Edexcel GCSE Music Paper 3 June 2023 question paper

S Schwartz: Defying Gravity (from the album of the cast recording of Wicked)

Listen to the following extract which will be played three times.

Name the instrumental playing technique heard in the strings at the start of the extract.

Describe two features of the harmony at the start of the extract.

Name the instrument which is first heard at ‘the rules of someone else’s game’.

Name the melodic interval in the vocal line between the words ‘and’ and ‘leap’.

Describe how the composer uses rhythm to generate a feeling of excitement at ‘it’s time to try defying gravity’.

J S Bach: 3rd Movement from Brandenburg Concerto No.5 in D major

Listen to the following extract which will be played three times.

Describe three features of the melody played by the flute at the start of the extract.

Describe the accompaniment played by the harpsichord at the start of the extract.

Identify two features of the texture that are characteristic of Baroque orchestral music.

Name the melodic device heard at the end of the extract.

Esperanza Spalding: Samba Em Preludio (from the album ‘Esperanza’)

Listen to the following extract which will be played three times.

Describe two features of the melody played by the acoustic bass guitar at the start of the extract.

Describe the rhythm of both instruments when the second accompanying instrument enters.

Identify two features which create a sad mood in this love song.

L van Beethoven: 1st Movement from Piano Sonata No.8 in C minor ‘Pathétique’

Listen to the following extract which will be played three times.

This movement is in sonata form.

Name the section played in this extract.

Explain how the composer uses harmony to create a sense of drama at the start of the extract.

Describe the melody at the start of the extract.

Describe the rhythm when the music modulates to a major key.

Identify one feature of the texture that is characteristic of early Romantic keyboard music.

J Williams: Main title/rebel blockade runner

(from the soundtrack to Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope)

Listen to the following extract which will be played three times.

Name the instrument which plays the melody at the start of the extract.

Identify one word which describes the articulation of the opening melody. Put a

Explain how the composer establishes a sense of outer space at the start of the extract by referring to accompaniment and melody.

accompaniment

Identify the rhythm of the ostinato played by the strings and timpani in the final,

Name the harmonic device heard at the end of the extract.

Queen: Killer Queen (from the album ‘Sheer Heart Attack’)

You will hear two extracts, A and B. You will hear each of them three times in the following order: AB, AB, AB

Identify two similarities and two differences between the start of extract A and the start of extract B.

Describe how the backing vocals are different in extract B.

melody

rhythm

Identify the key of this extract.

Name the instrument playing the theme at the start of the extract.

Describe the accompaniment to the theme in bars 1 to 34.

Describe the accompaniment to the theme from bar 42 to the end of the extract.

This extract accompanies a scene from a film about wizards, witches, spells and magical animals.

Explain how the composer uses harmony to establish a magical atmosphere.

You will hear extracts from Area of Study 2: Vocal Music; one familiar and one unfamiliar. In order to answer the question you should refer to the Source Booklet.

The familiar extract, Extract A: H Purcell: Music for a While

The unfamiliar extract, Extract B: Ellington and Mills: It Don’t Mean a Thing

You will hear both extracts three times in the following order: familiar unfamiliar, familiar unfamiliar, familiar unfamiliar.

These two songs are both about music. The familiar extract comes from a song written for a play whilst the unfamiliar extract comes from a popular song.

Evaluate how effectively melody, tonality and harmony are used to evoke different emotions in these songs.

The skeleton scores are provided in the Source Booklet.

You should use your knowledge of musical elements, context and language in your response.