Music
Music is an essential, much-loved part of Oakham School life. Our vibrant Music Department has a national reputation for excellence and we are particularly proud of our choral and instrumental traditions. Our musicians regularly perform in major UK venues, and our Chamber Choir has been a major prize-winner in National competitions!
Curricular provision lies at the heart of our “music for all” philosophy, and class music lessons form part of the academic timetable for every pupil in Form Lower 1 to Form 3 (Years 6 to 9). Pupils explore a wide range of IB MYP units developing skills in listening, performing and composing, with units devised to enthuse pupils and stretch the most able. As well as class singing, pupils have the opportunity to use djembes, samba instruments, and the School’s own gamelan to develop their understanding of different musical cultures around the world.
All Form 1 pupils give a massed vocal performance in the Autumn Concert each year, whilst Form 2 pupils showcase Samba percussion performances in a November Lower School concert. Form 3 pupils also give a vocal performance alongside the Chapel Choir in the annual Gala Concert in March. The Music Department’s two dedicated computer suites enable pupils to compose in Sibelius software, as well as undertaking projects utilising the Bandlab software online.
A good number of pupils opt to take GCSE Music (AQA) in two sets, and results in all public examinations have been outstanding in recent years, particularly in the composition and performance components of the course.
In the Upper School, pupils study either the Pre-U (until June 2023) or the Eduqas A-level Music course (from September 2022). At this level pupils study set works in detail, develop listening skills and contextual understanding, explore a wide range of compositional styles, alongside developing their performance skills towards a final assessment. Students continue their musical studies beyond Oakham every year at universities and music colleges. We regularly seek to enrich the curriculum with concert visits, particularly for those studying public examination courses.
We aim to give our pupils as many opportunities as possible to hear live music and achieve this by hosting professional concerts and arranging concert trips to hear leading orchestras.
Talented musicians can audition for music scholarships at 11+, 13+, and 16+ entrance levels.
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Friday Night Classics | Friday 6 May, 7.30pm |
| Professional Music in Chapel: Annebeth Webb & Anne Bolt |
Thursday 19 May, 7.30pm |
| Leavers' Concert | Friday 27 May, 8.00pm |
| Speech Day Concert | Saturday 28 May, 9.45am |
| Lower School Live in Concert | Thursday 9 June, 7.15pm |
| Orchestral & Choral Concert | Friday 24 June, 7.30pm |
| Alan Liu & Friends | Sunday 26 June, 5.00pm |