To explore this melody further and use it to develop your musical skills in a practical way, go to ‘Goodnight, Stars Our Light’ in the Canons section of PRESTO.

Altered Version 1: Details
Problem: the descending motif in bar 2 drops in pitch.
Possible solutions:
- The conductor demonstrates the singing very accurately during the teaching process, allowing the singers to learn well by ear. Attention may be drawn to the need to ‘lift’ the note C (so) in the descending line, with momentum maintained through the next note also (mi.)
- The conductor uses fluent, supportive gestures to create momentum and accuracy on the ‘mi’ at the end of bar 1, and carries this through into bar 2.
- As part of the teaching process, the conductor leads the singers in practising short melodic phrases using intervals of the pentatonic tone set, giving feedback where appropriate and guiding the singers in accurate intonation. Also, the conductor teaches that special care is needed in singing descending pentatonic motifs, to ensure that good tuning is maintained.

Altered Version 2: Details
Problem: the pitch is dropping at the repeating note A (mi) and the descending motif in bars 3-4.
Possible solutions:
- When teaching the piece, the conductor emphasises the need for care in singing repeated notes so that good tuning is maintained. The conductor demonstrates this by singing with momentum and accuracy.
- The conductor uses fluent, supportive gestures in conducting, to encourage energy and momentum through the phrase.
- Attention may be drawn to the need to lift certain notes, for example the ‘re’ and the low ‘soh’, and the conductor can use gestures to encourage this.
- As part of the teaching process, the conductor sings, or plays on an instrument, a sustained key note (D) while the singers listen closely, matching their melody carefully to the sustained sound and tuning their intervals beautifully to it.