Music Week Celebrates the Junior School's Passion for Music

Pupils at King Edward’s Junior School will immerse themselves in all kinds of music next week as the School enjoys its first ever Music Week.

Music and performance opportunities are at the heart of the Junior School and are a hugely popular part of school life.  Over 80% of children take individual instrumental lessons, and all pupils participate in whole class music lessons. Numerous ensemble groups add to the mix. 

Next week’s musical highlights include a Samba workshop with Jamma de Samba, a free Folk workshop led by Bath Youth Folk Band, which is open to musicians in the local community aged 8-18 yrs, an Opera assembly, a Musical Treasure Trail, and a joint Senior and Junior Orchestra rehearsal. Throughout the week Junior School children will also get to hear performances by Senior School pupils, which will certainly inspire them.

Parents are also taking part in Music Week, whilst additional visitors to the School include Bubble Bach and a surprise musical guest!  In addition to inviting local musicians to the Folk workshop, Year 4 children at Bathwick St Mary’s Church School are coming to KES to join in the fun with Jamma de Samba, and Catherine Hutchings, Director of Junior School Music, is visiting Combe Down Primary School to run a Gamelan workshop later in October. 

Mrs Hutchings said, “To say that the Junior School will be alive with the sound of music next week is an understatement!” Adding, “We want to bring our school and wider Bath community together to celebrate music’s diversity in a way that is both uplifting and enriching.”   

To watch highlights from Music Week, follow @KESBathJunior on twitter. You can find out more about the performing arts programme at King Edward’s Junior School by joining us at our next Open Morning on 8 October.  For details visit kesbath.com.

Music at King Edward’s Junior School

King Edward’s Junior School is committed to providing a range of musical experiences for all of its pupils in order to deepen and broaden their musical interests and skills. As well as whole class music lessons, individual instrumental lessons and musical ensembles, children have many opportunities to perform and showcase their talent.

Weekly Music groups at school include two Choirs, an Orchestra, Clarinet Ensemble, Brass Band and Concert Band.

There are regular opportunities to perform at school, including informal concerts to allow pupils the chance to perform their music to family and friends. A recent addition has been the introduction of the Four Season recitals which feature solo instrumentalists. The highlight of the year is the Prom Concert, held in the Summer term.  Pupils also perform at St Mary’s Church, Bathwick during the School’s Christmas and Easter services in addition to singing at local hospices and homes for the elderly in the area.  These community performances help to reinforce how powerful music can be in bringing people together.

The Junior School holds a musical production each year which alternates between one year group and a whole school production.  This year’s production is The Lion King.

The music curriculum offers class string lessons in Year 3 and a whole class band on wind and brass in Year 4. In Year 5 children learn to play samba, African drums and the Indonesian Gamelan. Year 6 children get to play the steel pans in their final year at the Junior School. It is a wonderful musical diet with not a recorder in sight! 

King Edward’s Junior School is also very fortunate in having a dedicated team of specialist instrumental teachers who teach individual lessons for clarinet, saxophone, flute, piano, keyboard, brass, cello, percussion, bassoon, violin, guitar (including electric), ukulele and singing. 
Music at King Edward’s Junior School is very inclusive and all our children are musicians the moment they step through the door!