Music at the Senior School
Eltham College has a heritage of outstanding music, within a Department that provides opportunities for musicians of all levels and styles. A majority of our pupils learn an instrument; nearly 700 1-1 music lessons take place every week, and we have over 55 large- and small-scale ensembles across a range of musical styles and genres, from our flagship Symphony Orchestra to our Year 7-8 vocal group.
The Music Department at Eltham offers an all-round provision which celebrates music-making, and a love of music, at all levels, but also contains our specialist Music Scholarship programme, which provides mentoring, support, and suitable performance opportunities, for musicians of an exceptionally high level.
Beyond music as an academic subject, the breadth of our co-curricular music programme means that there is an ensemble for every pupil who’d like to be in one, whatever their level or musical interests. We put on over 70 concerts and events each year, both within and outside of the school, enabling all pupils to gain performance experience in an environment that suits them, whether that be in an Informal Concert or as a finalist in our Young Musician of the Year competition. We have 45 members of music staff here at Eltham, and so are able to offer a genuinely tailored, individual musical programme to our pupils.
Our two principal values underlie everything that we do; music for all, and musical excellence for those who desire it. Located right at the heart of the school, the Music Department at Eltham is a very special place, and is a hugely important and valued part of school life.
“Eltham College is a very special place for music. The culture of the school celebrates and promotes what we do, and hundreds of pupils walk through the doors of the Music Department every day.
If you are a musician of any level or style, this is the place for you.”
Sebastian Johns, Director of Music
Instrumental Music
Eltham’s Music Department offers a huge range of opportunities for instrumental musicians, whether through large-scale ensembles or small chamber groups. We provide at least two ‘versions’ of each type of ensemble, so that pupils can gain experience within a suitable ensemble whatever their current playing level. For example, we have two full orchestras in the Senior School as well as an open-to-all elementary instrumental ensemble, so that pupils can be in an orchestra that will challenge them at an appropriate level. All of our ensembles perform in multiple concerts throughout the year, whether that be in school or at external concert halls, and many of these concerts are professionally recorded and filmed.
Choral Music
All Elthamians are involved in singing; this culture begins with weekly hymn-singing in the school’s chapel, and extends from there to our many choirs and vocal groups. For pupils who aim to sing at a high level, our auditioned Young Voices (Y5-8) and Chamber Choir (Y9-13) offer pupils the chance to perform complex choral music regularly; the Chamber Choir, for example, sings termly evensongs in the school chapel, as well as visiting cathedrals and Oxbridge colleges. Our other choral ensembles offer pupils interested in a slightly less ‘serious’ option the chance to explore arrangements of contemporary music, or perform in much larger ensembles.
Jazz
Jazz has always been hugely popular at Eltham, and our annual Jazz Night is one of the most popular events of the music calendar. We have a number of jazz groups covering a range of styles and levels, from Cool Jazz (a development ensemble for our younger pupils) and sign-up improvisation workshops to the high-level Big Band and Jazz Combo. Our jazz ensembles perform regularly within the Department’s concert programme, and recorded a studio jazz album which was released in 2024.
Contemporary Music, Musical Theatre, and Music Technology
The world of music is changing and developing like never before, and the Music Department has made significant investments into Music Technology over recent years so that our pupils can be at the cutting edge of this world. Whether performing in rock bands, composing their own material, or sitting behind the mixing desk, our pupils are able to immerse themselves in contemporary music from all avenues, and we make it clear that this is a hugely important part of our musical offering.
1-1 instrumental/vocal lessons
Approaching 700 1-1 music lessons take place at Eltham every single week, delivered by our team of 39 instrumental and singing teachers. Each section is led by its own Head of Section, who is responsible for ensuring that all pupils learn with the most suitable teacher, and also organise their own smaller-scale section concerts. We offer tuition on all instruments (including voice), and 1-1 lessons take place in our 23 practice rooms/studios; the Music Department is a very busy and active place during the week!
Music Scholarships
The Music Scholarship programme at Eltham offers our Scholars a tailored programme that encourages them to be self-analytical and reflective in order to sustain continued improvement and high-level performance; we offer a number of music scholarships every year to outstanding young musicians who demonstrate a desire not only to contribute to the musical life of the school but also actively to take advantage of the opportunities that we can offer. For further information on Music Scholarships at Eltham, please visit our scholarships page or watch the video below to hear from some of our current Music Scholars and the Director of Music.
