Music and Drama

Teaching

Music is compulsory at Key Stage 3 and is a very popular option amongst students at GCSE. Our A Level course attracts students from across the borough. Through the partnerships we have fostered with Royal Holloway University, Oxford University and Newcastle University we regularly host masterclasses and student conferences for both our students and also A Level students from across the South East.

Music is taught in the Performing Arts Block, in specialist classrooms.

• The upstairs classroom accommodates a large rehearsal and teaching space which is equipped with 15 Casio Keyboards, 20 guitars (mix of bass/electric/acoustic), drum kit and a Kawai grand piano.
• The downstairs classroom accommodates a teaching space and a suite of 4 breakout spaces equipped with 15 Casio keyboards, 20 guitars (mix of bass/electric/acoustic), drum kit, 20 Ghanaian drums, 30 tuned percussion (bass through to soprano sizes), wide range of class percussion, and class set of ukuleles in the main teaching space. Break out rooms each have a full sized acoustic piano/keyboard and 2 have drum kits.
• Music Technology room for teaching with 22 further macs (Logic), multiple audio interfaces, midi keyboards, drum machine
  6 practice rooms for individual instrumental lessons, including a percussion room equipped with drum kit and timpani.

Performance

Waldegrave School offers an outstanding range of opportunities for musical performance in a wide range of genres. The autumn and summer term culminates in a showcase festival for all our large ensembles (the summer one outside) and there are 2 Live Lounge concerts a year for student lead performance work. The School Choirs sing a Christmas Carol Service at St Augustine’s Church, Whitton, and the Chamber Choir is regularly invited to perform with the Richmond Orchestra at The Landmark Arts Centre. Performance plays a huge role in the wider culture of the school too with weekly assemblies and also larger scale events such as the Leavers Assemblies and Y6 Induction Evening including musical performances. The music department also collaborates with the drama department for a biannual musical and with the Hampton School performing arts team for an annual junior musical.

Co-Curricular Music

Waldegrave School runs a wide range of ensembles and choirs suited to all levels and all styles of music making. All are run by our team of full and part time music teachers and are offered free of charge throughout the school day.

The provision of a safe space for all musicians to be creative is fundamental to the life of the Music department, and so in addition, there are a number of student-led  bands who use the facilities to rehearse.

A full list of Choirs and Music Ensembles can be found below:

• Y7 Choir
• Concert Choir
• Chamber Choir
• Ensembles
• Orchestra
• String Orchestra
• Swing Band
• Samba Band
• Keyboard Club
• Rock Club
• Ukuleles
• Junior String Quartet
• Senior String Quartet
• Composing Clinic

Clubs and ensembles are a great way to make new friends and discover a new activity. It is also a wonderful opportunity for students from across all year groups to work together and for our senior students to take the lead.

Trips and Tours

The Department runs regular trips both in the UK and abroad.

• Annual orchestral exchange with youth orchestras in Germany, France, Italy, Romania and Portugal.
• An annual choir partnership with the Brunnsbo Musikklasser from Gothenburg in Sweden hosted in both countries.
• The Chamber Choir regularly sings with the Richmond Orchestra at The Landmark Arts Centre.

In addition to these trips, pupils in all years have the opportunity to attend professional concerts relating to their musical curriculum at venues including the South Bank concert halls, The Barbican, The Coliseum and The Royal Opera House.