Music at St Peter's School

Music

St Peter’s School, York, YO30 6AB T 01904 527300 F 01904 527302

E enquiries@stpetersyork.org.uk W www.stpetersyork.org.uk Registered Charity Number: 1141329

Music at St Peter’s

Music gives a heartbeat to life at St Peter’s Jeremy Walker Head Master

Music is an important part of life at St Peter’s School. Children of all ages enjoy access to music at St Peter’s and we are proud to be the Choir School for York Minster.

Choirs and musical ensembles flourish at St Peter’s whilst individual music lessons give pupils the opportunity to pursue their own passions and interests.

There are plenty of opportunities to showcase individual and group talents in regular concerts and performances. Whether it’s taking part in Young Voices with thousands of others in the Sheffield Arena, reaching the final of

the National Choral Competition, arranging harmonies in barbershop or jazz groups, or joining in with favourite tunes in the school choirs, participation at all levels is encouraged and talent is nurtured.

Jeremy Walker Head Master of St Peter’s School

Contents

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Music at St Peter’s 2-8

Page 4

York Minster Choristers

Page 10

Music at St Peter’s 8-13

Page 5

Music Awards and Scholarships

Page 12

Music at St Peter’s 13-18

Page 7

Music School Alumni

Page 13

Concerts and Services

Page 9

Meet our Staff

Page 14

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Music at St Peter’s 2-8

Music at St Peter’s 8-13

From singing simple rhymes in Nursery through to instrumental performances in Year 3, music is a fun and vibrant part of school life for all children at St Peter’s 2-8.

Class and year group lessons are taken with a specialist music teacher, focusing on all aspects of creating music, from listening to performing on a variety of instruments. Group performances, including related actions and movement, are especially valuable in developing collaboration, coordination and creativity.

Individual instrumental lessons in violin, piano and guitar are offered from Year 2, and Year 3 have taster sessions in strings, woodwind and brass once a week. Individual lessons are also available on all orchestral instruments and Drum Kit for pupils in Year 3. For those wanting to start sooner, pupils can take up the recorder from Reception.

The St Peter’s 2-8 Choir is represented by pupils from Years 2 and 3. They perform throughout the year at various venues and events including the School Christingle Service, the St Peter’s Whole School Foundation Concert and Young Voices, the world’s biggest school choir event at Sheffield Arena.

All pupils have the opportunity to perform in our Christmas Plays, End of Year Concerts, weekly assemblies and the hugely popular St Peter’s Got Talent.

Children at St Peter’s 2-8 develop a love of music from a very early age, preparing them for the next stage of their musical journey as they progress to St Peter’s 8-13.

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The choir school for York Minster, St Peter’s 8-13 provides one of the most well-rounded music educations available, with opportunities around every corner for every child.

We truly believe there is no ceiling to the children’s musical learning

The enthusiasm for music is palpable at all stages of the school, whether in individual music lessons, one of our many ensembles, in our superb Chapel Choir or in class music.

Andrea Hayden, Director of Music at St Peter’s 2-8

Every child should be encouraged to be the best musician that they can be Holly Craven, Director of Music at St Peter’s 8-13

Every child has music as part of their curriculum time. In J1 (Year 4), the children have 3 lessons a week, one of which is an instrumental lesson where, on a rotation, they have block taster sessions in flute, cello, double bass, violin and clarinet. The other two lessons, as with J2 (Year 5) and J3 (Year 6) focus on developing a love of all areas of music – listening, composing and performing. J4 and J5 have one lesson a week in music, preparing them for the transition to St Peter’s 13-18.

We are lucky to have a wonderful team of highly qualified visiting music teachers, offering lessons in piano, voice, flute, recorder, clarinet, saxophone, oboe, bassoon, violin, viola, cello, double bass, harp, guitar, electric guitar, drums, orchestral percussion, French horn, trumpet and trombone. They are hugely experienced in preparing children for Music Scholarships and examinations, but primarily engender a love of music at all stages.

