Introduction

Music at Stratford Girls’ Grammar School is personalised to the specific needs and interests of our students every year. Staff are versatile and keen to support students to develop as individual musicians. We have strong links with Warwickshire performance venues and our students are encouraged to perform regularly. As budding professional musicians, we give them the skills and trust them with the responsibilities, which is fantastic preparation for a wide variety of future careers. Exciting Music Department tours have included trips to New York, Tuscany and Paris.

 

Sixth Form Curriculum

At A-level, students will extend the skills, knowledge and understanding needed to communicate through music and to take part in making music. Performance, composition and historical study are the three main pillars of the course. We explore the diverse and dynamic heritage of music, promoting spiritual and cultural development as well as focusing on the particular strengths and interests of each girl.

There are many opportunities at SGGS to perform in outstanding ensembles, as well as to conduct, direct, arrange and accompany. A biannual music tour to New York lets students experience performing in venues such as the Cathedral of St John the Divine, Swing 46 Jazz Club, One World Observatory and work with music professors from Julliard, choral directors, TONY award winners and Broadway stars. This unique and exclusive opportunity is only made possible by the network of contacts built up by SGGS’s Music Department.

We maintain contact with all our alumnae and regularly invite former students back for workshops to give our current students the benefit of their experiences. Music students also have many opportunities to perform and take part in concerts held in school and out throughout the year. They produce some outstanding compositions and we have useful links with Birmingham Conservatoire’s composition department and Stratford's resident orchestra, The Orchestra of the Swan.

Sixth Form students are encouraged to broaden their academic and practical studies. Former students have had work published in The British Music Society magazine and we regularly support students to gain places in NYO, Birmingham Junior Conservatoire and to obtain music scholarships at chosen universities. Each year students go on to study subjects such as Music, Music Technology or Musical Theatre at degree level. Universities and employers value Music for its breadth of skills and indication of composure and confidence.

 

Resources

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