Clifton College Website

Music

There is a strong musical tradition at Clifton which encompasses all forms of music, both old and new. Academic music is part of the Year 9 curriculum; after this, students may opt to do GCSE and then A level. There are many extra-curricular groups which offer a complete range of musical styles, from the more traditional Chapel Choir and Orchestra to Soul Band, Swing Band and many other pop bands. Participation in music is extremely high and there are many performance opportunities ranging from the annual musical and large scale concerts to informal performance platforms. Events such as the Choral Congers Concert and House Singing competition involve the entire school.

Director of Music
Mr James Hills BA FRCO DipTCL biography
Assistant Director of Music
Mr Daniel Robson BA PGCE biography
Head of Wind and Brass
Ms Sara Temple BA MMus PgDip biography
College Organist and Teacher of Academic Music
Mr James Drinkwater BA, FRCO, LRSM biography
Head of Strings
Mr Martin Pring MMus biography

Resources

In September 2009 the newly refurbished Joseph Cooper Music School was opened and boasts some of the finest school music facilities in the country. As well as a recital hall and 15 practice rooms, there is a 4 room recording suite and 3 classrooms, two of which are fully equipped with Apple Mac computers. Software used includes Cubase, Logic and Sibelius 5.

Events

We were lucky enough to have Master French Organ improviser Francis Chapelet visit Clifton in Lent Term 2011. See the news story for full details.

You can download the Music Calendar for the Michaelmas Term which highlights the events for this term.

Please see the Concerts and Recitals page for more details.

Teaching

Third Form

The Third Form course introduces the students to the technology available at Clifton College, particularly Cubase. Projects are based around topics such as The Blues and mix the use of modern equipment with the traditional skills of listening and appraising, performing and composing.

GCSE

Students follow the Edexcel syllabus which divides into three sections: Listening and Appraising, Performing, and Composing. Students study works from an anthology which covers a very wide range of topics including classical music from the Baroque period to the present day, Popular Music and World Music. They then compose their own pieces based around the ideas used in the set works. Recordings of student performances are made throughout the year and at the end of the course one solo and one ensemble performance are formally assessed.

A Level

For both AS and A2, students follow the Edexcel specifications and the course is divided into three:

Musical Understanding – At both AS and A2 students study in detail approximately a dozen very different pieces, which could include anything from J.S. Bach to The Kinks. The A2 exam also tests a student’s general musical knowledge and aural skills.

Performing – At AS level, students perform 5–6 minutes of music on their chosen instrument or voice. For A2, a more testing recital of around 12–15 minutes is required.

Composing – At AS a short composition in response to a brief published by the exam board can allow students to write music in a style which is unique to themselves, while at A2 fundamental techniques such as chorale harmony in the style of J.S. Bach and two part counterpoint are studied.

© 2006-12 Clifton College