Music
Long Tradition of Quality Music Provision
The school has a long tradition of delivering high quality music tuition and has extended its instrumental tutors from 9 to 25 providing traditional as well as contemporary instrumental tuition through Herefordshire's Music Service led by Clifford Woollard. Music Ensembles have also increased greatly by providing twenty two weekly music groups catering for a wide range of abilities. Music groups are divided into Intermediate and Advanced sections to enable pupils to make maximum progress and are led by specialist instrumentalists.
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High Fliers
Our pupils have gone on to study at the Royal College of Music, London, The Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, Birmingham Music Conservatoire, Chethams School, University of Wales College, Cardiff, Welsh College of Music and Drama, R.A.D.A., Oxbridge Choral Scholarships with some pupils performing in West End Musicals and professional orchestras.
As part of our link with the Woodard Foundation pupils have performed in Lichfield Cathedral, Symphony Hall, Birmingham and the Royal Albert Hall. Pupils regularly perform in Hereford’s Courtyard Centre for the Arts, Shire Hall, Griffin Arts Centre, Worcester Cathedral, City and Rural churches. Last year the school held twenty six concerts within the community.
Gifted and Talented Pupils
Owing to the sheer number of instrumentalists at Bishop's School (nearly half of year 7 play a musical instrument!) we have felt that a gifted and talented system is appropriate for the school. Pupils are selected to study an adapted Key Stage Three course which has included Bronze and Silver Arts Awards. Pupils opt for a full GCSE exam or a BTEC Music Single or Double Level 2 qualification. The department works closely with the music department at Hereford Sixth Form College providing a linear progression path to AS music or As Music Technology courses.
Royal Albert Hall Appearances
Musicians from the school have made two high profile appearances at the Royal Albert Hall. The first at our Associated Woodard Foundation Celebration where our pupils met HRH Prince Edward. The second as part of the Youth Music Festival organised by Herefordshire's Music Service. Each year the school take pupils to this venue as part of the 'Young Voices' initiative supporting the Clic Sergeant Children's Cancer Charity.
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Music Technology
The department boasts of two dedicated Apple IMac music suites, which help pupils improve their theory, aural and composition work. The system is also linked with Smartboards, which acts as an essential teaching tool for teachers. Pupils can produce compositions linked with other media as well as create compositions through Sibelius, Fortissimo, Cubase, Music Ace, Logic Pro and other music software. Voices and instruments can be recorded directly into the computer which can be mixed, edited as an electronic composition or printed out as a score for live performance. The facility also allows recordings onto CDs or DVDs