Prep and Primary Schools ‘Massed Music’ Day for Brass, Strings and Woodwind

  • 7 years ago
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20161014 Prep Schools Music Day (Concert by All Pupils) 015An abundance of young children from prep and primary schools assembled at Oundle School for the Music department’s inaugural ‘Massed Musicians’ Day’ in mid-October. Instead of meeting across three separate music days as in previous years, ensemble groups comprising strings, brass and woodwind came together in a one day musical extravaganza.

Director of Music, Quentin Thomas, commented, “The day offered the chance for small groups of musicians from many different prep and primary schools to experience larger ensemble playing, enabling them to improve sight-reading, develop new approaches and ways of thinking about technique, as well as enjoying the camaraderie of making new friends.”

Whilst the brass worked in the Great Hall, the strings filled the Chapel and the woodwind group rehearsed in the newly refurbished Gascoigne Building, home to the Oundle Music department. Four concerts held during the day encompassed great diversity, with every visiting pupil able to perform something that had been prepared during the course of the day.

Highlights included renditions from massed strings with seventy of Oundle’s pupils, demonstrations on recorder and bass clarinet by Henry Sleight (18), a display of every woodwind instrument known to Head of Woodwind, Mr Milsted, and a glitzy performance of New York, New York by the brass staff.

Schools taking part were; Aldwickbury, Beeston Hall, Copthill, Hawthorne Community Primary, Kingscliffe Primary, Laxton Junior School, Meadow School, Nassington Primary, Oundle Primary, St Faiths, St Hilda’s and Warmington Primary.

Choral, Instrumental and Organ Scholarships at Oundle School are available at 11+, 13+ and 16+. For further details contact the Director of 20161014 Prep Schools Music Day (Brass Group) 003Music, Quentin Thomas on 01832 277132 or email music@oundleschool.org.uk

Oundle’s Music Facilities and Partnerships

Oundle School’s Music Department is recognised as being one of the best among the top Independent Schools in the UK. Music facilities are excellent and the music school is housed in a handsome Georgian building with a range of practice and teaching rooms, music library, technology suite and recording studio.

The partnership with Yamaha offers a fleet of first-class pianos across the entire School. The Chapel boasts two organs – the world renowned Frobenius Organ and a larger romantic, Copeman Hart organ. The Great Hall has a Steinway D grand piano and the School also has a 2 manual harpsichord and practice organ.

A partnership between the School and The Royal College of Music was launched in January 2012. The aim of this unique partnership – Oundle School is the only UK school to have such an agreement – is to give to musically talented pupils opportunities to work with, and learn from, the many eminent professors and their students from the RCM through carefully planned joint events such as concerts, Masterclasses and, for exceptional pupils, individual consultation lessons.

Oundle School’s reputation for Music attracts many talented pupils and we are delighted that we can offer those with aspirations to perform at a professional level very valuable long-term coaching and guidance about how to be playing at Conservatoire standard by the time they are in their Upper Sixth year.

Concerto opportunities, solo performance experiences, tours (such as to Hong Kong, France, Italy, Barbados, Ireland, USA, Austria, Germany), recordings and a plethora of concerts (many in prestigious concert halls such as Birmingham Symphony Hall, St John’s Smith Square, St Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey) are constantly evolving projects, ensuring that a live, vibrant and stimulating environment pervades across our department.

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