Latest Music News.....
Check out our forthcoming concerts at the bottom of this page! For more details contact the music department. music@staffordgrammar.co.uk
SGS PUPIL REPRESENTS UK WITH NATIONAL CHILDREN'S ORCHESTRA OF GREAT BRITAIN
Dominic Sterland (Year 9) took his place in the Viola section of the National Children's full Orchestra this Easter for the very first time. With only 13 Violas in the full orchestra Dominic had performed extremely well in audition to gain a place and as the week progressed he worked his way up to 5th desk. A fantastic achievement for his first course. Congratulations Dominic and we look forward to following your progress with the orchestra.
SGS PUPIL SHINES WITH NATIONAL CHILDREN'S ORCHESTRA OF GREAT BRITAIN
As well as attending her first National Children's Orchestra course this Easter Charlotte Howdle was also handed an extra honour. Whilst there she stood out from the crowd and was invited to lead the orchestra in it's Easter concerts. To be recognised as the finest violinist and lead any orchestra is always a great honour but to do this for the National Children's Orchestra AND in her first course is a wonderful achievement. Congratulations Charlotte!
NEWCASTLE-UNDER-LYME MUSIC FESTIVAL
We entered a number of classes and came away with a clean sweep of first place prizes…..almost! The Recorder Group were successful in winning the Recorder Groups 16 years and under. This is the 4th year that they have won this. Georgie McKinley (Year 10 - just 16 years old) did incredibly well to win the 16 yrs old and over category for Music Theatre with "Somewhere" from West Side Story. Georgie was by far the youngest in a class intended for experienced musicians. Simon Ashwood won the 13-15 years old Songs from Stage and Screen class with "On the Street Where you live" from My Fair Lady. The SGS Big Band were the winners of the Open Band competition which included very experienced adult ensembles and our Big Band were the only school group. The clean sweep was completed by the SGS Concert Band in the Bands 19 years and under class when they were awarded the highest total of marks for their performance of "The Rainbow Warrior". They were, however, prevented from lifting the trophy as their performance exceeded the allotted 6 minutes for this category by a mere 20 seconds!
TAMWORTH AND DISTRICT MUSIC FESTIVAL
Sisters Charlotte and Olivia Howdle took part in the Tamworth and District Music Festival where Charlotte was placed in the 'outstanding' category for the first time in the string solo class (14 and under). This mark was the highest awarded across all of the strings classes, so she has won a major trophy 'the Bessie Findley' which will be presented to her by the Mayor at the Prizewinner's concert in April, where she will perform again. Together, the girls also achieved a mark of 87 for their instrumental duet, which has won them 'the Pat Penney' trophy. Again, this will be presented to them when they have performed again at the Prizewinner's concert. Charlotte came first and Olivia second in the Grade 6 to 8 strings class too and Olivia won her solo strings class (10 and under) with a distinction and a mark of 87. Olivia also won the Grade 3 to 5 vocal category, with Charlotte coming 3rd. They were also placed 2nd and 3rd in their respective 'song from the musicals' categories, Leo Blair winning Charlotte's class (the son of Tony Blair). His parents weren't there!
STAFFORDSHIRE YOUNG MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR COMPETITION
Charlotte Howdle and Dominic Sterland have been selected, from a preliminary round which took place on 2nd February, to take place in the final of Staffordshire Musician of the Year. There are nine finalists and Stafford Grammar School is the only school to have two children in the final. It will take place on 30th June at Eastgate Street, Stafford.
ROTARY YOUNG MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR 2013
Charlotte Howdle won the vocal class at the District final of the Rotary Young Musician of the Year competition in Warwick on Wednesday night and earned herself a place in the Regional final. The vocalists have now been narrowed down to 4 Regional finalists (including Charlotte) who are the winners of the Welsh, West Midlands/Shropshire and Gloucestershire/Worcestershire District finals.) The vocalists are predominantly 16-18 years old.
MUSIC COLLEGE OFFERS
We are delighted to announce that two of our Upper 6th musicians have gained a place to study at some of Europe's premier Music College to read music when they leave SGS in the summer.
Lauren Baker (Violin) - Royal Academy of Music & Trinity College of Music
Sarah Knight (Saxophone) - Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama & Leeds College of Music
SGS REPRESENTING THE UK
We are also delighted that a number of our pupils have been selected for national and regional groups.
