Music

Pride, participation and progress are at the heart of music-making at Colfe’s

We offer a wide and varied programme of co-curricular music, involving students throughout the whole senior school.

Performance opportunities are numerous, ranging from formal termly concerts to open-mic nights and relaxed platform concerts. Pupils have the opportunity to perform in prestigious venues such as Southwark Cathedral, Rochester Cathedral, St James’ Piccadilly, and St Alfege Church, Greenwich, which recently hosted our stirring rendition of Faure’s Requiem. At the end of the Autumn term, the choir sings in our annual Carol Service at St Mary’s Church Lewisham, which is always a highlight of the musical calendar. We also work closely with the Drama department and put on regular joint shows; recent productions include Grease, Into the Woods, The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, and Bugsy Malone.

Music-making is also part of Colfe’s history. Every year we sing for the Election Day service for the Leathersellers’ Livery Company, which has governed the school since 1652, in addition to performing at the Colfe’s Founder’s Day Service, which celebrates our 17th-century founder, the Revd Abraham Colfe. The academic year concludes with the House Music competition, where students from all year groups come together to represent the house in an exciting and hotly anticipated evening of musical entertainment and healthy rivalry!

Instrumental/Vocal Music Lessons

Musicians at Colfe’s are busy. On average, approximately 125 hours of individual music lessons taught by 20 visiting instrumental/vocal teachers, take place every week. Individual tuition can be arranged for orchestral, jazz, vocal and pop music. Lessons take place during the day on a weekly rotation so that you don’t miss the same academic lesson every week. Our teachers are all very experienced performers. At the end of the autumn and spring terms we run ABRSM exams in school, which give pupils a clear goal to aim for.

Year 7 Music Scheme

Colfe’s offers a unique Music Scheme for all pupils in Year 7 to promote active participation and regular performance opportunities for all, regardless of previous musical experience. Year 7 pupils on the scheme receive free group instrumental tuition on a variety of instruments from the double bass to the flute throughout the year. These pupils attend weekly rehearsals for the Year 7 Band. At the end of every term, pupils perform in a special Year 7 concert where parents and staff are invited to celebrate their progress and success. Many pupils continue their music lessons beyond Year 7 and go on to join one of our many musical ensembles.

Ensembles

Pupils at Colfe’s have the opportunity to perform in a range of musical ensembles across several styles. Ensembles are led by musical specialists and repertoire is carefully selected to both challenge and inspire students.

Current ensembles on offer include:

GCSE & A-level Music

Information about these courses can be found on our Academic Music page.