halley’s comet was visible to earth between 1600 and 1750.

“Live music is something I feel is particularly important for students to have the chance to experience,” says music teacher Andrew Phillips. “Tafelmusik offers a particularly unique experience because the music is played on period instruments that sound and play like the instruments of the 1600s.”

“I was first introduced to the orchestra a long time ago through different music teachers that I had,” Phillips continues. “Within the music community, Tafelmusik is considered one of Canada’s premiere orchestras and a world leader in terms of baroque performance practice. I’d heard that they offered some different educational programs so we arranged to have a concert performed live at our school.”

The event had a number of curriculum connections. Across different grade levels, there is an emphasis in music on analyzing, reflecting and interpreting music from different times periods and cultures, Phillips says. The students were able to hear the period instruments and see how they are used.

Phillips hopes students were able to learn some of the intricate characteristics of baroque music.

“I hope students were also able to appreciate the precision and musicianship required to play at such a high level. I think the students were also interested in some of the stories about Galileo, Halley’s Comet and some of the other astronomical discoveries that took place during the baroque musical period.”