As children progress through the Prep School, they are supported by a team of dedicated Music staff and we are proud to say many have gone on to be awarded Music Scholarships to their chosen senior school. Concerts are held regularly throughout the school year, catering for inclusivity, specialist ensembles and soloists.
In Year 3 the children all participate in the ‘Pinewood Strings Experience’ offering them the opportunity to learn to play an orchestral string instrument as part of their weekly, timetabled class music lessons. The regular performances in Lower School Concerts are thoroughly enjoyed by performers and audience alike.
All pupils from Years 3 to 8 compete in the annual House Music Competition, adjudicated by senior school Directors of Music.
Musical performance is encouraged and is something that is supported and admired by the Pinewood community. We are always exceptionally proud of those children who perform at national and county level and have been delighted to see children awarded places with the prestigious National Youth Choir of Great Britain, the National Children’s Orchestra, the Wind Sinfonia of Great Britain, the National Chamber Strings Orchestra, and National Schools Symphony Orchestra, to name a few.
We have a range of choirs and singing ensembles, some open to all children and some auditioned. Children in Years 3 and 4 are invited to join the Junior Choir, while children in Years 5 and 6 are invited to join Vox. All children in Years 5 to 8 are welcome to join the School Choir, while the Low Voices Choir is open to all in Years 7 and 8. The Girls’ and Boys’ Chamber Choirs are auditioned, performing regularly within the school and for services at St James’s Church in Bourton. Singing is an important part of a child’s musical life at Pinewood with termly Singing Showcases to collectively celebrate the joy of singing.
Ensembles, to meet the diverse instruments playing throughout the school, rehearse weekly, and instrumental staff coach orchestral sectional ensembles: orchestra, string group, brass group, flute group, recorder group, guitar group, and various rock bands are all led by the music department staff. Other activities are included as part of the school’s SKILLS programme and have included bell ringing and Band Buddies for budding lower school performers. Opportunities for these ensembles to perform in and out of school and instrumental workshops and masterclasses are arranged throughout the year.
Throughout their time at Pinewood, children are given demonstrations by visiting music staff and taster sessions on a variety of instruments within their class music lessons; a decision can then be made as to whether they would like to pursue individual music lessons.
Pinewood offers tuition on piano (jazz & classical), voice, violin, viola, cello, double bass, harp, percussion (tuned and untuned), guitar (acoustic & electric), flute, oboe, clarinet, saxophone, French horn, trumpet, trombone, euphonium and tuba, as well as theory.
Pupils are prepared for music examinations by the following examination boards: Associated Board of Music; Trinity/Guildhall School of Music; Rock School; Royal School of Church Music. Success in the variety of examination boards on offer at Pinewood displays the diverse genres of music experienced and enjoyed at Pinewood.