BBC Ten Pieces

BBC Ten Pieces Logo

Request scores, videos and teaching resources and ‘get creative’ with BBC Ten Pieces projects…

As National Champions, Ocarina Workshop have produced simple and effective arrangements for Whole-class Ocarinas, suitable for Infants, Juniors and Secondary age children. These encourage active listening, playing some of the themes, exploring pieces by the same composer and responding creatively to some of the 40 pieces selected by the BBC.

Click here to download the Ocarina Ten Pieces Arrangements


The 40 pieces are selected to open the ears of children (and teachers) to the world of classical music.

Ocarina Workshop’s free arrangements (above) support students in their exploration of the pieces. In addition, the theme from Dvořák’s Largo is shared with Ocarina-players in this video and the Adventurous Music-Making resources are full of pieces to support and extend the BBC Ten Pieces selection. For example, Music World-Explorer has a Hungarian Dance and Ocarina Hoedown; Music Code-Cracker introduces the opening of Beethoven’s 5th Symphony as a launch for composing, and has it’s own Enigma piece (based on Mahler’s 1st Symphony); and Music Time-Traveller has Vivaldi’s Spring.

We are delighted with responses from teachers. Whilst these easy arrangements are written for Ocarinas, players of recorder, glockenspiel and other instruments may also find them helpful and inspiring.

“This is completely brilliant, thank you. I am a non music specialist who has never played an instrument before. Your site, books and ocarinas have given me the confidence to teach my KS1 children to play music, including the BBC Ten Pieces themes.”

“I’ve taught your simplified Mozart Horn part to a Year 4 class and they LOVED it! We were amazed at our own success, as was the Head, who happened to be on a learning walk round the school at just the right moment!”

“My ocarina group is working on the ‘Themes from Beethoven’s 5th’ for a performance at the end of the month. I must say they are relishing the challenge. It is a club with very mixed abilities but the children love the music. Bravo Beethoven and bravo to you!”

“Many thanks for this wonderful resource – we’re going well – Grieg next term!!”

“Ocarinas have revolutionised my teaching since the Music Education Expo 2014 – Keep spreading the music”



Here is a full list of the 40 pieces selected:

BBC Ten Pieces Trailblazers

1. George Gershwin – Rhapsody in Blue
2. Ravi Shankar – Symphony
3. Delia Derbyshire – Doctor Who Theme (original theme composed by Ron Grainer)
4. Antonio Vivaldi – ‘Winter’ from ‘The Four Seasons’, Allegro non molto (1st mvt)
5. Grażyna Bacewicz – Overture
6. Steve Reich – Music for 18 Musicians (excerpt)
7. Heitor Villa-Lobos – Bachianas brasileiras No. 2, The Little Train of the Caipira (finale)
8. Florence Price – Symphony No. 1 in E minor (3rd mvt)
9. Johannes Brahms – Hungarian Dance No. 5 in G minor
10. Hans Zimmer – Earth BBC Ten Pieces Commission

 BBC Ten Pieces III

1. Kerry Andrew: No Place Like – Commission for a cappella voices
2. Mason Bates: Anthology of Fantastic Zoology – Sprite; A Bao A Qu
3. Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges: Symphony No. 1 in G major – Allegro (1st mvt)
4. Aaron Copland: Rodeo – Hoe-Down
5. Antonín Dvořák: Symphony No. 9 in E minor, ‘From the New World’ – Largo (2nd mvt)
6. Edward Elgar: ‘Enigma’ Variations – Theme (‘Enigma’), variations 11, 6 & 7
7. Carl Orff: Carmina burana – ‘O fortuna’
8. Henry Purcell: Abdelazer – Rondeau (used as the basis for The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra)
9. Jean Sibelius: Finlandia
10. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker – Waltz of the Flowers; Russian Dance

 BBC Ten Pieces II

1. J. S. Bach: Toccata and Fugue in D minor
2. Bernstein: ‘Mambo’ from Symphonic Dances from ‘West Side Story’
3. Bizet: ‘Habanera’ and ‘Toreador Song’ from ‘Carmen Suite No. 2’
4. Anna Clyne: Night Ferry (extract)
5. Haydn: Trumpet Concerto (3rd movement)
6. Gabriel Prokofiev: Concerto for Turntables and Orchestra (5th movement)
7. Shostakovich: Symphony No. 10 (2nd movement)
8. Vaughan Williams: The Lark Ascending
9. Verdi: ‘Dies Irae’ and ‘Tuba Mirum’ from ‘Requiem’
10. Wagner: ‘Ride of the Valkyries’ from ‘Die Walküre’

 BBC Ten Pieces I

1. John Adams: Short Ride in a Fast Machine
2. Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 (1st movement)
3. Britten: “Storm” Interlude from Peter Grimes
4. Grieg: In the Hall of the Mountain King (from Peer Gynt)
5. Handel: Zadok the Priest
6. Holst: Mars (from The Planets)
7. Mozart: Horn Concerto No. 4 (3rd movement)
8. Mussorgsky: A Night on the Bare Mountain
9. Stravinsky: The Firebird ­Suite (1911) (Finale)
10. Anna Meredith: Connect It

To listen to these, visit the BBC Ten Pieces website and / or register here.