Music is thriving at CCJS. Passion for it is instilled in the classroom and pervades out into all the extra-curricular activity that is on offer throughout each term and academic year.
Class Music...
It is taught by subject specialist staff right from Nursery/Kingfishers all the way up to Year 8. In the Lower, Middle and Upper Schools, the children come over to Lake House (Music Department) for their weekly class music lessons, and these classes are intended to be fun, varied, a mixture of practical & theoretical work and a safe learning environment where every child is catered for (whatever their standard). That is the beauty of music; it can include everybody and everyone can feel their own worth! Class music covers a wide variety of activity ranging from composing using keyboards, using specialist music ICT programmes on the iMacs, listening/appraising music on CD or iPod, singing, aural tests, percussion work (tuned/untuned), and much, much more!
Facilities & Awards...
The school has impressive musical facilities which are listed on a separate page (menu on the left), and awards/scholarships are available at 11+ and 13+ (please see the general scholarships page on this site for further information).
Extra-curricular Music...
There are many different musical groups and ensembles for the children to take part in at CCJS. SOme of these are invited/selective, many are not - and are open to every child either learning the appropriate instrument or wanting to join. It is important to us to maintain this format of different types of group; the 'flagship' groups in the school which will stretch the more able children, and the 'inclusive' groups that are open to anyone that wants to take part in a musical activity. Some of the smaller groups offered are dependant on teacher availability and numbers of children involved, but the main groups in school consist of: -
- Orchestra
- String Group I
- String Group II
- String Group III
- String Quartet
- Wind Band
- Basic Brass
- Brass Group
- Jazz Band
- Guitar Group
- Percussion Group
- Recorder Group
- Kingfisher's Choir
- Junior Choir
- Chapel Choir
Concerts...
Performance is actively encouraged in school, ranging from peer performance as part of class music, through to large scale concerts in-front of parents, friends and staff at, say, Cheltenham Town Hall.
There are between 2-4 Pupils' Concerts each term (dependant on the length of the term), which are of a more informal nature to give the children experience of performing infront of a smaller audience (of friends and family). These are generally programmes of solo items from any child in the school that has a piece ready to perform in public, although occasionally some of the school groups/ensembles may also perform. These concerts are held in the school Assembly Hall.
In addition, the 3 choirs (Kingfisher's, Junior & Chapel Choir) perform regularly as part of the school's corporate worship in Chapel. These services range from our regular Friday afternoon Chapel, to the major festivals in the Church Year - such as Harvest, Remembrance, Advent, Christmas, Passiontide, etc.
There is also a concert at the end of each term, largely for the main musical groups (such as Orchestra, Jazz Band, Wind Band, etc) to perform. These are also usually held in the school Assembly Hall, although, larger-scale concerts are often put on at venues such as the Town Hall in Cheltenham.
Enrichment...
We have a rolling programme of enrichment activities in music for the children to experience or take part in. These range from older pupils from Cheltenham College coming to play for CCJS pupils (soloists & ensembles, such as their Jazz Band), or some of our visiting music teachers performing to the children to show certain, more unusual instruments, etc. In addition, we send musicians out to other events - such as a local Prep Schools Singing Day, and we try to expose the students to as many and varied musical styles as possible (Tudor Music, World Music, Military Bands, etc).
Should you have any further questions about the very full life of this department, please do not hesitate to contact the Director of Music (Mr Kit Perona-Wright) using the staff details on this website. We hope to see you at one of our events very soon!