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Music at St Peter’s 13-18

The Music School is sited at the end of 8-13 and was beautifully refurbished in October 2020. It provides a large teaching room, a generous Music Studio which is kitted out for smaller size concerts and for ensembles requiring a large orchestra percussion section. These two rooms are also rehearsal spaces for the York Minster Choristers, who provide a glorious start to our day during the week.

The Music School at St Peter’s 13-18 is one of the largest and most diverse school music departments in the North.

With upwards of 250 music lessons a week, there is rarely a quiet moment in the Music School. We run several ensembles – from brass, wind and string ensembles for each ability level, to a Mini Jazz Band, a String Orchestra and a Wind Band, to our highly regarded Chapel Choir, which is made up of children in J3-5.

ABRSM and Trinity exams are taken termly by those children who wish to do so, with excellent results.

However, we also realise the importance of developing technique and repertoire as part of a well-rounded instrumental and vocal education, and therefore ensure that we are preparing the ‘whole’ musician.

Performance is at the heart of everything we do.

Whether the children are performing their own compositions in class, in Chapel before a service, or in a major concert, we aim to provide an opportunity for everyone to perform. We hold weekly Virtualosity Concerts which are broadcast virtually, as well as half termly Informal Concerts and two Formal Concerts each year. Every child in the school also takes part in our House Singing competition.

The choir leads every Chapel service, as well as leading or being involved in several very high-profile services and concerts within the school year. Having the Chapel as another performance venue is very exciting, and places within Chapel Choir are highly sought after.

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Music should touch the lives of as many pupils as possible Paul Miles-Kingston, Director of Music at St Peter’s 13-18

We offer a wide range of opportunities for individual and ensemble performance, with full Symphony Orchestra, String Orchestra, Symphonic Wind Band, Swing Band and Brass Ensemble, and numerous chamber groups from String Quartet and classical Guitar Group to our Clarinet Choir and Percussion Group.

Singing is highly regarded. Our School Choir gives many of our pupils an opportunity to learn and sing a range of classical and popular music, with numbers exceeding 150. Our more specialist choirs are the Chapel Choir and the Chamber Choir who sing a varied and challenging programme of music. We are the Choir School for York Minster and a number of former choristers sing in the senior choirs. Alongside this strong traditional base, we also run Barbershop groups for both boys and girls, which are always a popular feature in school concerts.

We pride ourselves on the quality of our instrumental teaching and over 250 individual lessons are offered each week. Lessons are available on all orchestral instruments, piano, organ, singing, classical guitar, electric and bass guitar, percussion, drum kit, harp and bagpipe.

The Music School has several practice rooms, a recital room and a newly refurbished recording studio as well as two computer-equipped teaching classrooms. We have six Yamaha Conservatoire series grand pianos, and the Memorial Hall houses a Bösendorfer concert grand piano. We are also lucky to have an organ in Chapel and a beautiful Andrew Garlick harpsichord.

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The department has an excellent academic record for pupils who opt for GCSE and A Level Music.

Pupils also sit Associated Board and Trinity Guildhall examinations each term with the majority achieving merits or distinctions. Many pupils attain Grade 8 each year, with regular numbers going on to achieve either a DipABRSM or ATCL diploma.

Concerts and Services We are fortunate to have our beautiful Chapel to use for our concerts and events. Music forms a large part of our morning Chapel services and we have an annual Advent Carol Service held jointly with St Peter’s 8-13.

Our main Carol Service and Commemoration Service take place in York Minster, upholding the strong links and long history between the two institutions.

We run a regular series in the Music School with our annual Choral and Orchestral Concert at its heart. This concert brings together St Peter’s School Choir with the Choral Society: a choir for former pupils, parents, staff and friends of St Peter’s. Our regular internal concerts offer individual and ensemble performance opportunities throughout the academic year. Popular highlights are the Christmas Concerts and Summer Cabaret which showcase a wide range of our groups.

