The Composer is Dead – Harper Collins

By Lemony Snicket

There’s dreadful news from the symphony hall—the composer is dead!

If you have ever heard an orchestra play, then you know that musicians are most certainly guilty of something. Where exactly were the violins on the night in question? Did anyone see the harp? Is the trumpet protesting a bit too boisterously?

In this perplexing murder mystery, everyone seems to have a motive, everyone has an alibi, and nearly everyone is a musical instrument. But the composer is still dead.

Perhaps you can solve the crime yourself. Join the Inspector as he interrogates all the unusual suspects. Then listen to the accompanying audio recording featuring Lemony Snicket and the music of Nathaniel Stookey performed by the San Francisco Symphony. Hear for yourself exactly what took place on that fateful, well-orchestrated evening.

The two friends, tuba and harp were perfect alibis for one another but do they have reason to hide something…?

What do these emails uncover?

They seem nice enough but what’s hidden in the code?

Use the key to see if you can find more evidence…

Back to: The Friends
Back to: The Notebook
Back to the StoryWorld Web

Are the bird-like flutes not as innocent as they seem?

Watch the video below to reveal some interesting evidence that has been uncovered. To help the inspector you will need to print off this Clue Collection Sheet (need picture 3 clues) before you press play so you can record what you notice.

Hit play when you have your sheet and pencil ready! Good luck!

Back to the Woodwinds

Back to: The Notebook

Back to the StoryWorld Web

Want to learn more about the percussion in the orchestra?

Explore our information, diagrams and sounds to find out!

What instruments belong to the percussion in the orchestra and why are they part of this group?

The base drum, snare drum, Tom-Tom, cymbal, high-hat, xylophone, cow bell and glockenspiel are just some of the instruments that belong to the percussion section in the orchestra. An instrument belongs to the percussion group if it is hit to create sound. You use drumsticks, beaters or body parts to bang on them to make and hear sound.

What special jobs or parts of the music do the percussion play?

The percussion is the loudest group in the orchestra. They are positioned at the back and are important because they keep the beat and tempo of the music for all the other instruments.

Describe the sound or style of  music  the  percussion  play?

Some percussion instruments are tuned  and can create different  notes but many are untuned which means they only make one sound or note. Percussion instruments include any instruments that makes a sound when it is hit, shaken or scraped. The percussion is the loudest section of the orchestra.

 Some percussion instruments:

Click these links to hear the sound of the different percussion instruments:

                         CYMBALS                            COWBELL                      SNARE DRUM

Back to 6: THE PERCUSSION

Back to 2: INTERROGATION BEGINS
Back to the StoryWorld Web

What has the Inspector discovered?

Where was the saxophone at the time of the crime and the initital interrogation?

Play the video to find out…

Here is what the saxophone played:

What do you think he is trying to tell us about the crime?

Back to: The Brass

Back to: The Notebook

Back to the StoryWorld Web

Watch the video to hear from the inspector who has landed in the zombie underworld because of the malfunctioning time machine…

Here is the zombie coded message for you to crack:

When you think you have cracked the code- send it to: zombiecomposer@gmail.com

GOOD LUCK!

Back to the time machine malfunction page…

Back to: The Notebook

Back to the StoryWorld Web

Are you ready to enter the Underworld now?

Click to visit the Underworld

Or…

Back to the time machine malfunction page…

It turns out there were definitely some trumpets at a party the night of the murder but were they the orchestra’s trumpets?  Perhaps they had some friends impose as them at that party to free them up for other mischief.

Read our comic to find out more…

Back to 5: THE BRASS

Back to the StoryWorld Web