Prom Praise, Royal Albert Hall, May 2024
Music Concert, St Alfege’s Church, Greenwich London, November 2023
Introduction from the Director of Music
Welcome to the Eltham College Music Department calendar for 2024/25. It is shaping up to be another wonderful year of music-making here at Eltham, with over 70 concerts and events across the Senior and Junior schools involving a huge number of our musicians.
Many events you will recognise, albeit perhaps at different times throughout the year, but there are some exciting additions for the 24/25 academic year. Our Choral programme continues to flourish, and as well as our popular carol services we also have Michaelmas and Lent evensongs, plus a service of Compline towards the end of the Summer term. The service of Compline will be a lovely, reflective service, with a small choir singing plainsong and simple Renaissance verse anthems, this will be a wonderful addition to the calendar. You will see, too, that our Chamber Choir has a busy year, with visits to Clare College, Cambridge, as well as St Paul’s Cathedral.
To meet rising demand for solo performance opportunities we have added a new set of School Section Solo Platforms. These will be open to all pupils in Lower School, Middle School and Upper School, and provide them with the additional opportunity for solo performances alongside our Informal
Concerts. This academic year all music concerts have been organised within series. This will allow pupils to easily see what is available for them to join and for parents to see the type of concert performance, should they wish to attend.
Our concerts are open to all, with parents, friends and guests warmly invited to attend. Tickets are not required at any of our events, with the exception of our Flagship Concerts and our two Carols by Candlelight services. For more details and more information on our ticketed events please do contact the Music Office directly.
I very much look forward to seeing you at a number of these events over the coming academic year, and to seeing this wonderful Music Department continue to thrive. If you ever have any questions about anything to do with music here at Eltham, please reach out to us on music@eltham-college.org.uk
Sebastian Johns Director of Music
Choral & Orchestral Concert, Blackheaths Halls, March 2024
Concert series
Senior School Series:
Flagship (large-scale ensembles concerts at external/ one-off locations)
Folk Music Concert @ St Alfege Church
Jazz Night
Choral & Orchestral Concert @ Blackheath Halls
ECCO 2025
Celebration Series (large-scale internal ensembles/ solo concerts)
Year 7 Chart-toppers
Christmas Cracker
Celebration of Musical Theatre
Songs on a Summer’s Evening
Summer Ensembles Concert
Choral Services
Remembrance Service
Michaelmas Evensong
Carols by Candlelight I & II
Lent Evensong
Summer Compline
Chamber Choir joint Evensong with Clare College, Cambridge
Chamber Choir evensong at St Paul’s Cathedral
Solo Showcase (solo concerts for Music Scholars & Exhibitioners and/or auditionees)
Concerto Competition
Scholars’ Concert I
Scholars’ Concert II
Scholars’ Concert III
Eltham College Young Musician of the Year Final
School Section Solo Platforms (open to all, circa Grade 5+, pupil/VMT sign-up)
Lower School Solo Platform
Middle School Solo Platform
Upper School Solo Platform
Informal Concerts (open to all, circa Grade 1-5, VMT/ parent sign-up)
Informal Concert 1
Informal Concert 2
Informal Concert 3
Chamber Music Week (small-scale chamber ensembles, organised by the relevant HoS)
Woodwind/Percussion; Monday
Brass; Tuesday
Staff; Wednesday
Keyboard; Wednesday
Strings; Thursday
House Events
House Singing Competition
House Music Prelim 1 - Chalmers
House Music Prelim 2 - Moffat
House Music Prelim 3 - Carey
House Music Prelim 4 - Livingstone
House Music Final
Workshop Series (ad hoc)
Section Workshops
Vocal Department Informal Concert Music in the Gallery
String Department Informal Concert
Piano Department – Chopin Project Concert
Eltham College Student Music Society (ECSMS)
Ad hoc, student-organised Wednesday lunchtime concerts
Jazz Night, Eltham College, March 2024
Music Calendar 2024/25
Michaelmas
August Tuesday 27
September Wednesday 4, Friday 6
Tuesday 3, Thursday 5
Monday 9
Saturday 14
Wednesday 18
October Wednesday 9
Friday 11
Monday 14
Thursday 17
Friday 18
November Monday 4-Friday 8
Monday 4
Tuesday 5
Thursday 7
Friday 8
Monday 11
Monday 11
Thursday 14
Monday 18-Friday 22
Wednesday 20
Saturday 23
Monday 25
Music pre-seasonSymphony Orchestra All day KGH
Choir auditions Various Music Department
Musical - auditions 4pm ABT
All ensembles commence
