Music
King’s is renowned for its excellence in Music. A busy programme of concerts throughout the year features Full Orchestra, String Orchestra, Wind Band, Big Band, Jazz Band, Foundation Choir, Chamber Choir, Cambiata Boys’ Choir, Songbirds Girls’ choir and many instrumental ensembles.
Many of our able musicians also perform regularly with other organisations such as the Halle Youth Orchestra and Wigan Youth Jazz Orchestra. The Foundation Choir is a previous winner of the BBC Songs of Praise Choir of the Year. The King’s School Big Band has gained recognition for its excellence and has been frequently the only school band in the UK to be invited to play in the prestigious Wigan Jazz Festival.
The Music Department regularly gives concerts raising many thousands of pounds for local charities.
Academic Music
Right from the start, our pupils enjoy music lessons led by a team of specialist music teachers.
Students in the Infant and Junior Division follow a curriculum based on the fundamentals of Dalcroze Eurhythmics and the Kodaly Technique. Combined, these systems provide our youngest musicians with a grounding in pitch and rhythm that will allow them to access all kinds of music as they move through the divisions.
These techniques are then applied to class instrumental work. Typically a student in this division will learn keyboard skills alongside a range of percussion instruments. There is also a strong tradition of singing in the Infant and Junior Division, with students being taught how to correctly warm up their voices from Pre-School onwards. In addition to lessons, pupils’ singing is further supported by choirs for each key stage, all of whom perform regularly.
For more detailed information about our Senior music curriculum, visit our Music Department information page.
Trips & Visits
Residential courses and tours are an essential part of King's musical life. In the Senior Division, we run annual weekend residential courses for members of the Wind Band and String Orchestra.
Every summer, our Changing Voice Choirs go 'on tour' to the Lake District where we visit Blackpool Pleasure Beach and Kendal Climbing Wall before giving a recital to packed audiences at Cartmel Priory.
The Foundation Choir undertakes a European tour every two years; recent tours have included visits to Prague (performing at the Tyn Church) and Rome (singing Mass at St Peter's Basilica, Vatican City).
CHORAL MUSIC
Singing and choirs are a crucial part of music-making, with all pupils up to Year 8 singing regularly in their timetabled music lessons. Pupils in the Infant and Junior Division are encouraged to join our Year 2, Year 3/4 and Year 5/6 choirs who perform in regular concerts in and outside of school.
In the Infant & Junior Division, individuals and ensembles perform in regular school concerts/recitals, services (Harvest, Christmas, Easter, Summer) and external concerts; recent performances include Carmina Burana with Congleton Choral Society.
In the Senior Division, our popular Changing Voice Choirs (Girls’ and Boys’ choirs) sing a wide range of music specially arranged for each group, while our Senior Choir regularly performs at a range of high-profile events including school services, cathedral evensong and large-scale joint events at prestigious UK venues including Symphony Hall, Birmingham and Liverpool Philharmonic Hall.
EXTRA-CURRICULAR
There is an action-packed programme of co-curricular Music for all pupils from the Infants through to the Sixth Form. At King's the enthusiasm for making music (whether it be singing motets or improvising with the Big Band) is contagious! Hundreds of pupils, both beginners and experienced musicians, rehearse and thrive together in our many choirs, bands, orchestras and ensembles.
Each year, we present a programme of nearly 40 concerts and events offering performance opportunities for individuals and groups of all ages. Termly concerts feature all of King's larger ensembles, while informal and lunchtime concerts, including regular concerts at St Michael's Church in Macclesfield, offer opportunities for soloists and chamber groups.
Our annual Jazz Night, King’s Swings!, sees our Drama Hall transformed into a jazz club and features full length sets from the Big Band and smaller jazz/swing ensembles.
Every term, the Music Department runs a series of visits to concerts and performances both locally and further afield.
Recent visits include trips to see performances by the Hallé, Glyndebourne on Tour and The Sixteen.
We regularly attend concerts given by the Northern Chamber Orchestra, our orchestra in residence at King’s, and also collaborate with them on performance and composition based projects.
Outside of school, many of our young musicians also perform regularly with other organisations including the Hallé Youth Orchestra, Hallé Youth Choir, National Youth Jazz Orchestra, National Youth Orchestra, National Children’s Orchestra, Stockport Youth Orchestra and as students at the Royal Northern College of Music Junior Department.
Musical Opportunities in the Infants & Juniors
• Infant Choir
• Junior Choir
• Instrumental Group
• Percussion Group
• Brass Group
• Recorder Club
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Musical Opportunities in the Seniors & Sixth Form
• Barbershop
• Big Band
• Brass Groups
• Changing Voices: Boys
• Changing Voices: Girls
• Chamber Orchestra
• Clarinet Ensemble
• Flute Ensemble
• Musical Theatre productions
• Orchestral Percussion
• Rock Bands
• Senior Wind Ensemble
• String Quartets
• String Orchestra
• Wind Band
MUSIC & DRAMA
The Music Department regularly collaborates with colleagues in the Drama department to put on large-scale productions. In the Infant & Junior Division, annual productions include an Infant Nativity, Year 4 production and Year 6 musical, with recent productions including Matilda and Charlie & The Chocolate Factory.
For Senior and Sixth Form pupils, we present a bi-annual full school musical; recent productions have included Guys & Dolls, Little Shop of Horrors, Oliver! and Les Misérables. In addition, the department regularly creates original musical scores for further school productions.