The Carnival of the Animals: Hens and Roosters

The second movement of The Carnival of the Animals is Hens and Roosters. This section of music is only 48 seconds long.

This music aims to mimic hens pecking at the grain, and the cockerel slowly strutting amongst them.  The short, fast piano trills (e.g. at 8 seconds) are the cockerel crowing.  What other instruments can you hear?  Only 4 instruments are used this music - violins, violas (a little bit bigger than a violin), piano and clarinet.  Listen as the music gets more frantic towards the end - perhaps a chicken is laying an egg!

The music of the pecking hens is very short and sharp - can you make movements that are short and sharp?  Can you tap your fingers or play an instruments really fast? 

Move your body or play your instrument really fast, and then really slow.  Keep alternating, feeling the contrast of fast and slow.  You could also practice changing between loud and quiet.  Can you play fast and loud / slow and quiet / fast and quiet / slow and loud?

What other songs do you know about chickens?  Below, are a few I've come up with.  There is also a video of chickens, so you can see and hear their pecking movements and clucking sounds.

Clucking chickens

Can you hear how the sounds of the chickens are mimicked in the music?

Singing Hands: Chick, Chick, Chick, Chick Chicken - Makaton Sign Language

Have a go at learning the signs to this song!

Laurie Berkner: I Know a Chicken

Do you have a shaker (or can you make one?) to join in with this song?