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Music
Admired for its ambitious and wide-ranging co-curricular programme, the music department is a central and vibrant part of school life.
In this section
Henrys has a vibrant, busy music department with a full programme of performances, lessons, trips, masterclasses, outreach projects, and tours. In the past year, we have put on a full production of Les misérables, performed to an audience of over 1000 in the Butterworth Hall, had four additional full school concerts, a Rock School concert, year group recitals, and chamber concerts. We have also had a visiting concert and masterclass from the Coull Quartet, given the world première of Perpetuity, a piece written for us by our Composer-in-Residence, Stephen Crewes, had a trip to see Wicked in London, competed in the Leamington Festival, and sung in Brendan Cole’s dance show at the Warwick Arts Centre. We rounded off the year with our final concert featuring two concerto performances from students, and then a trip to Prague and Dresden, during which we performed four separate concerts.
Participation in the Autumn Concert is compulsory for Year 7; they will form a choir which will rehearse during form time in the first half of the autumn term. Students already playing instruments are likely to be selected to join an ensemble and will receive information about this during the summer. Attendance at rehearsals is essential, as is communication with both the ensemble director and Mr Newton, Director of Music.
Despite Covid restrictions we have still been able to put on a strong programme of co-curricular music. Our most recent concert was broadcast on the last Friday before half-term. You can see it here!
We have an incredible number our ensembles and groups rehearsing during the week for all instruments, levels and abilities.
| Choral | Orchestral | Wind and Brass | Chamber | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senior Choir | Senior Orchestra | Senior Wind Band | Chamber Orchestra | Jazz Band |
| Junior Choir | Junior Orchestra | Junior Wind Band | Piano Trio | Jazz Trio |
| Year 7 Choir | Flute Ensemble | Piano Duet Club | Rock School | |
| Henry’s 9 | Brass Ensemble | Piano Trio | Guitar Ensemble | |
| Barbershop | Sax Ensemble | Clarinet Quartet | Blues Band | |
| Clarinet Choir | String Quartet |
Participation in senior ensembles is by ability not by age, meaning all students are challenged musically. The standard for senior ensembles is Grade 5+.
Instrumental Lessons
We offer lessons on every orchestral instrument, including percussion, as well as piano, guitar, saxophone, voice, electric guitar and drum kit. Lessons take place during the school day and operate on a rota system so students do not always miss the same academic lesson. We also offer music theory lessons after school.
The cost of lessons varies slightly between teachers but is around £19 per half hour.
For more information about Music you can also contact Mr Newton on newtonr@khviii.net
