John Williams

John Williams is a film music

composer (someone who writes
music).
He wrote the music for the first three
Harry Potter movies.
A suite is a ordered set of orchestral
pieces of music.
There are many different shorter
pieces of music to accompany the
Harry Potter films which join
together to form the Harry Potter
Symphonic Suite.

Think Pair - Share

Did you
like the
music?
Why? Why
not?

Describe
the
music?

What did you

think of when
you listened to
the music?
How did the
music make
you think of
this?

The Orchestra.

What have the instruments in each section got in

Match the music to the section of the

orchestra playing:

Now listen to the piece of music again.

This time listen to the different sections
of the orchestra and when they come in.
This is the timbre of the music.

Composers use different

musical features to portray
different things in music.

Timbre: describes what instruments are used.

What section of the orchestra would you use for music

to accompany a little mouse?

Would you use the same section of the orchestra to
accompany a big heavy elephant?

Tempo: describes the speed of the music, if it is fast

or slow.
What type of music would accompany a snail?
What type of music would accompany a cheetah?

Dynamics: describes how loud or soft the music is.

What type of music would suit a warm sunny day?
What type of music would suit a wild storm?

Wha
t is
timb
re?
What is
dynamic

What
is

Motifs
A motif is a short musical idea or piece of
music. You may hear a motif a number of
times through a work of music.
Each motif in the Harry Potter Suite represents
a different place or part of the story.
Williams changes the dynamics, timbre and
tempo along with other musical features to
represent the different places or stories.
Discuss in your groups what tempo, dynamics
and timbre would suit each of the following
motifs

Fluffys Harp
Fluffy is a three headed dog who
guards the chamber of secrets and
can only be calmed by a playing harp.
In this piece of music, we hear the big
dangerous dog who is calmed by the
soothing harp.

Diagon Alley
Diagon Alley is a wizard alley and
shopping area where Harry and his
Hogwarts friends buy their school
supplies. In this piece the composer
portrays all the hustle and bustle of the
busy shopping
street

Hedwigs Flight

Quidditch Fanfare

Quidditch is the most popular sport in

the wizarding world. In this piece of
music John Williams shows the colour
and excitement that occurs at a game
of Quidditch.

Hedwig is Harrys pet, a

snowy owl. Hedwig not
only delivers Harrys
mail but is also an
important companion. In
this piece of music John
Williams shows the
majesticness of this
white bird in flight.

Work in your groups to decide which piece of

music matches each title. Think about the
timbre, dynamics and tempo!

Fluffys Harp

Diagon Alley

Hedwigs Flight
Quidditch Fanfare
Think about the timbre, dynamics and tempo that John

List of References:
Anonymous Diagon Alley [photograph]. Available from http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/20/
Diagonalley.jpg [accessed 1st December 2013].
Anonymous Fluffy the Three Headed Dog [picture]. Available from:
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5203/5286936105_918aef6588_o.jpg [accessed 1st December 2013].
Anonymous Harry, Hermione and Ron [photographe]. Available from:
http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110714002808/harrypotter/images/7/72/Hermione-granger-ron-weasley
-harry-potter-hp4-study-6x4.
jpg [accessed 1st December 2013]
Anonymous Harry Potter Logo [picture]. Available from:
http://bewarethemath.webs.com/photos/Harry-Potter/Harry_Potter-logo_90894o2.jpg [Accessed 1st December
2013].
Anonymous Hedwig Flying [picture]. Available from: http://thecollectorzone.com/images/products/
4785_l.jpg [accessed 1st December 2013].
Anonymous Sections of the Orchestra [picture]. Available from:
http://website.lineone.net/~rupert.kirby/martyn/pics/layout.jpg [accessed 1st December 2013].
Anonymous Sparkles [picture]. Available from: http://severinghaus.org/gallery/d/2316-2/
DSCF1742_sparkles_dt.jpg [accessed 3rd December 2013].
Anonymous Quidditch [photograph]. Available from:
http://cdn.fansided.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/277/files/2013/09/quidditch.jpg [accessed 1st December 2013].

List of References cont.:

Unknown (2011) BBC National Orchestra of Wales Brass. [video online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=yE0aSxziNdY [Accessed: 2 Dec 2013].
Unknown (2011) BBC National Orchestra of Wales Percussion. [video online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=xGKpngesISI [Accessed: 2 Dec 2013].
Unknown (2011) BBC National Orchestra of Wales - Strings. [video online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=MP2_6OLummA [Accessed: 1 Dec 2013].
Unknown (2011) BBC National Orchestra of Wales - Woodwind. [video online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=KEt1Mm8sSkA [Accessed: 1 Dec 2013].
Unknown (2011) Harry Potter East London Brass. [video online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=Owu5BKD62n4 [Accessed: 1 Dec 2013].
Unknown (2009) Harry Potter Themes - Wind Quintet. [video online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zv5BooE9E8 [Accessed: 1 Dec 2013].
Unknown (2009) John Williams - Harry Potter Symphonic Suite. [video online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=AaMqnYvzE2Q [Accessed: 2 Dec 2013].
Unknown (2012) Lake Dallas High School Percussion Concert 2012 Harry Potter. [video online] Available at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_c1oXXIQh8 [Accessed: 1 Dec 2013].
Unknown (2013) WC Woodwind Ensemble. [video online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CpSIH5CogE
[Accessed: 1 Dec 2013].