Music
Our thriving music department inspires great enthusiasm and develops talent among the girls, who achieve outstanding results in both academic and practical examinations.
Most girls take advantage of the expert individual tuition available in the instrument of their choice. The department has 24 visiting instrumental teachers in addition to 5 full-time music staff. More than 30 individual practice rooms and a recital room are housed in the music school. There are seven computer work stations, provided with the Sibelius score writing programme, and the department is equipped with sophisticated digital recording equipment. Girls can have weekly lessons of 30 or 60 minutes in a wide range of instruments, from the bagpipes to the guitar.
St Mary's sustains a lively programme of musical events and ensembles. We have three principal choirs: The Campion Singers, Davenport and Junior Campion, all of which sing at school and have performed at the Cadogan Hall in London.
The Campion Singers take a leading part in our worship at St. Mary’s. They enjoy foreign tours at three-yearly intervals, which have taken them to prestigious venues in Ireland, Venice, Canada, Rome and Vienna. Every year, they take part in a carol service at St Paul’s Church, Knightsbridge to raise money for Great Ormond Street Hospital.
We also have a school orchestra who perform at Christmas time and in the Senior Concert, other instrumental ensembles such as the String Quartet, Wind Band, Scholars’ ensemble and Jazz Band and specialist small groups of singers.
There are many opportunities for performance. The annual Inter-House Music Festival includes a whole house song, ensemble and solo entries and is judged by an outside adjudicator. Every two or three weeks, lunchtime concerts are held to build confidence and act as an opportunity for girls to prepare for exams and larger concerts whilst giving staff, parents and pupils a chance to listen to music in a relaxed, informal environment. Larger concerts include the Year 7 Concert and Music Scholars’ Recital which take place in the Michaelmas term and the Senior Concert in the Lent term.
Some of our singers join the National Youth Choir and some instrumental players are selected as members of the National Schools Symphony Orchestra.
Clare Joy (Music Captain)
