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Director of Music |
Music plays a huge part of life at St. Edward’s.
Over 550 instrumental lessons take place each week
with a team of 40 peripatetic music staff. The
emphasis is on the involvement of as many of the
school as possible in some form of music, and the
five full-time music staff run a huge variety of
different ensembles and groups to cater for a wide
range of styles and genres.
The Music
Department is situated in the purpose-built
two-storey Ferguson Music School with adjacent
single-storey accommodation offering: recital room -
housing two Bösendorfer grand pianos, a Gannon
Horsley harpsichord and a two-manual Tamburini
chamber organ - academic and instrumental teaching
and practice rooms, a percussion studio, a recording
suite, instrumental and vocal music libraries and
generous instrument storage facilities. The school
are presently also drawing up plans for the
development of a new purpose-built building, which
will add to these facilities and enable the music to
develop even further. Music can be heard from many
of the school’s other performance venues: the Hall
(where major musical events can be staged, with an
audience of up to 800), the Chapel (which houses a
three-manual Harrison organ, formally at Magdalen
College) and the North Wall Arts Centre (a newly
built professional performance centre owned and
managed by the school).
The School itself is
located in the prestigious leafy north Oxford
Victorian suburb of Summertown; one mile from the
city centre with its distinctive architecture,
museums, galleries, libraries, theatres, concert
venues and colleges of the university. The
department makes full use of its location, with
trips to London, Birmingham and Oxford itself for
symphonic concerts, opera, chamber music recitals
and lectures.
Music plays a central role in
life at St Edward's and the Department offers study
on a wide variety of orchestral and non orchestral
instruments at all levels and strongly believes that
all pupils should have access to music, be this as a
main focus of study or within complimentary studies.
To this end every opportunity is promoted, both with
regard to participation in and attendance at a wide
spectrum of activities. The Department comprises a
dedicated staff with a very wide variety of
extensive experience, both in England and abroad
which encompasses work with leading British
orchestras (including work with our resident
orchestra, The English Sinfonia), opera houses
(including regular work with Garsington Opera),
chamber ensembles and choruses; work as recitalists
and concerto soloists; work with leading Big bands,
Jazz, Fusion and Rock groups; work within theatre,
television, film and studio; as well as publications
and examining work.
This part of the website
gives a good idea of what we do, including
forthcoming events and information about music
scholarships. You would be very welcome in visiting
us, whether it is as a member of an audience, a
singer within our choral society (St Edward’s
Singers), a prospective music scholar or parent, or
as an interested local musician. We’d be delighted
to see you.
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Alex Tester |
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tel: 01865 319 219 |
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Director of Cultural Activities |
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Neville Creed |
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tel: 01865 319 357 |
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Music Secretary |
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Ghislaine Isherwood |
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tel: 01865 319 217 |
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