Music Department

Admired for its ambitious and wide-ranging co-curricular programme, the music department is a central and vibrant part of school life.

Henry’s 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 Legally Blonde the Musical, 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 and competed in the Leamington Festival. We rounded off the year with our final concert featuring two concerto performances from pupils, and then a trip to Budapest, during which we performed four separate concerts.

Participation in the Autumn Concert is a key part of the Year 7 music programme. All Year 7 pupils will take part as a choir, rehearsing during form time throughout the first half of the Autumn term. Pupils who play instruments may also be invited to join an ensemble, with further details provided over the summer. Regular attendance at rehearsals is very important, as is keeping in touch with both the ensemble director and Mr Newton, Director of Music.

We are proud to offer all Year 7 pupils two terms of free instrumental lessons.

The Instrumental Scheme is designed to give pupils the opportunity to either play an instrument for the first time or to experience a new instrument. We offer lessons on strings (violin, viola, cello, double bass), woodwind (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon), brass (trumpet, trombone, French horn, tuba) and orchestral percussion.

We have an incredible number our ensembles and groups rehearsing during the week for all instruments, levels and abilities.