Music

Music at Prior’s Field is rich and varied, and has to be heard to be fully appreciated. In fact there are many opportunities to experience our high standard of music, whether on formal occasions such as the carol service held at Guildford Cathedral, in regular school concerts or even in our more informal "Teatime Concerts" which can turn the spotlight on to our less experienced musicians. A high number of girls learn privately with our large and dedicated team of visiting music teachers and there are numerous groups and ensembles on offer. I urge you to browse through these music pages in order to realise just how important music is at Prior’s Field. If, by the end of your journey, you have questions that still need answering, then do please contact me in the Music Office by ‘phone (direct line 01483 813424) or by email at tpratt@priorsfieldschool.com.

Happy browsing

Trevor Pratt
Director of Music

Everyone’s included!

A very important policy of the Music Department is that which allows anybody and everybody to join in. This is certainly the case with the BIG choir which is open to all years, regardless of whether girls take singing lessons or not. The emphasis is very much on the light and popular; recent performances include medleys from The Lion King and We Will Rock You. Similarly, in instrumental groups, players of all standards are encouraged to play alongside each other. All that’s required is confidence from the player and a bit of musical tweaking by the directors. This is the case with our string ensemble, which recently performed Karl Jenkins’ Palladio with vigour, and our newly-formed jazz band which gives thrilling opportunities for our wind players, and certainly our brass players to, well, blow their own trumpets.

We can be elitist too!

In addition to singing with the BIG choir, our high grade singers can audition for the two chamber choirs – one in the lower school and the other in the upper school. Repertoire is suitably more varied than that of the BIG choir and the singing is in parts. Our more experienced instrumentalists are invited to join chamber groups and to play an active role in the school’s more formal occasions.

2008-2009

One of the highlights of this academic year was the PF to Broadway evening. No less than twenty-five musicals were represented in music and drama, and the evening involved around eighty girls, singing, playing and acting. The grand finale of We Will Rock You ensured that the Hall was well and truly rocking. Other highlights included the Rock and Pop evening, the once-termly Teatime Concerts, The Big Sing in November in which we joined forces with approximately 600,000 young voices across the UK to raise money for charity and the Godalming Rotary Celebration of Youth. Visitors to the Music Department have included an Indian music specialist, and African drummer and a Zimbabwean Gumboot dancer! The girls will long remember their Junk Orchestra during Activity Week. How many notes can you get out of a watering can, and how loud was that dustbin lid? Interspersed have been Founders Day, Speech Day, the Carol Service, each with significant musical input, and let’s not forget the Associated Board, Rockschool and Trinity Guildhall examinations, all with 100% pass rate. Oh yes, the musical input in the lower school production of Daisy Pulls It Off managed to hit the spot – jolly hockey sticks!

2009-2010

In addition to the regular - and numerous - events, the school year 2009-10 promises much. The First Form will take part in Young Voices at the O2 Arena in December, the Second and Third Forms will visit the British Music Experience, also at the O2, in October. A Come and Sing West Side Story will enable many standards and ages (from 10 to 100!) to combine in an exhilarating performance opportunity. For the first time in recent Prior’s Field history, there will be a whole school musical production in November, in a joint collaboration with the drama department. A large scale Rock and Pop Evening is scheduled for February 2010 while the main concert of the year – PF At The Movies – will take place at the beginning of the summer term. Oh, and let’s not forget PF’s Got Talent…….!

PF Rock & Pop

Co-ordinated by Darren Lucas, our Head of Rock and Pop, and assisted by our drum kit and bass experts, Jonathan Wills and Vic Cox, workshops take place fortnightly on Thursday evenings. Girls of any ages are encouraged to attend with an aim to play alongside others and, who knows, to form a future Brit Awards winning band. Rock and Pop has a strong tradition at Prior’s Field, and we are the brains behind the Fest on the Field initiative at nearby Loseley Park. Our Rock and Pop performers take part in many events during the academic year, their biggest project being the annual Rock and Pop evening.

Academic Music

Prior’s Field girls have the opportunity to follow Edexcel’s GCSE Music and both the A Level Music and Music Technology. Younger ages enjoy their studies of world music and film music, to name just two. The music room is equipped with the latest technology, and girls are encouraged to compose via Sibelius and Cubase, while Dance Ejay with its vast array of samples provides opportunities to create simple mixes.

Support Groups

Recognising the needs of its advanced singers and instrumentalists, Prior’s Field offers regular classes in Music Theory and Aural Tests, both vital for those musicians intending to aspire beyond Grade 5. These are weekly, and open to everyone.

Music Technology

Fancy making your own CD? Well, you can in the Music Department! We possess all the latest gadgetry to make this possible, and our Music Technology experts will help you every step of the way. The Studio is equipped to make study at A Level easy and stress-free, so that should reassure you that we are most certainly up with the times. Why not book a recording slot, and take home a professionally produced CD? Interested?