Tutorial 5: 'Barracuda'
Tutorial: 'Barracuda'
Key timings in the tutorial are:
00 00: Listening to the opening section of the song to become familiar with the style and the mood.
01 40: Learning Verse 1, beginning: 'I'll be your royal sovereign…' Listening to Carrie sing a line and then repeating with the choir. Then dividing into two groups to sing alternate lines.
03 18: Learning the chorus, beginning: 'And I would be Your Majesty…' Noting the subtle rhythms. At 04 23 singing the chorus right through.
04 47: Singing Verse 1 and the chorus right the way through. Noting the music introduction, to know when to start the verse.
05 46: Learning Verse 2, beginning 'You are my royal master…' and also Verse 3, beginning: 'I'd love to do my duty…' Adopting a voice for Caliban.
07 30: Learning the extended chorus which follows Verse 3. Dividing into two groups, with one group singing the bracketed words (eg 'bada-boom').
10 55: Singing 'Barracuda' right through, adding instruments if available.
The story
Episode 5 of the story: Trinculo, Stephano and Caliban plan to kill Prospero
Synopsis:
Sebastian and Antonio are stepping forward to murder Alonso when Ariel appears and whispers in the ear of the sleeping Gonzalo. Gonzalo wakes with a shout of 'God save the King!' and Alonso now wakes as well…and queries the drawn dagger. Antonio thinks quickly and blames 'wild animals' and both Alonso and Gonzalo are reassured.
Elsewhere on the island Stephano and Trinculo have become friends with Caliban - half-man, half-sea-creature. Caliban also wants freedom from Prospero and with the two others plots to kill his master while he sleeps.
See Resources below for a quiz about the story episode.
Song: 'Barracuda'
Song 5: Barracuda (vocal)
Song 5: Barracuda (backing)
Learn the song 'Barracuda' - a comic song for Caliban, Trinculo and Stephano.
Once you have learnt the song singing with vocal version you can polish your performance singing with just the backing track.
Click here for the lyric sheet.
Click here for the music sheet.
Listening music: an extract from 'Miranda falls asleep' by Jean Sibelius
An extract from 'Miranda falls asleep' from 'Music for The Tempest' by Sibelius
Listen to the extract from 'Miranda falls asleep', from Music for The Tempest.
- The music is by Finnish composer Jean Sibelius, composed 1925-1926.
- The Tempest has inspired many artists and composers.
- The listening music depicts Miranda falling asleep (see episode 2 of the story).
Resources
Song 5 - tutorial transcript. document
Download / print (pdf)
Song 5 - lyrics. document
Download / print (pdf)
Song 5 - music. document
Download / print (pdf)
Episode 5 - story transcript. document
Download / print (pdf)
Teacher's Notes. document
Guidance on all of the content (pdf)
Pupils' pamphlet. document
Lyric sheets and activities (pdf)
Carrie's vocal warm-up. video
Join Carrie Grant for her short vocal warm-up.
Meet the characters. image
A visual guide to the characters in the story with descriptions of them
The playscript. document
Stage a your own performance of our specially-written musical (pdf)
More from this series
4. Toledo steel. collection
A rap with a Latin style chorus. In the story Antonio tries to persuade Sebastian to kill King Alonso.
6. Brave new world. collection
A slow romantic song for Ferdinand and Miranda...who have fallen hopelessly in love.
7. Spellbound. collection
A song with an African flavour. How should Prospero deal with the courtiers: punishment or forgiveness?
