Music

Reception to Year 4 (Lower School)
The aim is that every pupil in the School should have first-hand experience of practical music making, basic music notation, and music technology. Musical extracts are studied to promote enjoyment and appreciation of a wide range of musical styles and genres, together with their related technical / compositional features. Various types of classroom ensembles are formed, with non-instrumentalists often performing on keyboards or classroom percussion instruments. Lessons are intended to further musical perception and skills, such as a solid vocal technique. Every lesson starts with singing to build confidence and allow everyone access to music making and performance.

Years 5 to 8 (Upper School)
Music lessons in these year groups still begin with group singing activities, but there is also a focus on composition and developing a wider understanding of musical genres. Pupils study different styles of music as stimuli for their compositions – these include Blues music, computer and film compositions, and minimalism. There are frequent opportunities to perform in class and pupils are encouraged to put their compositions forward for concerts.

Junior Choir
The Junior Choir is open to pupils in Years 3, 4, and 5 who enjoy singing and can demonstrate strong pitch and vocal skills. There are usually forty members chosen by informal auditions. They perform in an annual Junior Concert, Summer Concert, and for occasional church services in place of the Senior Choir. There are several performance opportunities throughout the year, including informal concerts and the Christmas Bonanza.

Senior Choir
The Senior Choir exists to lead the singing and to perform an anthem at the School’s weekly church services in St Stephen’s, Rochester Row. The Choir rehearses regularly throughout each week, accordingly. The Choir also regularly joins forces with Westminster School Choir to perform joint services in Westminster Abbey and concerts in our respective schools.

The Senior Choir enjoys a fine reputation both at home and abroad. It regularly performs at prestigious London venues, including Smith Square Hall, the Barbican Hall, and Westminster Abbey. In recent years, the Choir made their South Bank début in Mahler’s 3rd Symphony at the Royal Festival Hall and have since performed live on BBC Radios 3 and 4, appeared on BBC and Channel 4 television, and have recorded theme music for two BBC television series. The Choir has also appeared with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the English Chamber Orchestra, Simon Over and the Southbank Sinfonia, and in concert with Sir Thomas Allen and Julian Lloyd Webber. At the composer’s invitation, the Choir provided soloists for performances supported by the British Council of John Gardner’s children’s opera, Bel and the Dragon, at the Manoel Theatre in Malta. They have three times been finalists in the National Choir of the Year Competition (formerly the BBC Radio 3 Choir of the Year).

Biennial tours have taken the Senior Choir throughout Europe and to the US, Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, and South Africa. The Choir’s varied repertoire includes many pieces that have been composed especially for the Choir, including works by Anthony Caesar, John Baird, Simon McGregor, John Gardner, Edmund Jolliffe, Chris Hazell, Giles Swayne, and John Woolrich, whose setting of Christopher Smart’s A Hymn on Melancholy was first performed in the Basilica di San Francesco, Assisi. Our most recent tour was to southern Italy, where we performed in Assisi and Perugia Cathedral’s.

Each year, we hold large-scale concerts in venues such as St Margaret’s Church, Westminster Abbey, Smith Square Hall, and the Barbican. Recent performances have included Britten’s Rejoice in the Lamb, McDowall’s Girl from Aleppo, and a world premiere of Edmund Jolliffe’s Sing Sing, and Music Is Given, with Tenor soloist David Butt Philip.

An increasing number of former Under School choristers take up places at the UK’s leading conservatoires or, as choral scholars, at Oxford and Cambridge. Ex-choristers have recently been heard at both the Royal Opera, Covent Garden, and at the English National Opera. Former choristers include operatic baritone, Leigh Melrose, the violinist, Thomas Gould, Ben Adams, who went on to achieve No. 1 success in the boy band, A1, and Neil Amin Smith, violinist and recent member of Clean Bandit.

Changing Voices Choir 
This Choir was introduced to support those in Years 7 and 8 whose voices have changed or are showing signs of changing. In recognition that it can be a frustrating feeling when your voice has changed and you don’t feel able to fully contribute to the Senior Choir, this is an ensemble which gives a safe space for children to practise and experiment with their new natural voices.  The scheme has been so successful that previous cohorts have performed at the annual Prizegiving assembly, the Summer Concert and various informal school performances.

House Choirs 
House Choirs are open to all pupils in any year group. There are four choirs – Lions, Fleuries, Martlets and Tudors. They perform annually as part of the House Music competition in the Election term.

