Music plays a very important part in the life of St
Edward's. A large number of pupils have individual music
lessons and the range of musical activity within the
school is correspondingly extensive.
This guide is
intended to give some ideas of the Department's
activities.
CHORAL MUSIC
The Chapel Choir: This
group comprises of around 80 singers. They sing most
Sunday mornings in term, as well as singing regular
evensongs in local cathedrals and school concerts once
or twice a term. Recent performance venues have included
New College, Oxford, Ely and Gloucester Cathedrals. The
choir are also performing as part of the British
Legion’s Festival of Remembrance in the Royal Albert
Hall, televised on the BBC, this November.
The Chamber Choir: This is a
selected group of around 20 of the School's leading
singers. They sing various smaller-scale church
repertoire, as well as madrigals and close harmony. They
perform a wide range of repertoire in termly concerts.
Vox (Jazz Choir): This is a
more informal choir of around 30 singers, giving Lower
School students a chance to sing gospel and close
harmony arrangements in a fun rehearsal setting. They
perform in the odd Sunday chapel service, and in
concerts five or six times during the year.
St Edward's Singers: A
choral society held during the year to which parents,
friends and pupils are equally welcome to come and take
part. Recent concerts have included Orff's Carmina
Burana and Verdi’s Requiem. Further
details on how and when to take part can be found on the
other pages of this website.
ORCHESTRAS
AND BANDS
The
Symphony Orchestra: This is the premier
instrumental group in the school, performing major
orchestral works at prestigious venues. 65 players;
concerts once or twice a term. Recent concerts have
included Dvorák's Eighth Symphony, Schubert's Eighth
Symphony and Beethoven's Piano Concerto no 3 (with a
student pianist). Pupils appear regularly as soloists
with the orchestra, particularly in an annual concerto
platform.
The Chamber
Orchestra: This is a smaller group of 20-25 of
the leading senior players, performing baroque and
modern works in termly concerts.
The Concert Band: With
around 80 players, this is one of the school's longest
established groups that performs not only at concerts
but also at other important school events (Gaudy, CCF
inspection etc). It plays most of the traditional
symphonic wind band repertoire, this term focussing on
works by Vaughan Williams and Holst.
JAZZ
AND SWING
The Jazz
Band: This traditional seven-piece Dixieland jazz
band performs at numerous formal and informal events
inside and outside the school.
The Big Band: 20-25 players,
formed within the traditional 1930s swing format; this
group plays both traditional and modern charts, mixing
jazz, swing, bebop and Latin styles.
The Modern Jazz Ensemble: A
six piece band exploring modern idioms, led by our jazz
trumpeter Gary Howarth.
CHAMBER MUSIC
The Department tries to include as many musicians
into smaller chamber groups: trios, quartets and
quintets, in preparation for chamber music soirees and
the main chamber music weekend in February each year.
There is also a chance to use these ensembles as part of
their GCSE or A-level coursework. Every student should
be given the opportunity to take part in these smaller
ensembles, in order to gain useful skills in performing
music with others.
ROCK, POP and MUSIC
TECHNOLOGY
St. Edward’s embraces all
forms of modern music; whatever students want to play –
we support and find opportunities for them to perform!
Rock and pop groups have been very successful in the
past (some recent OSEs have been top of the Portuguese
charts this year with their band “A Silent Film”), and
present students continue to find themselves playing
gigs in venues across Oxford city.
Rock and pop are
backed up by a professional studio, with a peripatetic
music teacher running music tech. The studio runs
sequencing and recording programs on Mac computers,
based largely around Cubase and Ableton.
MUSICAL LIFE AT ST. EDWARD’S
Concert trips: Trips to
concerts and operas are regularly organised. The school
uses its close links with colleges and concert halls in
Oxford city, as well as opera houses and concert halls
in London and Birmingham.
House Concerts: Most Houses run internal concerts
of their own. These provide a forum for all musicians to
be seen to produce performances, whatever their ability,
within the supportive House framework.
House Singing Competition:
Run by House Music Representatives. The House Singing
Competition is the one annual music event in which the
whole school takes part – a huge 2-round event, with a
real sense of competition!
Masterclasses: Visiting musicians come to listen
to and work with singers and instrumentalists on
prepared pieces. Our chance to push the top musicians to
attain at the highest level.
Musicals: The school stages
a massive production of a major musical every 2 years,
sometimes more regularly. Recent projects have included
West Side Story, A Chorus Line,
Les Miserables and We Will Rock You.
Opera: Opera on the
grandest scale has been staged at St Edward's in recent
years, but there are also smaller scale operatic
projects. The Magic Flute, King Arthur,
The Marriage of Figaro and Carmen have
each been staged recently.
Soirees Musicales: Held regularly throughout the
year in the Music School and Chapel. These fortnightly
concerts give a chance for any musician to show his or
her work in progress.
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