Senior School School Life Music
Music
The musical life of Clayesmore is very rich and varied and offers something to pupils of all musical interests. Musical activity pervades all but is based principally upon the purpose-built music school, the chapel and the main house. Every opportunity is taken to provide pupils plenty of opportunities to perform, whether individually, a member of a small ensemble or as a member of one of the school’s principal groups such as the School Orchestral, Choral Society, Concert Band or Chapel Choir. There are any number of small groups in rehearsal during the year ranging from flute or string ensembles to rock bands. Concerts take place almost weekly and there is at least one major concert each term. Some concerts will be small, intimate events which will be held in the beautiful reception rooms in the Main House where a brand new Yamaha grand piano has just been installed, others will be huge festivities with extensive forces held, perhaps in the chapel or even the sports centre. In addition, our musicians perform in venues in the local area. Our premier instrumental group, the Concert Band, has regularly performed overseas on tour in Italy, Belgium, Germany and Spain. The choir has also performed in Italy and two years ago was immensely privileged to be invited to sing Mass in S. Mark’s Basilica, Venice.
A custom in recent years has been to stage part of an opera or show towards the end of the summer term. Many Clayesmore musical events are of an astonishingly high standard and this and the sheer variety of activity – everything from a full performance of Purcell’s opera, ‘Dido and Aeneas’ to Handel’s ‘Messiah’, from the immensely popular House Music Competition to Battles of the Bands – is what characterises this enormously enriching aspect of school life.
Concerts and master classes are also part of the programme. Recent events of this nature have included the world-renowned baritone, Stephen Varcoe, the pianist Helen Yorke, concerts by percussionist Evelyn Glennie, the a capella vocal group, The Swingle Singers, and a recital by the Organist of St Paul’s Cathedral. Departmental visits are also made to concert venues and other places of musical interest including the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, the Lighthouse in Poole and the Salisbury Playhouse.