Music is a vital part of life at St Helen’s: from individual performances in morning assembly to Chapel Choir’s daily service to the melodic strains of girls practising, which periodically float across the campus – making music is always happening.

 

orchestras

 

St Helen’s boasts many fine instrumentalists, and as membership of the orchestras is based on instrumental standard, large age ranges are therefore quite normal. We are always keen that anyone who wishes to be involved in music-making is able to, regardless of their standard. Therefore the usual progression would be Sinfonia or Wind Band – Sinfonietta – Concert Band - First Orchestra or Camerata.. Many girls are also involved in orchestras run by the county as well as TVYO (Thames Vale Youth Orchestra), and we are also represented at national level in the National Children’s Orchestra and National Youth Orchestra.

 

wind and brass ensembles

 

There are now very large numbers of girls playing wind instruments, especially flutes, clarinets and saxophones. As there are only a limited number of orchestral places available to these players, a number of bands and ensembles have been created to give ensemble music-making experience to as many of our instrumentalists as possible: Wind Band, Concert Band, Big Band, Flute Group, Clarinet Choir, Double Reeds Ensemble, Saxophone Ensembles, Junior Brass Band, and many other possible ensembles which emerge during the year depending on demand.

 

choirs

 

At St Helen’s we offer both auditioning and non-auditioning choirs so that everyone who wishes to sing can become involved.  Junior Choir is a non-auditioned choir for any pupil in Years 7 and 8; Cantores is a choir of around 50 voices from Year 9 to Upper School; Chapel Choir is a choir of 30 auditioned voices which bears the responsibility for leading the worship of the school in the varied Services of the Anglican Church; Joint Choral Society is a mixture of girls at St Helen’s and boys at Abingdon School joined with parents and staff from both schools; Gospel Choir is open to all enthusiastic singers in Year 9 upwards and responsibility for its direction and choice of programme remains with sixth form pupils. Music theatre productions are sometimes combined with Abingdon School.

 

chamber music

 

Duos, trios, quartets and quintets tend to be created as girls express the wish to form an ensemble and they rehearse with music staff guidance. We hold an annual Chamber Music Concert and chamber groups make appearances at a variety of occasions in and out of school and have achieved success at local, regional and national level in the National Chamber Music Competition for Schools.

 

tours

 

Three highly successful tours have been undertaken in recent years –

• July 2005, Cantores and Chapel Choir gave a concert tour to Paris, performing in Disneyland, St Sulpice church and singing mass at Notre Dame cathedral.
• July 2006, First Orchestra, Camerata, and Concert Band toured Belgium, visiting Bruges, Ghent and Ostende.
• July 2008 found Chapel Choir and First Orchestra touring Tuscany, singing Mass in the Duomo in Florence and giving concerts in San Gimignano, Lucca and Montecatini.

 

music activities

Before School

• Junior Flute Group: open to any flute player from beginner to approximately Grade 5 level
• Clarinet Choir: open to any clarinet player of approximately Grade 4 level and above
• Double Reed Ensemble: open to any oboe or bassoon player of approximately Grade 5 level and above
• Senior Brass Ensemble: open to any brass player of approximately Grade 5 level and above
• Junior Brass Band: open to any brass player from beginner to approximately Grade 5 level
• Saxaphone Ensembles: there are various groups of differing size and ability
• Chapel Choir: open to anyone in Year 8 upwards
• Chamber Music: there are various groups of differing size and ability

Lunchtime

• Sinfonia: open to any instrumentalist of any standard
• Big Band: open to any jazz player of approximately Grade 5 level and above
• Saxaphone Ensembles: there are various groups of differing size and ability
• Junior Choir: open to anyone in Year 7 or 8
• Cantores: open to anyone in Year 9 upwards
• Chapel Choir: open to anyone in Year 8 upwards
• Gospel Choir: open to anyone in Year 9 upwards
• Chamber Music: there are various groups of differing size and ability

After School

• Sinfonietta: open to any orchestral player from approximately Grade 3 level to Grade 5 level (by audition)
• First Orchestra: Open to orchestral players of approximately Grade 6 level and above (by audition)
• Camerata: open to string players of approximately Grade 7 level and above (by invitation)
• Wind Band: open to any wind player from beginner to approximately Grade 5 level
• Concert Band: open to wind players of approximately Grade 5 level and above (by audition)
• Joint Choral Society: open to anyone in Year 9 upwards