Plenty of High Notes for Our Music Department This Term

Another busy term is well under way in the Music Department. Our magical Lower School production of “A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Camelot” has kicked off a creative few months, setting the bar high for our Year 6s, who are busily rehearsing for “Shrek Jr” on Thursday 7 (6.30pm) and Friday 8 (2.30pm) March.

Children can be heard practising during first and lunch breaks around the school, with soloists and groups finding new inner confidence and making us all extremely proud.

In the classroom, Year 7s and 8s are exploring music technology, composition and the inner workings of the 4-chord pop song, realising just how simple this style of writing and performing can be. Year 5s, meanwhile, have cast their eyes into space, working in groups to write their own planet and star-related pieces on classroom and their own instruments. They are a very imaginative bunch!

We are very excited to see our instrumental lesson numbers climbing even higher this term (267 at the last count). DJ lessons have taken the department by storm, and we hope to see some of our young DJs in upcoming Friday Concerts. Our rock and pop bands are in full swing, with 5 groups (including our first girl band) now enjoying the tuition of the talented Mr Rogers.

Never ones to rest on our laurels, we are all eagerly anticipating Hazlegrove’s inaugural Inter-House House Singing Competition on Thursday 8 February. Thursday assemblies have given way to rehearsals for Dover, Lyon, Norton and Tremlett, with children showing fantastic House spirit, supported by equally enthusiastic House staff. We are really looking forward to showing Mr Marshfield – Kings Bruton’s Director of Music – just what we can do, when he arrives to adjudicate in our theatre.    

Fresh from a rejuvenating Half Term next month, our Hazlegrove musicians will be turning their attention to 2024’s Festival Concert, held this year on Thursday 14 March. This promises to be another spectacular event, so please do look out for an email next month to reserve your seats. Some keen beans will spend the whole day music making, as we take children from our Chapel Choir to Sherborne School’s annual Choral Day, culminating in a collaborative performance at Evensong in Sherborne Abbey. This will take place at 4pm and parents are extremely welcome to attend. Festival Concert musicians will return to school for evening rehearsals and supper before the concert at 7pm.

We finish our term with a final flourish at our own Easter Service in Sherborne Abbey. Please do come and support our choirs and children throughout the school singing with their usual flair as we end the term on a high.