Tours and Trips

Concerts and services St Peter’s 2-8 Autumn Term Music Celebration Concert Christingle Service Christmas Performances

Summer Term Music Celebration Concert End of Year Review

St Peter’s 8-13 Autumn Term Christmas Concert Advent Carol Service (with 13-18) Carol Service Carols by Candlelight Virtualosity

Touring is an integral part of our musical programme and provides the pupils with fantastic opportunities to perform to a wide range of audiences in some fabulous locations as well as connecting with the culture of other countries through educational visits.

Our tours alternate between European cities and New York with notable performances in Notre-Dame de Paris, St Mark’s Basilica in Venice, Barcelona Cathedral and Saint Thomas Church New York City.

We also run visits to music museums as part of our academic programme and offer trips to external music events.

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Spring Term Young Voices Whole Foundation Concert Class Assemblies

Spring Term Virtualosity Confirmation Service Whole Foundation Concert Informal Concerts Summer Term Summer Concert Virtualosity Informal Concerts

St Peter’s 13-18 Autumn Term Autumn Concert Advent Carol Service (with 8-13) Christmas Concerts Carol Service in York Minster

Spring Term Whole Foundation Concert Senior Music Festival Choral and Orchestral Concert Summer Term Junior Music Festival Spring Concert Cabaret Concerts 9

Life as a Chorister

York Minster Choristers

In 2020, St Peter’s School became the Choir School for York Minster.

We are responsible for educating York Minster’s girl and boy choristers, ensuring the continuance of a centuries-old choral tradition.

The shared heritage between St Peter’s School and York Minster can be traced back to the year 627 AD, when the School and the Minster were founded in the same year and on the same site by St Paulinus of York. Today, St Peter’s School is the second oldest choir school in England and the fourth oldest school in the world.

Choristers benefit from the rich opportunities presented by this shared heritage, including an outstanding education at St Peter’s School alongside the chance to sing in one of the world’s most magnificent cathedrals each day. Choristers form part of a 1,000-year-old tradition of church music.

We are only a short walk away from York Minster, so the choristers can enjoy being members of York Minster Choir whilst taking full advantage of everything St Peter’s School has to offer.

Choristers also take part in recordings, live TV and radio broadcasts, and international tours.

Life as a chorister is fun and inspiring, with each day bringing new adventures and opportunities.

Choristers develop key skills, make friends for life, and discover a joy of music that will last a lifetime.

exciting opportunities offered both at St Peter’s School and York Minster.

There are 40 girl and boy choristers at York Minster who collectively sing at eight services each week as part of the world-class York Minster Choir. Their daily routine is carefully scheduled to make sure that the choristers can take full advantage of the

A typical day in the life of a chorister includes a rehearsal before school starts, followed by a rehearsal and Choral Evensong after school. The boys and girls share these duties equally. At weekends there are four services at the Minster, which are also shared. Being a chorister is fun and rewarding and choristers become very efficient time managers.

How to Apply

Submitting an Application

A love of singing is the key to becoming a chorister. We are looking for boys and girls who enjoy making music, are enthusiastic about learning and will bring their own passions and personalities to St Peter’s School.

If you would like to apply to become a chorister at York Minster, we would be delighted to hear from you. You can apply by completing our online application form:

Entry Requirements

www.stpetersyork.org.uk/application-form

Choristers must live near enough for the extra duties of the choir to be practicable and typically join the choir between the ages of 8 and 9 and remain until the age of 13. All choristers are educated at St Peter’s School.

You will then receive further details about the admissions process, assessment dates and chorister auditions. If you have any questions about the application process, please do not hesitate to contact Miss Sara Bath on 01904 527391 or email s.bath@stpetersyork.org.uk

Assessments

Tuition Fees

All prospective choristers will be auditioned by Mr Robert Sharpe, Director of Music at York Minster.

Formal singing experience is not required, but children need to be able to sing in tune, pitch notes and be interested in developing their musical talents.

