Music College
AIMS AND OPPORTUNITIES
Our Aims:
As one of a select group of specialist Music Colleges across the country, Guildford County School aspires to:
- Be a centre of excellence in music, sharing our expertise with others as widely as possible
- Raise standards of achievement across the curriculum by understanding how people learn
- To raise awareness of the importance of active listening skills and the impact on all learning
- Develop creative, innovative and dynamic approaches to teaching
- Sustain a culture which promotes performance, appreciation and participation in music
- Devise opportunities for our students and members of the local community to continue learning
- Prepare young people for opportunities in the arts, education and employment
- Provide training for others which draws upon our own constantly developing practice
- Create a nurturing environment for individual talent and self expression
Opportunities
Musical Ensembles
We have a diverse and wide range of ensembles at Guildford County School, which rehearse during the school week. The ensembles are run by members of the Music department and some of our Instrumental teachers. Our provision is endorsed by our patron Julian Lloyd Webber. Our range of choirs has developed a strong culture of singing with gender equality and high participation. Our 130 Boys choir is Nationally recognised and they have featured in Gareth Malone's BAfta award winning series. Our choirs have also appeared on Howard Goodall's radio programme " class Acts' and on Teachers TV. We are proud to have Howard Goodall as our Choral Patron and Roger Black as our Boys Choir Patron. With over a third of our school actively involved in our ensembles and over 73% of our school cohort playing or singing, music is a very real and true part of the DNA of the school. A list of our provision is below:
CO - CURRICULAR MUSICAL ACTIVITIES 2019 - 2020
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CHORAL: |
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GCS Boys’ Choir |
Auditioned Years 7 through to 11 |
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GCS Treble Choir |
Years 7 & 8 |
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GCS Barbershop |
Year 11 & 6th Form Boys |
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GCS Lower School Girls’ Choir |
Years 7 & 8 |
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GCS Upper School Girls’ Choir |
Years 9, 10 & 11 |
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Chamber Choir |
Auditioned Year 8 & 9 |
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Schola Cantorum |
Auditioned Years 9, 10, 11 and 6th Form |
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GCS Gospel Choir |
By invitation – all years |
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Senior Choir |
Years 10, 11 and 6th Form |
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GCS Staff Choir |
Dawn Chorus |
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INSTRUMENTAL: |
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Chamber Orchestra |
Grade 5 and above |
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Lower School Orchestra |
Pre Grade1 - 4 |
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String Orchestra |
Grade 4 - 8 |
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String Quartet |
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Lowers Strings Ensemble |
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Single Reeds Ensemble |
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Junior Double Reeds |
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Senior Double Reeds Ensemble |
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Flute Ensemble |
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Basson Ensemble |
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Percussion Ensemble |
Student Led |
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Trombone Choir |
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Senior Trombone Quartet |
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Junior Trombone Quartet |
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Senior Trombone Ensemble |
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iBrass – beginners to Grade 3 |
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Interbrass Grade 3 – 5 |
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GCS Big Band |
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GCS Funk Collective |
Auditioned |
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Jazz Ensembles |
Student Led |
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GCSE Theory/Aural Breakfast Club
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