Arranging for an ensemble that is missing strings and a note

Inventory before arranging. Spend part of the first rehearsal restringing the two guitars if strings are available or can be bought from the small budget; a restring is cheaper than rearranging around it. For the keyboard, choose a key that avoids F-sharp entirely (C major, F major or D minor) rather than expecting the learner to dodge a dead key in performance.

Texture plan. Build the arrangement in layers so that thin resources sound deliberate rather than deficient:

• Opening: voices alone in call-and-response, hand claps carrying the Setapa pattern.
• Layer 2: djembe enters with the pulse and cue pattern; recorders take a simple three- or four-note melody;
• Layer 3: guitars on an open-chord ostinato and a bass line on the lowest two strings; keyboard on sustained chords in the safe key.
• Interlude: body percussion and clapping only, which showcases strength and gives players a rest.
• Final tutti, then a clean cut-off cued by a singer rather than by a conductor's baton.

Balance. Fewer drummers, not louder singers: use two players on the djembe, teach 'quiet hands' (fingers and rim instead of full palm), and place percussion at the back and side. Set dynamic levels explicitly (for example, recorders mf, drums mp in the accompaniment sections) and rehearse the balance as a listening task - ask players to name the part they can hear most clearly.

Differentiation. Provide a core part every learner can play and an extension part for the more able, so the arrangement has a route for the strong church-choir singers and the beginners. Write it in graphic or stick notation with the words underneath; staff notation is a later step, not a gate.

Integrity first. Setapa belongs to named communities with living practitioners. Ask a knowledge holder or community elder to teach or endorse the version used, credit the source in the programme, and do not present a school arrangement as the tradition itself. Check before teaching whether any element is restricted or tied to a particular occasion. Be explicit with learners about the difference between the traditional item and your arrangement of it, and put both attributions in the programme notes.

Sound before symbol. Teach the piece aurally as it is normally learned: call-and-response, clapping the pattern, then words, then movement. Only when the pattern is secure in the body do learners write it down. That sequencing respects the tradition and is also good pedagogy for beginners.

Building literacy from the known.

1. Learners clap the pattern and draw it as a graphic score (lines for claps, spaces for rests).
2. Transfer the graphic score to stick notation with the syllables under it.
3. Take one short phrase only onto the staff, in a key that suits the recorders.
4. Use that phrase as a warm-up sight-reading exercise each rehearsal, so notation is a small recurring habit rather than a separate theory lesson.

Assessment. The syllabus asks for ensemble performance, not notation reading. Do not let staff reading contaminate the marks for the traditional item; assess pulse, part-holding, balance and expression, and assess notation separately through a short written or practical task. This keeps the cultural item fair to learners whose strength is aural and keeps the literacy demand visible without distorting it.

Physical and acoustic measures. Seat the learner away from the djembe and facing the melodic core, where they can see mouths, hands and the beat. Lower overall volume: reduce the number of drummers, use the quieter percussion technique, and rehearse in the quieter end of the hall. Tin roofs and hard walls produce harsh reflections; if curtains or mats are available, hang them to dampen the sound, and give a noise break in every rehearsal. Check privately with the learner about settings and comfort before changing anything, and never discuss the hearing aid in front of the class.

Pedagogical measures.

• Visual conducting: a clear beat, an exaggerated preparatory gesture, and a count-in with the hand.
• Cue cards or a section leader's hand signals for entries.
• Physical pulse: feeling the beat through the floor or through body percussion, which also helps the whole ensemble.
• A flexible role: if the drums are uncomfortable even at reduced volume, the learner may take claves, a vocal line or the cueing role; the criteria are about ensemble musicianship, not a fixed instrument.
• A short recorded reference of their own part to practise with at home, if the family agrees.

Assessment fairness. Use the same rubric: pulse accuracy, part-holding, balance and blend, expression and responsiveness to cues. What changes is the access: conducting cues, a quieter position, video evidence for moderation, and a note on the mark sheet documenting the accommodations. Extra time or a separate room is not needed for a performance, but a second attempt at a difficult entry is reasonable if it is offered to everyone who needs it. Discuss any amplification or assistive listening option with the family and the school's inclusive education coordinator before the performance, not on the day.