Collaboration is at the heart of musical life at YMS. This is manifested in the wide range of chamber music and ensemble opportunities that pupils engage with as part of their programme of study.
The school plans a balanced timetable of group music commitments for every pupil, encouraging teamwork, collaboration, and cohesion between all members of the community.
Large ensembles are a fantastic way to bring the School community together, as pupils have the opportunity to learn communication and teamwork in the context of high-level group music-making. At the School we have a Senior and Junior Orchestra, who perform in the Winter and Summer Festivals each year, with weekly rehearsals focusing on repertoire that will be educationally beneficial. Choir runs weekly on a Saturday morning, with sessions focusing on selected vocal repertoire from the Renaissance to the present day. Recent performances have included a Bach Cantata, Symphony No.9 by Beethoven, as well as a variety of contemporary choral repertoire from Poulenc to Lauridsen.
Choir
Choral singing is a key pillar in the aural training of every pupil at YMS, developing ear skills through weekly collective rehearsals on Saturdays, along with performances as a whole school in the Winter and Summer Festivals. Repertoire has ranged from Spanish polyphony through to contemporary compositions in recent years.
Orchestras
Orchestral experience is considered an important aspect of our pupils’ education, and the School runs senior and junior orchestras, both of which meet weekly under the direction of the Head of Orchestral Training.
Both orchestras cover a wide range of repertoire, which sometimes includes collaborations with external wind and percussion players, and frequently perform in school concerts, both at the Menuhin Hall and on tour. Although these events are often conducted by renowned guest conductors, orchestral projects are regularly run without a conductor, thus promoting the leadership and collaborative skills of the pupils.
Opportunities for pupils to perform as soloist with the orchestra are frequently provided, and pupils who take up conducting as a supporting study may also be given chances to conduct school ensembles.
