MUSIC

We have a thriving Music department housed in a new, purpose-built facility. Pupils participate in curriculum lessons, junior and senior choirs, orchestra and private instrumental and singing lessons. An increasingly ambitious and wide-ranging programme of events includes performances at the Royal Albert Hall and Eisteddfod. Pupils are also encouraged to participate in the highly successful musical productions that are arranged each year.

The Music Department at The Harrodian has a busy schedule of concerts, recitals and musical productions. The specially built Auditorium hosts performances every week by singers, pianists and other instrumentalists, and each term sees at least one large-scale concert in the Ballroom featuring our orchestras, Jazz Bands or choirs. There is also the very popular annual Battle of the Bands competition to find the top student group of the year. The choirs and Jazz Bands recently toured the Czech Republic and France. Further tours to Belgium and Spain are planned.

Musical productions are always high points of the calendar from the Pre-Preps, who often have pieces written specially for them, to established musicals and operas presented by the Prep and Senior Schools. Recent pieces produced at the school include Fiddler on the Roof, Oliver! and Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi.

The teaching in the Music Department reflects the philosophy of the school as a whole: we encourage our students to aim for the highest possible standards of achievement and performance whilst encouraging their own individual talents and ideas, and promoting the enjoyment of musical creativity.

Many students learn an instrument or take singing lessons and the music curriculum gives all students a thorough understanding of musical terminology, compositional techniques and performance skills.