The Fifth Form (Year 9) music course explores the widest possible range of music, from Mozart to hip-hop, with the aim of giving pupils the opportunity to engage critically with unfamiliar music and cultures. Pupils have the opportunity to perform and compose, develop their aural skills, and their understanding of music theory.

The Edexcel GCSE has three modules: performance (30%), composition (30%), and a written listening paper (40%). The set works give pupils the chance to study a really wide range of music, ranging from Bach to Queen, Wicked the musical (we see this at the Victoria Apollo) to Purcell, Brazilian jazz fusion to the Star Wars sound track. You will develop your aural skills, theoretical understanding, musical appreciation, awareness of compositional techniques, and broaden your musicianship immeasurably through this qualification.

Musicians at Westminster benefit from numerous opportunities to engage with the subject beyond the classroom; our location in the centre of London allows for regular trips to the Southbank Centre, the West End theatres and the Royal Opera House. Pupils enjoy a wide range of masterclasses delivered by world-renowned musicians, and we host composition workshops and academic talks from university lecturers. Our musicians perform in some of London’s leading venues, including St John’s Smith Square and the Barbican. Our instrumentalists are regularly finalists in the national Pro Corda chamber music competition, and each year the winner of the School Concerto Competition performs a full concerto with the Symphony Orchestra in St John’s Smith Square. There are three orchestras, numerous jazz groups, four choirs, and myriad other musical groups of all styles and genres that pupils can join. 

The decision to study Music is usually taken by those who need music to be at the centre of their lives. Beyond university, employers consider music graduates to have excellent skills in teamwork, self-management, problem-solving, data analysis, creativity, and communication. As such, Music graduates are highly prized across a very broad range of industries. A wide choice of courses is available, ranging from the almost entirely practical to the mostly academic.