Dvorak Symphony No 9, Mvt 2 ‘From the New World’
Antonin Dvorak wrote this very famous melody whilst feeling very homesick in New York City. It is played on an instrument called the cor anglais and is just a small part of his 9th symphony which is called ‘From the New World’
1. Listen to Dvorak’s melody (below). As you listen imagine you are far away from home. Imagine you are in a place very different to your home and you are feeling homesick.
2. Write a letter back home from this imaginary place. Like any good letter, it should include the following:
The name of the person you are writing to (‘Dear mum…’)
Descriptions of the place you are visiting and the things you have seen
A list of things you miss about home and why
How you are feeling
A proper goodbye (‘lots of love from…’)
As you write, keep Dvorak’s music playing the background for extra inspiration
Perhaps there is someone you in real life that you are missing. Someone you haven’t been able to see in person for a while. Now that you are so good at writing letters, why not write to them? Use Dvorak’s music to get you in the right mood and the template above to help shape your letter. When you’ve finished, pop it in an envelope and post it to them – everyone loves getting a letter!