Performance for GCSE ensemble piece

[CyclingLegs]

Hi,

I wondered if I could ask a quick question about performance in GCSE music with edexcel?

I see that the students have to play one solo piece and one ensemble piece ideally at grade 5.

The spec says that the solo piece can be accompanied, so I imagine that it could be something from the ABRSM Grade 5 book with or without piano accompaniment.

However, I'm not clear about whether the ensemble piece can also be from the Grade 5 ABRSM book with accompaniment, or whether it has to be a larger piece with a group of students in the school, organised by the teacher.

I'm just wondering because DS just started his instrument in year 9 so if we could get the two pieces up and running early it would give him a chance to get them "in his fingers", so to speak, well before they are needed.

I wondered if anybody might know?

Thanks!

What is the instrument?

In general a 2nd piece from an ABRSM grade book would not be suitable for the ensemble piece because grade pieces are usually clearly geared towards the instrument being examined it is a solo piece with accompaniment rather than a duet. The accompaniment is supporting the solo player rather than the two players being equal.

My DD has just sat the OCR music GCSE. Her ‘ensemble’ was her playing her main instrument with a piano accompaniment. I was a bit sceptical as when I sat GCSE music many moons ago, ensemble meant more of a group performance and we all took it in turns to play for each other as quartets. So I checked the OCR spec and it said something about 2 players being ok for ensemble as long as they were equally involved. Or something like that. She played a Grade 8 Baroque piece. Her teacher gave her full marks for performance. I don’t know if the mark stayed like that post moderation but she got a 9 overall.

For Edexel the wording is something like interaction between the parts. They are more picky than AQA

Solo instrument and piano accompaniment is not counted as an ensemble for EDEXCEL. There would need to be a 3rd part to make it an ensemble.
If you play an ABRSM piece for your solo the accompaniment must be played ( live or a backing track). If it has an accompanying part it must be played.