All choristers are educated at St Peter’s School and their fees are subsidised by the Dean and Chapter of York Minster. For all choristers, 60% of the school fee is paid by York Minster.

Choristerships are open to all and additional means-tested funding is available to those who may not be able to afford the remaining 40% of the fee. Please contact our Admissions Officer Gillian Bland if you would like to know more: g.bland@stpetersyork.org.uk

Choristers will also sit an entrance exam for St Peter’s 8-13, which will include computer-based maths, English and reasoning tests, a creative writing paper and a group task.

Once choristers reach Third Form (Year 9) and leave the choir they will be able to apply for music scholarships and means-tested bursaries to ensure that they can continue their education at St Peter’s.

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Music school alumni Music awards and scholarships

James Woodrow

Music awards are available at 13+ and 16+ entry. Please note that these awards can be supplemented by means-tested bursaries. Please see the school website for details.

Dean Milner-White Scholarship

Scholarships

The music scholarships can carry a concession on fees ranging from 10-30%. This may be increased for exceptional candidates. The scholarship awards also cover tuition on up to three instruments and instrumental examination fees. Award holders have their tuition within the department with one of our specialist visiting team. It is expected that award holders study academic music to GCSE and the majority continue to A Level. The progress of award holders is continuously reviewed by the Director of Music.

Scholarships are available to young instrumentalists and singers who can offer a broad range of skills to the Music School. At audition we would normally expect a level of Grade 5 on the first instrument for 13+ entry and Grade 7 for 16+. We would also expect to see a second instrument offered but potential is the most important aspect. The ability to play an orchestral/band instrument is essential and singing is an advantage. A good background in theory is also recommended.

Edward Long Scholarship Albert Edward Long was a former member of staff who generously left provision for a number of music scholarships to be awarded each year.

One scholarship is available each year for a York Minster Chorister only. Dr Eric Milner-White was Dean of York and Chairman of Governors at St Peter’s School.

About the Scholarships

Since graduating from the RNCM, James has pursued a career as an orchestral player and teacher. He has performed often with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, is principal second violin of Skipton Camerata and also performs on baroque violin with period instrument ensembles.

Steph Frankland Steph recently graduated from the Royal College of Music and made her West End Debut with the 5-star ‘Roles We’ll Never Play’ show. She is the current baritone saxophone chairholder with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, playing in the Big Band, Nonet and working as a NYJO Ambassador as well as expanding her teaching work both privately and in various schools.

Harriet Edwards Harriet led both the wind band and the swing band at St Peter’s. She currently studies music at the University of Cambridge with a choral scholarship. In 2020, Harriet became Vice-President of the Robinson College Music Society and has also been involved in productions with the Cambridge Musical Society.

Waine Awards These awards are made available to young instrumentalists or singers who show ability and potential at audition. The awards recognise how we value our young musicians and the importance we place on nurturing their talent. The award covers the cost of tuition on an instrument/voice.

Max McLeish Max led the Swing Band at St Peter’s and studied music at the University of Cambridge, graduating with a first in 2020. In 2018-2019 he directed the Cambridge University Jazz Orchestra. He has twice made the semi-finals of the BBC Young Jazz Musician and he is currently studying jazz trombone at the Royal Academy of Music.

Sam Lightwing Sam was Head Chorister at St Peter’s and achieved a DipABRSM with distinction on saxophone. After a gap year, Sam secured a scholarship to study saxophone at the RNCM, where he has won the jazz improvisation prize and is their first student to specialise in jazz saxophone. Sam has played solos with various jazz ensembles, set up the RNCM reed quintet and continues as a musician in the Royal Auxiliary RAF Band.