Adam Handford (Trumpet) - English Schools Orchestra
Amy Walker (Voice) - National Youth Choir of Great Britain
Charlotte and Olivia Howdle (both Violin) - National Children's Orchestra of Great Britain
Dominic Sterland (Viola) - National Children's Orchestra of Great Britain
Charlotte and Olivia Howdle (both Voice) - National Children's Choir of Great Britain
Charlotte and Olivia Howdle (both Voice) - CBSO Children's Choir
Milly Yates (Voice) - CBSO Youth Choir
Eleanor Sterland (Voice) - CBSO Youth Choir
Rebecca Kohler (Voice) - CBSO Youth Choir
Dominic Sterland (Viola) - CBSO Youth Orchestra
Lauren Baker (Violin) - RNCM Junior School
Oliver Chatham (Violin) - RNCM Junior School
Our Concert Band has recently completed a successful 7 day tour to Italy. Giving 5 concerts in Rome and Florence, the band enjoyed a fabulous reception from the Italian public and this was documented on a professional recording of our concerts. You can buy this live recording, called "VIVA ITALIA", for £10 by contacting us at music@staffordgrammar.co.uk.
Our Music Department has released it's first CD. In October 2010 Stafford Grammar School Music Department recorded a professional CD with Pure Technical Services of Sheffield. Recorded on location at Stafford Grammar School, edited in Sheffield, designed in Newcastle-under-Lyme, mastered in London and reproduced at the SONY factory in Austria; this CD certainly travelled a long way before we launched the CD at our Christmas concert on Tuesday 7th December 2010. If you would like to purchase a copy of our CD contact the music department by emailing music@staffordgrammar.co.uk. We hope that when listening to it you will catch just a glimpse of the tremendous talent that the pupils of Stafford Grammar School have and the enjoyment they share when making music.
Thank you for the Music is available at a reduced price of £5
Dates for your diary:
October
Tuesday 23rd October 2012 – Battle of the Bands – Annual rock music festival as student and staff bands battle it out!
November
Friday 16th November 2012 – Big Band at Trentham Park Golf Club
December
Wednesday 5th December 2012 – Concert Band at Penkridge Market – Carols around the tree. (11am)
Friday 7th December 2012 – Big Band at Sandon Hall – Swing into Christmas in the beautiful setting of Sandon Hall.
Monday 10th December 2012 – Orchestra and Chamber Choir at St. Mary’s Church (12pm)
Tuesday 11th December 2012 – Christmas Concert – Get into the Christmas spirit with our annual Christmas Concert.
Wednesday 12th December 2012 – Stafford Preparatory School Christmas Concert
Thursday 13th December 2012 – Concert Band at ASDA – Carols around the tree. (11.30am)
Saturday 15th December 2012 – Chamber Choir at Trinity Church with Cantemus Choir (7.30pm)
Monday 17th December 2012 – Concert Band at Sainsbury’s – Carols around the tree. (11.30am)
Tuesday 18th/Wednesday 18th December 2012 – ABRSM Music Examinations at SGS
Thursday 20th December 2012 – Concert Band at TESCO – Carols around the tree. (11.30am)
Friday 21st December 2012 – SGS School Carol Service at St. Mary’s Church (11am)
January
w/b Monday 21st January 2013 – Music Festival 2013 Auditions
February
Tuesday 12th February 2013 – SGS Music Festival 2013 – The 2013 final of our Annual Music Competition. Guest Adjudicator Michael Seal, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra(7pm)
Choir at Katherine House Hospice (tbc)
March
5th – 8th March 2013 – School Musical – “Les Miserables”
14th March 2013 – Orchestra at the Gatehouse Theatre – Celebrating Music ‘13
Saturday 16th March 2013 – Big Band & Concert Band – Newcastle Music Festival AND National Festival of Youth competitions all in one day!!!!
Tuesday 19th March 2013 – Concert Band in Concert with Wrekin College Concert Band (at Wrekin College)
Tuesday 26th March 2013 – SGS Easter Concert
April
Monday 22nd April 2013 – Staff Concert - it's the turn of the SGS Music Staff to step into the spot light. Come and hear the peripatetic teachers perform!
Friday 26th April 2013 – Concert Band in Rugely for the Alzheimer’s Association
May
Saturday 4th May 2013 - Orchestra, Chamber Choir and Recorders at St. Mary's Church, Stafford (11am)
Friday 10th May 2013 - Big Band at Beaconside International Centre (7pm)
Monday 13th May 2013 – Concert Band at the Stafford Music Festival (at the Polish Club) with invited guests St. Michael's Primary School Choir
Tuesday 21st May 2013 – Big Band at Stafford Music Festival (Stafford Rangers FC function room)
June
Saturday 15th June 2013 - Big Band play a set at the SGS Summer Ball
Tuesday 25th June 2013 - the Big Band goes on the annual "Primary Roadshow" visiting Primary and Preparatory schools in Staffordshire
Wednesday 26th June 2013 - Choral Day 2013 - 3 estemed choral leaders join the Stafford Grammar School choir and local schools as over 100 voices make music for the day before an early evening concert showcases the talents of the young singers.
For further details or tickets please contact the school.
01785 249752 music@staffordgrammar.co.uk