Senior School Open Day 9am Various
House Singing Competition 4pm ABT
Scholars' Concert I 6.30pm Central Hall
Music in the Gallery 5pm Gerald Moore Gallery
Concerto Competition 5.30pm Old Library/Central Hall
Year 7 Chart-toppers 6pm ABT
Michaelmas Evensong 6pm Chapel
Parents' Week 1 - Meet the VMT Music Department
House Music prelim 1 & 2 4pm Music Department
Informal Concert 1 5.30pm Music Department
Chamber Choir - joint evensong with Clare College, Cambridge Afternoon Cambridge
Year 11 GCSE Performance Recital 5pm Old Library
Remembrance Service 11am Chapel
House Music prelim 3 & 4 4pm Music Department
Middle School Solo Platform 6pm Old Library
ABRSM/Trinity exams Various
Chicago - band call + sitzprobe 1pm ABT
Folk Music Concert All day St Alfege Church, Greenwich
Chicago - dress rehearsal 4pm Music Department
Wednesday 27-Saturday 30 Chicago All day ABT
December Wednesday 4
Friday 6
Friday 6
Wednesday 11
Carols by Candlelight I 5pm Chapel
Carols by Candlelight II 5pm Chapel
Choir Dinner 7pm KGH/Old Library
Christmas Cracker 6.30pm KGH
Lent
January Friday 17
Friday 24
Thursday 30
February Friday 7
Monday 10
Tuesday 11
Wednesday 12
Wednesday 12
Thursday 13
Wednesday 26
March Saturday 1
Monday 3
Wednesday 5
Monday 10-Friday 14
Wednesday 12
Thursday 13
House Music Final 4pm KGH
Celebration of Musical Theatre 6.30pm ABT
Upper School Solo Platform 6pm Old Library
Lent Evensong 6pm Chapel
Chamber Music Week - WW + Percussion 5.30pm Music Department
Chamber Music Week - Brass 5.30pm KGH
Chamber Music Week - Staff 1pm Music Department
Chamber Music Week - Keyboard 5.30pm Central Hall
Chamber Music Week - Strings 5.30pm KGH
Scholars' Concert II 6.30pm Central Hall
Jazz Night 6.30pm ABT
Piano DepartmentChopin Project Concert 5.30pm Central Hall
Informal Concert 2 5.30pm Music Department
ABRSM/Trinity exams Various
Dido & Aeneas - Dress Rehearsal 4pm ABT
Dido & Aeneas - Performance 7pm ABT
Monday 17 A Level Recital 5.30pm Music Department
Wednesday 19
Saturday 22
Thursday 27
Summer
April Tuesday 29
May Friday 2
Wednesday 7
Monday 19-Friday 23
June Monday 2
Wednesday 11
Friday 14
Monday 16-Friday 20
Thurday 19
Friday 27
Saturday 28
July Saturday 5
Choral Society, College Choir & Young Voices Joint Rehearsal 7pm Chapel
Choral & Orchestral Concert @ Blackheath Halls All day Blackheath Halls
Eltham College Young Musician of the Year - Final 6pm Central Hall
Chamber Choir - evensong at St Paul's St Paul's Cathedral
Summer Ensembles Concert 6.30pm KGH
Songs on a Summer's Evening 6pm Chapel
Parents' Week 2 - Meet the VMT Music Department
Lower School Solo Platform 6pm Old Library
Informal Concert 3 Music Department
Summer Compline 6pm Chapel
ABRSM/Trinity exams Various
Scholars' Concert III Central Hall
ECCO rehearsals Morning Marquee
ECCO All day Marquee
Music in the Gallery Afternoon Gerald Moore Gallery
Eltham
College Jazz Ensembles
In January 2024, Eltham’s Music Department released its first ever studio jazz album. Recorded in July 2023, the album features Big Band, Saxophone Quartet and Jazz Combo, and showcases an exceptional level of jazz from student players. It is available on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify and Apple Music.
This album will be the first in a new series of Eltham Music Department-produced albums, with a further jazz album to come in late 2024, and recording of new arrangements of well-known violin music in 2025.
Listen now on Spotify & Apple Music
Contact and keep up to date
How to keep in contact
If you every have any questions about anything to do with Music at Eltham, the first port of call is our Music Administrator, Mrs Lewis; she can be reached on music@eltham-college.org.uk
The Music Department maintains a regular presence on X/Twitter, and you can follow us on @ElthamMusic. If you would like to contact the Director of Music directly, Mr Johns’ email address is saj@eltham-college.org.uk
All of our communication regarding concerts and events goes out via ElthamPost; this includes information about concerts and which pupils/ ensembles are performing, upcoming events, and any one-off rehearsals etc.
NB our Visiting Music Teachers communicate directly with parents concerning anything to do with 1-1 lessons.
Music at Eltham – general information
We also publish a brochure that outlines the huge range of 1-1 and ensemble music-making that happens here at Eltham. If you’d like more information on our ensemble programme, 1-1 music lessons, music in the Junior School, and more, please head to the Music page of the school website where you will be able to find this brochure.
Gloria Filiorum Patres