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Music School Staff Keith Wright BMus FRCO Assistant Director Of Music, St Peter’s 13-18

Meet our staff Andrea Hayden BMus PGCE Director of Music St Peter’s 2-8 Andrea was raised on the Isle of Man where she took an active part in the musical and cultural life of the Island. She continued her musical education at the University of Sheffield where she studied clarinet with Anthony Houghton, principal clarinettist of the Northern Ballet and Manchester Camerata orchestras, followed by a PGCE in Secondary Music and Mathematics at Durham University. She began her teaching career at Easingwold School in North Yorkshire and undertook a part-Masters course in Music Technology at the University of Leeds. She became Head of Department at Sherburn High School followed by Head of Music at York College. When the opportunity arose to teach at St Peter’s 2-8 she leapt at the chance and is relishing the opportunity to be part of a department that shows a genuine progression from the age of 2 to 18.

Holly Craven BA Director of Music at St Peter’s 8-13 Educated at Casterton School, Holly spent her gap year teaching Music in the Falkland Islands, returning to read Music at Oxford Brookes University, where she studied flute with Colin Chambers (then Principal flautist at the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic) and specialised in Musicology. She then taught in Malaysia before returning to the UK as Assistant Housemistress and Music Teacher at Downe House, where she achieved the GTP in Music Education from the University of Reading.

From here, she moved to be Head of Junior Music at Westbourne School in Sheffield and was then Director of Music at Ripon Cathedral Choir School, where she also ran an outreach programme with the RSCM. After nearly 7 years as Head of Prep School Music at Yarm, Holly started as DoM at St Peters 8-13 in September 2019.

Paul Miles-Kingston BA MA LRSM Director of Music at St Peter’s 13-18 Paul began his music career as a chorister at Winchester Cathedral, where he was appointed Head Chorister in 1985. He continued to pursue a career in singing until the age of 30, during which time he served as a Songman at York Minster and a Bass Lay Clerk at Christ Church, Oxford. Paul was appointed as Director of Music at Christ Church Cathedral School, Oxford, in 2002 and he has been a full-time teacher since that time, directing many different student ensembles and creating opportunities for children to perform and study music. He moved back to York in 2006 to become Assistant Director of Music at St Peter’s and was appointed as Director of Music in 2010.

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Iain Harrison LRSM BA MA PhD Head Of Instrumental Music Lucy Tomlinson BA Music School Administrator, St Peter’s 13-18 Jo Herd Music School Administrator, St Peter’s 8-13

Visiting Teachers Flute: Miss C Amos BA LTCL Mrs D Blood GMus PGDipRNCM Oboe: Mrs P J Wright LRAM Clarinet And Saxophone: Mr T J Bayley BA Mrs E Ferguson BMus DipABRSM Dr I Harrison BA MA PhD LRSM Bassoon: Ms I K Dowell DipTCL LGSMD Horn: Mr P Widgery BA DipNCOS

Electric Guitar And Bass Guitar: Mr T E Fitzmaurice BA LLCM Mr P Judge MA Mr M Wheeler Harp: Miss R H Dent BMus Organ/Piano: Mr K Wright BMus FRCO Piano: Mrs K M Coombes BMus LTCL LRAM Mrs K Harrison-Ledger BMus MMus DipABRSM Mrs G Holmes GRSM LRAM Mrs P Sharpe MA MusM Miss R Smith BA DipABRSM Mrs C Wood Ma LRAM LGSM ALCM Mr A P Wright BMus LRAM Singing: Miss J Cunnold BA Dr P R S Gameson BA MAMus PhD Mrs L C Mcphee LTCL Violin And Viola: Mr R W Dawson GGSM DipNCOS Mrs J Haley BA Ms N Rainger MA ARCM Mr R Webb BA MA LRSM

Trumpet: Mr C Brewer BA PGDipRNCM

Cello: Mrs J Brewer BA Mrs R Gray MA

Trombone/Tuba: Miss A R Marshall BA MA PGDipRNCM

Cello And Recorder: Mrs E J Leaman-Brown BA GGSMD LTCL

Percussion: Mr I K Heywood Mr S Hobbs

Double Bass: Ms S M Revell BSN MHS ARCM

Classical Guitar: Mr R E Britton BA

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