Music
The music department offers a rich and varied programme of musical activities for all pupils. Instrumental ensembles include two jazz bands, a folk group, a gypsy swing group and the Hathor Players, a small string orchestra. Choral music is equally strong with a lower school choir and three upper school choirs, including a barbershop group and St. Cecilia 16. Group music making is central to our ethos and pupils are also encouraged to form their own ensembles ranging from string quartets to rock bands. Formal and informal concerts take place each year including term concerts, variety shows, productions of stage musicals and collaborations with groups such as the Cambridge Chord Company, the English Sinfonia and the London Mozart Players. Last year’s Cambridge Festival Project, centred in the department entitled ‘Orchestra in a Village’ and featuring the LMP, was nominated for a Royal Philharmonic Award.
ACCOMMODATION
The music department was substantially expanded in October 2000 with the addition of a large teaching and rehearsing space (St. Cecilia Hall) following the completion of a group practice room in 1998 (Hathor Room). The music department consists of two large teaching spaces, a large group room, three further practice rooms and three large instrument storerooms. This purpose-built music department provides ample opportunities for chamber concerts and music workshops.
ACADEMIC
All pupils receive classroom tuition in Years 7 – 9 for one hour every week and each year a healthy number opt to continue the subject at GCSE. The course is built around the skills of Listening, Appraising, Performing and Composing.
Critical LISTENING forms an important part of classwork. Students are then encouraged to APPRAISE their own practical work and the work of others with a view to continually improving their overall skills.
The PERFORMING element of the course includes class singing and the performance of own group compositions. In addition, students are instructed in playing from conventional and graphic notations, covering a range of styles and forms.
COMPOSING provides opportunities to learn about music through rhythmic and notational invention.
The GCSE course follows the OCR specifications with examination results consistently above the national average.
INSTRUMENTAL TUITION
A large proportion of pupils take advantage of the instrumental and vocal tuition available from a team of visiting staff. Tuition is available on all orchestral and band instruments as well as piano, keyboard, guitar and voice. These weekly lessons are given within the school timetable on a rotating basis to ensure the minimum of academic lessons is missed. Pupils receive an annual report detailing their progress.
Key Stage 3 Music
Students in Key Stage 3 have one music lesson per week. Throughout years 7, 8 and 9 students study music through composing, performing, and listening/appraising. As well as having access to a purpose-built music building with several practice rooms, Key Stage 3 pupils are also given the opportunity to work with music software on Macintosh computers located in our music technology suite and classrooms. One of the things that distinguish our music department, we believe, is the amount of singing pupils do within curriculum music. Whole-class singing is a standard practice throughout the department through Key Stage 3 and into Key stage 4. Click on the link below hear a year 8 class singing a bit of Greenday’s “Basket Case”(8y Basket)