Prep Music

Music at St. Bede’s
Music is an integral part of life at St. Bede’s and we believe that every child, regardless of ability, should enjoy the subject and have access to the experiences it offers. The department is a relaxed and friendly place which strives to stimulate and develop an appreciation and enjoyment of music; nurturing beginners and stretching the more experienced players. We encourage pupils to take up an instrument and children in Year One learn the ukulele, Year Three pupils have a series of free violin lessons, all children up to Year Four have weekly recorder lessons and, in Year Five free lessons are given on a range of orchestral instruments for the first term.
Whether it is singing a hymn during the morning chapel service, listening to one of their peers perform, rehearsing for one of the numerous musicals we stage each year or competing in the annual music competition every pupil has regular contact with music.
We have 12 visiting instrumental teachers and all mainstream instruments are catered for. Pupils are encouraged to take exams in their instruments and the school acts as a centre for the Associated Board. Individual instrumental lessons run on a rotating timetable so that the same lesson is only missed twice each term and everyone is given a number of opportunities to perform throughout the year in various formal and informal concerts. Pupils are able to practise during break times in one of the department’s five practice rooms and teachers are always on hand to help. Every child has one class lesson each week which are delivered by qualified teachers who are also experienced musicians. Pupils explore a wide variety of musical styles through study and by using a range of instruments from hand-held percussion to keyboards. Our syllabus also covers recording techniques and the pupils learn how to select the appropriate microphones, record, mix and master a high quality CD using a hard drive multi-track recorder.
There are a large number of extra-curricular groups including six choirs, orchestra, drum group, xylophone orchestra, BoomWhacker band, theory classes, numerous chamber groups, rock bands and ukulele groups. During the summer term there is a music tour; the most recent was to Belgium where the pupils performed in Brussels Cathedral and the Church of Our Lady in Brugge. The Senior Choir lead several Evensongs throughout the year in our school chapel and local churches and recently gave a complete performance of Mozart’s Requiem Mass, along with parents, staff and friends of the school.