Music
Music has always flourished at WGS both as a taught subject and in the myriad of concert performances given each year.
The music department is housed in a building that benefits from a superb new extension completed in 2005 and officially opened by Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant. It has two main teaching rooms for classroom music, one of which is a specialist computer suite operating the Sibelius score writing programme. There is also a purpose built recording studio, a recital room and eight music practice rooms. The recital room houses a Steinway grand piano, an array of orchestral percussion and six AppleMacs running Logic Pro sequencing software.
Students in Year 7, Year 8 and Year 9 receive one double lesson of music per week (75 minutes). Class singing is seen as an integral part of practical music making along with the use of keyboards, classroom percussion and, where students receive instrumental tuition, orchestral and band instruments.
Sixth Formers follow the OCR specification for A Level Music, and A level Music Technology is offered, thereby making considerable use of the department’s recording facilities. Many WGS students continue to study music at conservatoire and university level. There are currently over 40 students studying for GCSE and A Level Music and numbers are growing each year.
PerformancesThere are a wide variety of concerts performed each year to a very high standard. The majority of these take place in Big School, which, with its stained glass windows and stunning architecture, provides a wonderfully atmospheric setting. Big School houses a Bluthner concert grand piano and a three manual Harrison and Harrison pipe organ.
Recent musical highlights include performances of Puccini’s Messa di Gloria and Shostakovich’s Execution of Stepan Razin by the Choral Society and Bach’s Concerto for Oboe, Violin and String Orchestra performed by student soloists. Choral Evensong was sung by the Senior Choir and the large scale ensembles featured in the Orchestral and Band Concert. The music calendar also features soloists’ concerts, chamber concerts, lunchtime concerts and productions of major musicals in conjunction with the school’s Drama department. One of the most popular events in the year is the Jazz Spectacular where the Big Band, plus supporting bands and soloists, feature to a sell-out audience.
Extra Curricular Music Provision
Extra-curricular music making is at the heart of activities on offer to students at WGS and the advanced ensembles are listed below with their relevant feeder groups:
Advanced Ensembles
Symphony Orchestra
Senior String Orchestra
Senior Wind Band
Senior Big Band
Senior Choir
Choral Society
Chamber Choir
Bella A Cappella
Fella A Cappella
Training Ensembles
Intermediate String Ensemble
Training String Ensemble
Intermediate Wind Band
Training Wind Band
Intermediate Big Band (The Wee Band)
Junior Choir
There are also a large number of woodwind, string, brass, and percussion chamber ensembles as well as student led rock groups which perform throughout the year.
The Music Department organise regular music tours abroad. Recent tours have included the Senior Concert Band Spanish tour 1998 and the Lake Garda, Italy tour in 2001. The Senior Big Band tour to Florence, Italy in 2004 and the Senior Choir tours to Prague in 2000 and Venice in 2006. There are also residential rehearsal weekends organised for students who play in our many feeder ensembles. The Music Department regularly work with the Drama Department to produce high quality musicals which are performed in the Hutton Theatre.
Instrumental Music Tuition
At present, the school aims to provide a 35 minute instrumental music lesson, timetabled on a rotational basis, for a period of 30 weeks spread throughout the academic year. Tuition is available on the following instruments: violin, viola, cello, double bass, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, saxophone, trumpet, cornet, french horn, tenor horn, trombone, euphonium, baritone, tuba, classical piano, jazz piano, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass guitar and church organ. Vocal lessons are also available in a variety of styles.
Wolverhampton Grammar Junior School has an extensive stock of over 400 good quality musical instruments and the WGS instrumental loan scheme can provide an instrument on loan for one year, free of charge, subject to availability. At the end of the 12-month period the loan is re-assessed. We hope that parents will feel pleased enough with their child's progress at this point to consider the option of hiring or buying a musical instrument. If parents wish to continue the loan, a flat fee of £20 per term will be charged. Students who play large and expensive instruments may not be expected to hire or purchase, though if this becomes an option we would willingly advise on the best type of instrument and the cost involved.
The fees for instrumental tuition for the academic year 2011/2012 are:
Individual Tuition - £19.50 per lesson
Group Tuition - £15.20 per lesson (only on selected instruments – please enquire).
If you are applying for the loan of a school instrument, please note that the school does not lend out guitars, drum kits or pianos.
Scholarships
One music scholarship is available to a student coming to the school at 11+ or 13+. The scholarship provides 25 percent remission of the school fees plus free music tuition on the instrument of choice. Students who are awarded music scholarships must still pass the school’s entrance test and should either be working towards, or have Grade 5 in their chosen instrument.
One music scholarship is awarded to a student joining the Sixth Form. The scholarship provides 25 percent remission of the school fees plus free music tuition on the instrument of choice. Students who are awarded music scholarships must still meet the sixth form academic entrance requirements and should be working at Grade 6 standard or higher (and should be looking to reach Grade 8 standard in the Sixth Form). 
Music scholars are expected to make a significant contribution to musical life whilst they are at the school.
If you would like to discuss any matter relating to instrumental music at WGS please contact Mr Ronnie Pawluk, Head of Instrumental Music, Wolverhampton Grammar School on 01902 421326 or email rap@wgs-sch.net
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