Music

Music

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The Music Departments aim and ambition is to develop the skills, creative powers and musical awareness to enable the children, as individuals, for adult life with an appreciation and love of music, the incentive for further artistic development, and the foundation for continuing practical musical involvement whether as an amateur or professional.

Christ’s Hospital has, since the appointment of its first full time Music Master in the sixteenth century, recognised the importance of music in a child’s education, and continued throughout 400 years to make resources available to ensure that music is an integral part of the school’s day to day life. Now, in the twenty first century, Christ’s Hospital provides individual tuition and musical experience to all students who are willing to accept the challenge with commitment and enthusiasm.

The Department is organised around a central belief that its priority must be to develop the full musical potential of each individual so that he or she can leave the school equipped to pursue his or her musical interests in whatever form that might take. Every lesson to an individual or class; every rehearsal of an ensemble, orchestra, band or choir; every concert, performance, event or activity must be approached in the certain knowledge that it is helping to inspire each of the young musicians involved to raise their musical expectations and standards and to develop their musical ability.

Access for all to musical activities is important. About one quarter of the school are in one or more of the major ensembles. Furthermore, all professional concerts at CH are free to all students. Even more importantly, individual music tuition should be available for all. Those receiving individual tuition pay on a graded scale according to income. In addition, accessories and music are provided entirely free of charge to every music student. Hence, the school is subsidising music tuition to a degree found in no other Independent School in the country, other than perhaps the specialist music schools.