Music at the Junior School
A highlight of our Junior School music curriculum has been the addition of our ‘Composer of the Month’ themes.
Composer of the month
Each month, the girls have studied the life and work of a famous musical composer, so far these have included: Sergei Prokofiev, Camille Saint Seans, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Antonio Vivaldi and Ludwig Van Beethoven.
Not only do the girls enter school assemblies each morning listening to excerpts of their most famous work, but they also enjoy learning about each composer’s life, making connections with how, and when, each composer studied music as a young child, and how their career developed throughout their life.
Students have also enjoyed completing various listening and appreciation tasks around the composers most famous pieces, as well as composition and performance tasks within similar composition styles such as programme music.
Performance highlights
In the lead up to Christmas, members of our Year 5 and Year 6 Chamber Choir spent a day out carolling and spreading Christmas cheer at two local retirement villages in Cambridge. A memorable experience that the girls will cherish.
We enjoyed taking part, once again, at the annual Rotary Carol Concert at Great St Mary’s, helping raise over £6000 towards local Cambridge charities including the Churches Homeless Project, The Arthur Rank Hospice and Cambridge Aid.
Our Junior School community came together to reflect at Christmas time at our annual Carol Service on Friday 6 December, which this year was held at in the Senior School Hall! After a beautiful Once in Royal David’s City solo by Phoebe H. (Year 6), other musical highlights included Gaudete by the String Ensemble, conducted by Mr Severy and Give a Little Love at Christmas, performed by the Year 3 and Year 4 Full Choir.
I was thrilled that my gingerbread house raffle managed to raise over £270 which was donated to the Cambridge Churches Homeless Project, thank you to everyone who bought a raffle ticket to help support this important charity.
It was been wonderful seeing so many musicians across Year 1 through to Year 6 sign up to perform in Teatime Concerts throughout the year as these concerts are a fantastic opportunity for girls to perform for each other and share their love of music.
A highlight of the Spring term, was the Year 3 and 4 Production of Wind in the Willows which was performed on 11 and 12 March, showcasing the immense talent of our girls through singing, acting and dancing.
Congratulations to all our girls on their wonderful performances throughout the year and thank you to all of the parents who continually support their daughters to pursue their love of music.
Mrs Elise Dudley
Head of Junior School Music
Wind in the Willows Performance
Return to Magnolian 2020