School Radio > Music > KS2: Anglo-Saxons
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Tutorial: 'Beowulf's song'
Tutorial: 'Beowulf's song'
Activities in the tutorial include:
- Discussing how the singer of this song is Beowulf and he’s addressing Hrothgar the King.
- Identifying how the song sounds happy to start with. It’s in the major key - the tone is upbeat and positive, just like Beowulf himself.
- Comparing the beginning of the first verse with the end of the first verse: the music starts off low - but becomes higher in pitch at the end of the verse.
- Exploring the change in tempo at the end of Verse 1: the music slows down.
- Identifying how the tone changes at the end of the chorus - from upbeat and happy, to ominous.
Song: 'Beowulf's song'
Song: 'Beowulf's song' (Vocal)
‘Hrothgar, your highness,
What can we do?
We’ve sailed across the ocean
In our longboat to help you!
Hrothgar, your highness,
Great leader of the Danes
We need to be prepared
For when the monster strikes again!
So tonight we’ll have a celebration
Then pretend to go to sleep
And Grendel’s bound to hear all the commotion
And rise up from the deep.
Hrothgar, your highness,
I’ve heard about your plight
How your great hall, Heorot,
Lies empty every night.
Hrothgar your highness,
I’ve come to your defence
I’m a match for Grendel
With my superhuman strength!
So tonight we’ll have a celebration
Then pretend to go to sleep
And Grendel’s bound to hear all the commotion
And rise up from the deep.
Hrothgar, your highness,
There’s no need to take flight
We’re ready for the monster
We’re ready for the fight!
Hrothgar, your highness,
Take my sword and shield
Hand to hand is how I’ll fight
My strength will make him yield!
So tonight we’ll have a celebration
Then pretend to go to sleep
And Grendel’s bound to hear all the commotion
And rise up from the deep.’
Sure enough, as Beowulf said
Just that very night
Grendel burst into the hall
A truly loathsome sight!
Beowulf’s men drew their swords
But they fought in vain
No earthly blade, from blacksmith made,
Could the monster slay!
Beowulf leapt onto the back
Of his mighty foe
Grendel swung him round and round
But he would not let go!
He gripped so hard
That Grendel screamed
In panic and alarm
He wrenched free from the hero’s grasp
But Beowulf kept his arm!
Key elements of the song are:
- Tempo: changing from a fast tempo to a slower one.
- Mood: changing from an upbeat, happy mood to something darker.
- Key: major and minor keys and how these affect the tone of the music.
- Expression: singing confidently in character as Beowulf.
Click here for the lyric sheet (pdf).
Song: 'Beowulf's song' (Children's choir)
‘Hrothgar, your highness,
What can we do?
We’ve sailed across the ocean
In our longboat to help you!
Hrothgar, your highness,
Great leader of the Danes
We need to be prepared
For when the monster strikes again!
So tonight we’ll have a celebration
Then pretend to go to sleep
And Grendel’s bound to hear all the commotion
And rise up from the deep.
Hrothgar, your highness,
I’ve heard about your plight
How your great hall, Heorot,
Lies empty every night.
Hrothgar your highness,
I’ve come to your defence
I’m a match for Grendel
With my superhuman strength!
So tonight we’ll have a celebration
Then pretend to go to sleep
And Grendel’s bound to hear all the commotion
And rise up from the deep.
Hrothgar, your highness,
There’s no need to take flight
We’re ready for the monster
We’re ready for the fight!
Hrothgar, your highness,
Take my sword and shield
Hand to hand is how I’ll fight
My strength will make him yield!
So tonight we’ll have a celebration
Then pretend to go to sleep
And Grendel’s bound to hear all the commotion
And rise up from the deep.’
Sure enough, as Beowulf said
Just that very night
Grendel burst into the hall
A truly loathsome sight!
Beowulf’s men drew their swords
But they fought in vain
No earthly blade, from blacksmith made,
Could the monster slay!
Beowulf leapt onto the back
Of his mighty foe
Grendel swung him round and round
But he would not let go!
He gripped so hard
That Grendel screamed
In panic and alarm
He wrenched free from the hero’s grasp
But Beowulf kept his arm!
Song: 'Beowulf's song' (Backing track)
‘Hrothgar, your highness,
What can we do?
