This is an archived handbook for a previous year. The current undergraduate and postgraduate handbooks can be viewed using the links above.
Undergraduate Handbook 2025-2026 (archived)
Module MUSI1241: Performance 1: Practice through History (with recital)
Department: Music
MUSI1241: Performance 1: Practice through History (with recital)
| Type | Level | Credits | Availability | Module Cap | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tied | 1 | 20 | Available in 2025/2026 | Durham |
Tied To
Pre-requisites
- A-Level Music or equivalent.
Corequisites
- None.
Excluded Combinations
- MUSI1291 Performance 1: Practice through History (with essay
Aims
- In this module students will engage with various aspects of performance including the ways musicians and composers have been trained throughout history, critical listening of music, as well as practical insight into music performance. By gaining a better understanding of different genres and their context, students will be able to better organise their ideas with the aim of creating well-informed and engaging performances of their own as well as becoming versatile performers.
Content
- The module includes a listening portfolio of repertoire spanning from the Middle Ages through the Twenty-First century. There will be discussions on musical scores and other primary and secondary sources, as well as on the ways in which music has been performed throughout history. In addition, there will be sessions on strategies to optimise practice time, dealing with performance anxiety and more. Throughout the module students take individual instrumental/vocal lessons with a teacher from the Department's list of approved teachers and will receive small group tutorial supervision from the course module.
Learning Outcomes
Subject-specific Knowledge
- Students will gain fundamental understanding of the relationship between performance and context.
Subject-specific Skills
- Students will gain skills in listening, score recognition and practising which are applicable while dealing with repertoire and performing music.
- Students will gain enhanced competence in instrumental/vocal performance.
Key Skills
- Technique and musicality in performance.
- Practice routines, time management, discipline, and organisation.
- Communication through instrumental/vocal performance.
- The ability to work with other musicians, demonstrating and evaluating individual and group skills.
Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module
- The module consists of 22 lectures and 2tutorials and is supported by instrumental/vocal tuition. Lectures address theoretical issues in conjunction with directed reading, and incorporate listening exercises. The group tutorials focus on the formative assignments and more specific topics. Additional teaching is provided by instrumental and vocal tutors, who develop performance competences. Regular formative assessments will develop essential skills.
Teaching Methods and Learning Hours
| Activity | Number | Frequency | Duration | Total Hours | Attendance Monitored |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lectures | 22 | weekly | 1 hour | 22 | Yes |
| Tutorials | 2 | Terms1 and 2 | 1 hour | 2 | Yes |
| Practicals | 8 | during terms 1, 2 and 3 | 1 hour (Instrument/vocal tuition) | 8 | |
| Practicals | 22 | weekly | 4 hours (minimum) (Instrument/vocal practice) | 88 | |
| Preparation and Reading | 80 | ||||
| Total | 200 | ||||
Summative Assessment
| Component | Component Weighting | Element | Length/Duration | Element Weighting | Resit Opportunity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Written Examination | 50% | Online Examination | 2 hours including: score identification, historical context, descriptive analysis and listening | 100% | |
| Practical Performance | 50% | Practical | 15 minutes (practical performance) | 100% |
Formative Assessment
There will be a combination of theoretical and practical formative assessments. Some activities will be self-assessed, others will receive verbal or written feedback. Submission of a Repertoire List by the deadline in the Handbook. Failure to submit the signed repertoire list by the deadline will result in a 5% penalty on your performance practical exam mark.
Students who do not attend monitored activities shown under Teaching Methods
and Learning Hours, or who fail to complete the summative or formative
assessment(s) specified above, may be subject to the Academic Progress
procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be
required to leave the University.