Academic Departments Music Department
Music Department
Music at Rugby School is exciting, diverse and of a remarkable standard. The opportunities for all pupils in the School are virtually limitless and we are proud that the breadth gives pleasure and a truly educational experience to all our pupils, staff - and parents. In any one year there are over 120 performances, ranging from major events such as concerts in London concert halls to a solo piper playing to the whole School on a Wednesday morning Chapel.
Over half the pupils receive individual music lessons, often in more than one instrument, with high quality lessons delivered by a dedicated and talented team of eight full-time and 30 part-time professional musicians including a concert pianist and a senior examiner for the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music
There are many instrumental ensembles in the School, giving all players the opportunity to make music with others. The principal groups include Symphony Orchestra, Ripieno Orchestra, Concert Band, Jazz Orchestra, Senior Strings and Chapel Brass, along with numerous chamber ensembles. The range of music performed is extraordinary, from major symphonies and concertos to medleys from musicals and themes from blockbuster movies.
Choral music is equally central to the musical life of the School with six different choral groups rehearsing and performing regularly, including two chapel choirs (each with 60 singers), a large-scale choral society (for pupils, staff and parents) and the Arnold Singers (a chamber choir of 24 advanced singers). Allied to this are the productions each year of two full-scale musicals/operas, recent shows including Cabaret, West Side Story, Into the Woods, Joseph, Godspell, Dido and Aeneas, We Will Rock You and Guys and Dolls.
The School is fortunate in having excellent facilities for music. The Music Schools have 30 teaching/practice rooms, two technology classrooms, a recording studio and a small concert hall. The Temple Speech Room, located next to the Music Schools, is a beautiful Edwardian concert hall seating 800, with two high quality grand pianos and an historic 19 th century organ by Bryceson. The main chapel is one of Butterfield’s masterpieces, seating over 1,000 and has an award-winning four-manual organ by Kenneth Jones that would not be out of place in a cathedral. The Memorial Chapel provides an intimate space for chamber music and special liturgical events such as Advent carols and Ash Wednesday Mass.
Each year Rugbeians go on to study music at university and music conservatoire and many gain scholarships; recent successes include awards at the Royal College of Music, the Royal Academy of Music, The Royal Northern College of Music and Oxbridge. For those applying to Rugby there are music scholarships available (see Admissions section) and prospective candidates and their parents are always encouraged to make contact with the Director of Music prior to entry