We’ve sailed across the ocean
In our longboat to help you!
Hrothgar, your highness,
Great leader of the Danes
We need to be prepared
For when the monster strikes again!
So tonight we’ll have a celebration
Then pretend to go to sleep
And Grendel’s bound to hear all the commotion
And rise up from the deep.
Hrothgar, your highness,
I’ve heard about your plight
How your great hall, Heorot,
Lies empty every night.
Hrothgar your highness,
I’ve come to your defence
I’m a match for Grendel
With my superhuman strength!
So tonight we’ll have a celebration
Then pretend to go to sleep
And Grendel’s bound to hear all the commotion
And rise up from the deep.
Hrothgar, your highness,
There’s no need to take flight
We’re ready for the monster
We’re ready for the fight!
Hrothgar, your highness,
Take my sword and shield
Hand to hand is how I’ll fight
My strength will make him yield!
So tonight we’ll have a celebration
Then pretend to go to sleep
And Grendel’s bound to hear all the commotion
And rise up from the deep.’
Sure enough, as Beowulf said
Just that very night
Grendel burst into the hall
A truly loathsome sight!
Beowulf’s men drew their swords
But they fought in vain
No earthly blade, from blacksmith made,
Could the monster slay!
Beowulf leapt onto the back
Of his mighty foe
Grendel swung him round and round
But he would not let go!
He gripped so hard
That Grendel screamed
In panic and alarm
He wrenched free from the hero’s grasp
But Beowulf kept his arm!
You can also choose to sing with the Children's choir version of the song - good for encouraging your group to join in.
Once you have learnt the song you can polish your performance by singing with just the Backing track version.
Drama: Beowulf - Part two
Video: Beowulf - Part 2
Storyteller: Beowulf and his warriors sailed across the sea and when they landed in Denmark a lookout saw them arrive…
Lookout: Who are you, strangers?
Beowulf: My friend, we are Geats and we come in peace. I am Beowulf and I wish to speak with Hrothgar, your king.
Lookout: If you are truly the famous Beowulf then I know my king will be honoured to meet you.
Storyteller: The lookout took Beowulf and his men to Heorot, where the Geats stood in front of the great hall and stared in wonder.
Geatish Thane: My Lord Beowulf I have never seen a building so huge…so beautiful.
Beowulf: Yes - but see too how the great door is splintered…and those ugly scars in the walls.
Thane: They look like marks made by giant claws, my Lord.
Beowulf: They must be the work of Grendel.
Hrothgar: Beowulf - I am Hrothgar! You are welcome in our land but you have come at a sad time. We are under attack! Our people dying; we have a terrible enemy.
Beowulf: Great King of the Danes, we have heard of Grendel and that is why we have come. I pledge that I will fight this creature and defeat him. I will not go home until Grendel is dead!
Hrothgar: People say you have the strength of thirty men, but even you cannot defeat Grendel. If you try to fight him he will destroy you and your men. Your swords and spears will not help you.
Beowulf: I won’t need swords or spears when I fight the monster. Is it true the monster carries no weapons when it attacks?
Hrothgar: It is true.
Beowulf: Then I will fight with just my bare hands. Will the creature come tonight?
Hrothgar: Grendel comes every night.
Beowulf: Then this night will be the last.
Storyteller: That evening there was a feast to honour Beowulf. Most of the Danes were happy that Beowulf had come to help them but some were jealous of the famous prince.
Danish Thane: So Beowulf, you think can defeat Grendel with your bare hands?
Beowulf: Perhaps.
Thane: What makes you so special? What makes you think you can succeed where our warriors have failed?
Beowulf: Perhaps I won’t. Perhaps I will fail too.
Thane: Yes, you will fail like all the others. Enjoy the food; this will be your last meal.
Storyteller: When the feast was over the Danes left the hall. Heorot was empty, apart from Beowulf and his men. The young prince took off his armour and lay down his sword.
Beowulf: Our time has come. By morning either we will be heroes or our bones will litter the floor of Grendel’s cave. We must have courage everyone!
