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

CHORAL:

 

GCS Boys’ Choir

Auditioned Years 7 through to 11

GCS Treble Choir

Years 7 & 8

GCS Barbershop

Year 11 & 6th Form Boys

GCS Girls’ Choir

Years 7 - 11

 

Chamber Choir

Auditioned Year 8 & 9 Girls

Schola Cantorum

Auditioned Years 9, 10, 11 and 6th Form

GCS Gospel Choir

By invitation – all years

Senior Choir

Years 10, 11 and 6th Form

GCS Staff Choir

Dawn Chorus

 

 

INSTRUMENTAL:

 

Chamber Orchestra

Grade 5 and above

Lower School Orchestra

Pre Grade1 - 4

String Orchestra

Grade 4 - 8

String Quartet

 

Lowers Strings Ensemble

 

Single Reeds Ensemble

 

Junior Double Reeds

 

Senior Double Reeds Ensemble

 

Flute Ensemble

 

Single Reeds Ensemble 

 

Folk Ensemble

 

Percussion Ensemble

 

Trombone Choir

 

Senior Trombone Quartet

 

Junior Trombone Quartet

 

Senior Trombone Ensemble

 

iBrass – beginners to Grade 3

 

Interbrass Grade 3 – 5

 

Senior Brass Grade 6 - 8

 

Trumpet Ensemble

 

GCS Big Band

Auditioned

GCS Funk Collective

Auditioned

Jazz Ensembles

Student Led

GCSE Theory/Aural Breakfast Club