Music flourishes at Farleigh and your child will have many opportunities to gain confidence from performing in public. The school boasts numerous ensembles and over 400 instrumental lessons are taught each week.

Singing plays an important role in the life of the school and besides the daily singing in Chapel and regular hymn practices, class lessons, particularly in Years 3 to 6, incorporate a large amount of singing. Years 3 and 4 are members of the Junior Choir and Years 5 to 8 have the option of joining the Senior Choir, which in recent years have seen much success in local and national festivals. The Chapel Choir is an auditioned group and is responsible for providing music at all school services. As well as frequently performing around the UK, they tour regularly and recent overseas excursions have included trips to Rome, Malta, Madrid and Lisbon.

A team of peripatetic staff who teach a wide range of instruments serves the Music Department. The timetable is carefully prepared by the full-time music staff to avoid a child missing too many academic lessons. We are able to provide tuition in all major orchestral instruments and in recent years we have catered for harp, banjo and bagpipe pupils. Each term the ABRSM and Trinity College visit the school to examine children, the majority of pupils are awarded a merit or distinction. Opportunities for solo performance are readily available. Informal concerts take place at least every two weeks, and there are numerous opportunities to perform in class. There are regular formal concerts for soloists and ensembles, with over 50 concerts and musical events each year.

The department actively encourages participation in ensembles and these include four choirs, two close harmony ensembles, three jazz ensembles including a full 20-piece Big Band, a 40-strong string ensemble as well as three string chamber ensembles, a full concert band, three rock bands and a variety of chamber groups for wind players. All the schools ensembles perform at least twice each year in major whole school concerts, the St Cecilia Concert in November and the Summer Soirée in June, the undisputed highlight of the school year.

‘Music is outstanding,’ say parents, ‘I don’t know how they do it.’ "
The Good Schools Guide

There are more than 25 musical ensembles, and the annual Summer Soirée is the hottest ticket on the school calendar - quintessential Britain at its best as parents picnic on the lawn, siblings cartwheel and pupils perform."
Tatler Schools Guide 2019

The annual Farleigh Piano Festival recently had no fewer than 88 individual entrants; classes are judged by an external adjudicator. No surprise that pupils regularly depart for senior schools with music and performing arts scholarships."
The Week Independent Schools Guide (Great for music) 2018

JAZZ AT FARLEIGH

Jazz has been one of many musical strengths for a number of years.

As well as Green Shoots (for junior musicians) and The Thundering Herd (our full scale Big Band for more advanced players), we run a Trad. Jazz ensemble. Here, you can see these boys (all aged between 10 and 13) in action, performing George Gershwin’s Come to the Moon.