Music

Music is an integral part of life at the school.  Our aim is to build a musical journey for every pupil in the school, whatever their level of musical ability or particular musical interest.

There are rehearsals for ensembles every day of the week, and individual lessons on instruments ranging from the piano to the bagpipes.

We have a strong tradition in both Choral and Jazz music; however, the repertoire encountered by our pupils encompasses everything from Plainsong to Punk.

There is a strong emphasis on performance and providing abundant opportunities to shine at all levels of ability. The choir has toured New York and Hong Kong in recent years.

There are frequent concerts in London and prestigious venues such as St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle. The Jazz Band have had the opportunity to play alongside members of Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Orchestra, and there are frequent enrichment visits to venues such as the Wigmore Hall and English National Opera.

Mr Stephen Burrows - Director of Music

Music is a compulsory curricular subject from 1st to 3rd Form, when it becomes an option for GCSE and A Level. The Music Department seeks to develop the major skills of music: performing, listening and composing, which will be so important in later life, whether pursuing a career in Music or not. Academic results for music are consistently high.

GCSE

A LEVEL

The A Level Music course follows the Eduqas specification and builds on the core GCSE skills of listening, performing and composing. To be a strong candidate you don’t necessarily need a GCSE in Music, but you do need to be able to perform on an instrument or in singing to Grade 7 standard by March of the Upper Sixth year. In addition, your knowledge of music theory needs to be at Grade 5 standard. Music at this level is not simply about being able to perform well on an instrument; while this is an important element, the course is as academic as it is practical, seeking to develop balanced musicians who have genuine passion for the subject.

Beyond the Course: by studying Music, candidates will be developing a wide range of abilities such as the rigour of historical study and analysis, as well as the self-discipline of practising an instrument to a high standard. The majority of musicians will also have had much experience of collaborating with others in ensembles and choirs, with the associated skills which this engenders. Continued study at University or Music College is often a popular option for those studying the subject to A Level; however, Admissions Tutors welcome the variety of skills possessed by musicians and it is generally regarded as an excellent accompaniment to any other A Level courses. 

Schola Cantorum

The main school choir, which sings for concerts and services throughout the academic year. Recent performances have included Haydn’s Nelson Mass and Mozart’s Vesperae solennes de confessore. This group performs both at school and further afield, typically performing in London once each year.

Consort

The ‘premier’ choral group in the school, which sings our weekly service of Vespers and Benediction. This group also performs at many other venues, with recent highlights being a service at Keble College, Oxford and concerts in London. It also undertakes frequent tours, most recently to New York and Hong Kong.

Big Band

This group comprises woodwind, brass and percussion instruments and plays a wide range of jazz, blues and popular repertoire. It plays at many performances throughout the course of the school year, most notably for our ever-popular jazz evening.

String group

A small and specialised group of string instruments. It plays for numerous concerts in a variety of musical styles.

Brass Group

This is exactly what it says: a group of the best brass players in the school. They play for many different occasions throughout the year, in a variety of styles ranging from Monteverdi to modern repertoire.

In addition, there are many occasions throughout the school year when other ‘ad hoc’ ensembles are created for particular musical events.