Storyteller: Out on the dark moors Grendel was creeping towards Heorot…
Grendel: They may lock their doors but they can’t keep me out. They may hide in the darkness but I always find them…
Storyteller: Once again, Grendel ripped open the great door of Heorot and snatched up one of the Geats. Then Grendel reached out an arm to catch his next victim…but something gripped the monster’s arm. Some force stronger than the creature had ever felt before. Grendel struggled to free his arm but he felt the grip tightening…
Grendel: What is it that holds my arm so tight?
Beowulf: It is I, Beowulf, who grips your arm and I will never, ever let it go!
Grendel: Fool. I will crush you like all the others and eat you!
Storyteller: Grendel thrashed and writhed but Beowulf would not let go of the monster’s arm. The other Geats tried to help the prince, but their swords couldn’t even scratch Grendel’s skin. The monster struggled but he could feel Beowulf’s grip tightening…and now for the first time, Grendel felt fear.
Grendel: Let me go!
Storyteller: Beowulf twisted the creature’s arm with all his strength, harder and harder, until finally…
FX: A great roar from Grendel
Storyteller: Grendel’s arm was torn from his body, and with a terrible cry the wounded monster ran off into the darkness…to die.
Thane: My Lord Beowulf. You’ve done it! With your bare hands you’ve destroyed the monster!
Beowulf: Call Hrothgar. Call all the Danes. Tell them that Heorot is safe again!
Storyteller: When the Danes heard what had happened they were overjoyed. Grendel’s arm was nailed above the door of Heorot and a great feast was held to celebrate. Hrothgar gave Beowulf gifts of gold, jewels and the finest armour.
Hrothgar: Our people thank you, Beowulf! We will never forget you!
Storyteller: That night, laughter rang out from Heorot for the first time in many years. But that happiness would not even last the night, for another monster was stirring in the darkness. Another monster was making its way to Heorot…
Synopsis:
Ensure you watch the Beowulf drama to assess its suitability before sharing with your group.
Beowulf and his warriors arrive in Denmark and meet King Hrothgar at Heorot. Beowulf assures Hrothgar that he will fight Grendel that very night and - because Grendel uses no weapons - that he will fight the monster with just his bare hands.
That night the Geatish warriors bed down in Heorot and wait for the inevitable attack. Grendel breaks the door down but is surprised when his arm is seized by a force he has not felt before. Beowulf clasps Grendel's arm and will not let go and - eventually - Grendel's arm is severed and the creature limps off to die.
The Danes and the Geats celebrate the victory. They believe that Heorot is safe once again. But another monster is lurking out on the moor. One intent on revenge - Grendel's mother.
Click here for the episode transcript (pdf).
Music activity
Focus: Pulse / Clapping, tapping and clicking along to the beat / Making up your own clapping, tapping and clicking sequences
- Nigel claps along to the pulse of the music and pupils join in.
- New sounds and movements are added - pupils tap their thighs and click their fingers.
- The clapping, clicking and tapping becomes faster - twice the speed.
- Pupils make up their own sequences to the music.
- Afterwards, they can work with a partner to make up their own sequences. They can perform these at the same time as each other, or take it in turns.
Full details of the music activity in the Teacher's Notes (pdf).
Listening music
'In the Hall of the Mountain King' - by Edvard Grieg - from BBC Ten Pieces. Watch from 00 51 onwards.
- In the Hall of the Mountain King was written over a hundred years ago by Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg. Grieg often based his pieces on fairytales and this one tells the story of Peer Gynt - who is chased and captured by trolls in the mountains.
- This music is played by an orchestra.
- In todays’ song - ‘Beowulf’s song’ - the music gets much faster at the end, as the battle between Beowulf and Grendel intensifies. Can pupils hear something similar happening in this music? The music starts quietly and slowly, but by the end the tempo is very fast and the dynamics are very loud!
- What do pupils imagine here? The trolls could be chasing Peer Gynt - faster and faster, until they catch him!
Resources
Teacher's Notes
Download / print (pdf)
Lyrics. document
Download / print lyrics: 'Beowulf's song' (pdf)
Music. document
Download / print music: 'Beowulf's song'
Illustrated transcript. document
Download / print the illustrated transcript (pdf)
Sequencing activity. document
Sequence the events of the story in the correct order (pdf)
Word search puzzle. document
Download / print the word search puzzle (pdf)
School Radio > Music > KS2: Anglo-Saxons
Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5 - Part 6 - Resources - Teacher's Notes
