For information on the Monmouth School Christmas CD, please click here

Music is central to the development of the boys of Monmouth School.  Over half the pupils take lessons on a musical instrument in School (around 420 individual lessons are taught in each week).  A significant number take lessons out of school.  Many boys study to an advanced level – a number of boys achieve grade eight by the time they are 14 years of age.

Instrumental lessons are taught by a team of nationally-renowned players and are timetabled on a rota basis, although many boys at the top of the school make arrangements for a fixed lesson.  Practice is supervised for boarders in the Form IV (year 10) and below.  The music department is housed in the Glover Music School which is generously resourced, and includes an auditorium, ICT suite and numerous class and teaching rooms.  There are five full time and twenty-three part time staff.

Choral and instrumental concerts are presented each year, with smaller scale recitals and workshops happening throughout the year.  International artists visit the School seven times a year as part of the Merlin Music Society (inc. BBCNOW, WNO, the Endellion Quartet and Libor Novacek in 2005), and often give workshops and masterclasses in the school before their concert (players from BBC NOW in autumn 2005). 

The School Brass Band has been a finalist in the National Association of Youth Brass Bands Competition in the last three years.  One of the School chamber groups has been a finalist in the National Chamber Music Competition for the last eight years.

The School maintains a strong Choral Tradition, both in and out of the Chapel.  The choral society presents a major choral work every year (2001 Carmina Burana, 2003 Mozart Requiem, 2004 Rejoice in the Lamb and Chichester Psalms, 2005 Dvorak’s Stabat Mater, 2007 Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms and Borodin’s Polovtsian Dances, 2008 Rutter’s Gloria, 2009 Vaughan Williams’ Five Mystical Songs).  The Chamber Choir makes regular visits and concerts out of school and has sung evensong in St. Paul’s Cathedral, St. George’s Windsor and Westminster Cathedral in the last four years.

Tours occur on a regular basis (Spain in 2001-02 and Italy in the 2002-03, Paris in 2005, Barcelona in 2008, France in 2009).  Pupils regularly go on to study music in Higher Education, frequently winning choral and organ awards (King’s College and Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge and Merton College, Oxford recently).

Ensembles

The Grange (Monmouth Preparatory School)

Wind Band
String Orchestra
String Quartet
Class String Orchestras
Grange Choir

Monmouth School 

Junior Wind Band
Junior String Quartet
Ten Piece Brass
Bach Orchestra (junior string orchestra)
Joint Senior Strings (with HMSG)
Symphonic Winds (joint with HMSG)
Monmouth School Brass Band
Senior String Quartet
Wind Chamber Music Groups
Jazz Band
Chamber Choir
Choral Society

Music Scholarships (of up to half the full fee) and minor Exhibitions are made at 11+, 13+ and 16.  An Organ Scholarship is available at 13+ and 16+.  Holders of Music Awards are expected to set a strong example of commitment and organisation to their peers throughout their time in the school.  At the very least they would be expected to play in an appropriate instrumental ensemble, sing in a choir and take part in chamber music, as well as studying Music at GCSE level when the time comes.  Many award holders do much more than this.

The Director of Music, David Lawson, is happy to speak with parents at any time.  Appointments to meet prospective pupils and scholars can be made through the Admissions Office on 01600 710433.