Music and Drama

Music School Update

The Music School is a vibrant and lively area of the College. We offer an extensive extra curricular activities programme for all students to take part in both at lunch times and after school, most days. We offer a full range of instrumental lessons given by our dedicated peripatetic team of 21 teachers: 19 instrumental and 2 for LAMDA - a growing area of interest in the College. On the instrumental side, we offer Voice, Strings, Brass, Woodwind (including Saxophone), Percussion, Guitar, Piano, Harpsichord and Organ. Currently, we teach some 200 music lessons each week via the Peripatetic Service.

We are an examination centre for three Boards: the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, where examinations are run in the Music School each term and, as from 2009, Trinity Guildhall Examination Board, and London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). Students also sit other Boards' examinations via their tutors, including London College of Music, Music Theatre and Rock School (guitar, drums).

Years 7-9 (Elements, Rudiments and Grammar) all learn Music as part of the curriculum and we cover aspects of performance, composition, and aural appreciation (listening). The Music School is equipped with a new ICT suite for classroom teaching with 15 keyboards and PCs, whiteboard and stereo playing/recording facilities. All music practice rooms are fitted with a piano and the Recital room has a Concert Grand. The Technology Suite is equipped with eight PCs, running Sibelius 5 for GCSE and A Level course work.

Recitals

Each year we organise five Recitals held half-termly in the Music School, and one Instrumental concert in the Douay Hall. In March this year, we staged a major orchestral/choral concert and will do again in March 2010. In addition, our Schola Cantorum (currently around 80 members) sings at special Masses, such as our St Edmund's Day Celebrations, and this year we have been invited to sing with St Edmund's School, Canterbury at Canterbury Cathedral. We will also be singing at the Saturday Mass at Westminster Cathedral in March 2010. The choir leads the annual Carol Service and other ad hoc occasions in the College calendar. A Chapel Choir also operates on Sundays in term time. Our Chamber Choir is much in demand to sing at St Edmund's functions such as weddings, funerals and balls. As well as Schola and Chamber Choir, and with assistance from peripatetic staff, we run eight ensembles including Orchestra, Jazz Band, Concert Band, Junior String Ensemble, Flute Ensemble, Saxophone Group and Guitar Ensemble. This October, we will be running our first String Workshop.

At GCSE we follow the EDEXCEL syllabus and, at AS and A2 level, the OCR syllabus. We are pleased to announce 100% pass rate at both GCSE and A Level. In the last ten years successful Music Scholars have obtained awards for university entrance to read Music and Electronic Music Production.

Drama

In addition to these music activities, the Music School works closely with the Drama department. A College Musical Production is performed bi-annually and the production of 'Oliver' was the highlight of 2008. In February 2010, we will be staging the musical 'A Sound of Music'. Our musicians also provided live music for the Rhetoric (Sixth Form) play 'The Importance of Being Earnest' in October 2008. Last Easter we presented, for the first time, a moving 'Passion Play' using the musical arrangement called 'Born For This'.