Orchestras and Ensembles

Junior Orchestra
The Junior Orchestra is open to all players of orchestral instruments in Years 3 to 5 who have been learning for one year or more. They perform in several concerts a year, including the Summer Concert.

Senior Orchestra
The Senior Orchestra is for players of Grade 3 standard and above. For much of the year, the orchestra rehearses as a String Orchestra, adding wind and percussion for specific repertoire and for large scale concerts. Recent performances have included Michael Nyman’s In Re Don Giovanni, Grieg’s Holberg Suite, and Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No.2. A select group of more advanced players form the Chamber Orchestra, which performs smaller scale works and may also accompany the Choir or take part in other projects. Recent performances included Bach’s Violin Concerto in E Major and The Carnival of the Animals. Members of the Chamber Orchestra have been on tour as members of Westminster School’s Symphony Orchestra to Bonn and The Rhineland.

Pink Panthers and Jazz Ensemble
The Pink Panthers is open to wind and percussion players in Years 6 to 8 of Grade 3 standard and above, performing both classical and popular repertoire. Likewise, the Brass Ensemble rehearses weekly and both groups perform in regular concerts. Repertoire involves jazz standards, pop songs, TV theme music, and marches. The band performs in assemblies, the Summer Concert, and at occasional out-of-school social events, with their main concert of the year being the Jazz Café concert in the Lent term. They are also given the opportunity to work with professional musicians who come in to School to lead workshops and masterclasses, in which the pupils then have the chance to perform in evening concerts and soirees alongside them. Jazz Ensemble is an extension of Pink Panthers, allowing players to work in a smaller group, focusing on their improvisational skills.

Brass Ensemble 
This is open to all Brass players, Grade One and above. They rehearse once a week and perform each term in informal and formal concerts.

Chamber Music
Chamber Music is an extremely important part of the life of the Department, and groups are formed as appropriate. Rehearsed under the guidance of our staff, the pupils are given opportunities to perform in concerts and assemblies. Groups can be entered for national competitions such as the Pro Corda Chamber Music Festival. There are weekly rehearsals of string quartets and quintets, piano duos, trios, and quartets, both wind and brass ensembles, and percussion ensembles.

Piano, Organ and Harpsichord
There are numerous opportunities to perform as a soloist, chamber musician, or as an accompanist throughout the course of an academic year. Piano Classes allow for first-study pianists to focus on various aspects of their playing. The annual Pianofest offers performance opportunities for pianists from all age groups and includes masterclasses, workshops, and a professional concert so that they can further develop their skills.

Contemporary Music
Contemporary music is an extremely strong interest at WUS. There is a weekly club for pupils to get support with their work informally and they can opt to have composition lessons. Pupil compositions are always welcome in informal concerts and an annual Composers’ Concert with workshops has been introduced, with pupils writing for a professional ensemble – this enables pupils to have the opportunity to listen to their works performed by professionals.

Other ensembles include:  Rock Band, Guitar Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, Tango Group, and many more.

Concerts and Other Performance Opportunities 

Informal Concerts
Regular informal concerts give opportunities for musicians of all ages and ability levels to gain valuable performing experience. In addition, there are regular year group assemblies at which there is often an opportunity for a solo performance. Pupils and visiting music teachers are able to sign pupils up for these concerts and they are an excellent opportunity to prepare for exams and auditions.

Ensemble Performance Opportunities
Ensembles are able to sign up for informal concerts or take part in specific chamber concerts.  Each year, many musical events take place at the Under School in a variety of genres. These include annual large scale choral and orchestral concerts in our own theatre, or Smith Square Hall.

Professional Concert Series
Each term, we invite a professional ensemble or soloist to perform at the Under School. This includes masterclasses / workshops and an opportunity for our pupils to perform alongside these professionals in the concerts. These occasions have also been a perfect opportunity to welcome older pupils at Westminster School and our other local schools.

Recent artists have included Louis Dowdesdell and Big Band, the prize-winning vocal ensemble, Voces 8, West End musical director, Alex Aitken, and Steinway artist, Ben Schoeman.

Concert Going
The Under School is fortunate in being so close to so much professional music-making in London, with professional musicians leading workshops, or putting on concerts for pupils. Pupils are encouraged to attend various concerts and opera performances, allowing them to broaden their musical experiences with a wealth of musical events available to them.

Miss Katie Makulska — Music Administrator
Mrs Rebecca Thorn — Director of Music; Head of Academic Transition
Ms Hariet Wu