Music Calendar

Music Calendar Spring Term 2025

01923 845495 music@mtsn.org.uk

All information c orrect at time of going to press: 14th January 2025

Music Department Sta ff

Director of Music Mr Simon Couldridge DipTCL Assistant Director of Music Mrs Joan Stubbs MusB ARCO ALCM Teacher of Music

Mr Daniel Tonks MA (Oxon) MSt DipLCM MCCT Miss Fıona Martin BMus MEd (Cantab)

Teacher of Music Graduate Musician Music Administrator

Miss Maya Shepherd Mr Samuel Hill BA (Dunelm)

Visiting Music Teachers

Mr Warren Alexander DipTCL Mr Joseph Atkins DipRAM ARAM ARCM Miss Celine Barry BA (Hons) RCM Miss Poppy Beddoe BA MA ARAM Mr Steven Byron BMus (Hons) RCM Miss Susan Clark MA (Cantab) MA (OU) LRSM ARCM DipRCM CTABRSM Ms Karen Cormican GTCL PDOT Miss Odette Cotton BMus (Hons) MA Mrs Rosie Couldridge GTCL Mr Andrew Gathercole GGSM Miss Nicola Hawkins GLCM FLCM ARCM Mr Dieter Hester DipTCL LTCL PDOT Mr Richard Hobson MA (Oxon) ARCO Mr Leon Liu BMus MPerf ArtDip DipABRSM Mrs Naadia Manington BMus LGSM Mr Damon Robb RMSM LRAM Mr Duncan Saunderson GGSM Mrs Mayumi Stone BMus MA DipRAM Mrs Nicola Tait LRAM (Hons) Mr Richard Wainwright BA (Hons) LRAM (Adv) DipRAM ARAM Mr Jonathan Lawrence BA Mr Neil Martin

Guitar Trumpet

Cello, Double Bass

Clarinet

Trumpet, Trombone, Tuba

Piano

Violin, Viola

Oboe

Violin, Viola, Piano

Trumpet

Classical Guitar

Bassoon, Music Production

Piano, Organ Percussion

Piano

Piano, Jazz Piano

Percussion

Saxophone, Flute

Singing Piano Cello

French Horn, Trumpet

Saturday 25th January Music Scholars’ Trip to Pirates of Penzance 7:00pm, London Coliseum Th e Music Scholars and Exhibitioners enjoy a trip to hear the immortal Gilbert and Sullivan operetta

Pirates of Penzance at the English National Opera

Friday 31st January – Saturday 1st February 24 Hours of Music from 8:00am Musicians from across the school come together to raise money for projects at HVP Central School Balkumari, Nepal, by performing music continuously for 24 hours. (not open to the public)

Monday 3rd February Winter Concert 7:00pm, Great Hall In the principal instrumental concert of the term, there will be performances from the Symphony Orchestra, Concert Band, Sinfonia, Wind Band, and other. Free; registration at development.mtsn.org.uk/events

Friday 7th February Teatime Chamber Music Concert 4:30pm, Recital Hall

Join us from 4:00pm for an array of tea, co ff ee, cakes, and biscuits, before enjoying a short concert performed by some of our chamber music ensembles Free; no registration required

Sunday 9th February South East Schools’ Chamber Music Competition: Preliminary Round Harrow School Th e school’s advanced chamber music ensembles compete against other schools in the region in this annual competition. (not open to the public)

Wednesday 24th February Lunchtime Organ Recital 1:15pm, Temple Church, EC4V 7BB Several of the school’s organists will give a concert as part of the church’s series of lunchtime organ recitals. Free; no registration required.

Friday 7th March Teatime Concert 4:30pm, Recital Hall

Join us from 4:00pm for an array of tea, co ff ee, cakes, and biscuits, before enjoying a short concert performed by a range of soloists and ensembles. Free; no registration required

Monday 17th – Wednesday 19th March ABRSM Practical Exams Recital Hall Internal deadline for entries: Th ursday 13th February, 1pm (not open to the public)

Tuesday 18th March Lunchtime Organ Recital 1:00pm, St Mary-le-Bow, EC2V 6AU

As part of the school’s institutional accreditation to the Royal College of Organists, several of the school’s organists give a lunchtime recital at this famous London church.

Wednesday 19th March Merchant Taylors’ Young Musician of the Year: Fınal 6:00pm, Lalani Barn Th eatre, Merchant Taylors’ Prep School Young musicians from Merchant Taylors’ School and Merchant Taylors’ Prep School compete to be crowned Young Musician of the Year, with the prize awarded by a visiting adjudicator. Preliminary round: Tuesday 25th February. Free; no registration required

Guide to Music Lessons Instrumental and singing lessons are 40 minutes long, and take place throughout the day starting at the following times:

7:40am* 8:20am* 9:00am 9:40am 10:20am 11:20am 12 noon 12:40pm 1:50pm* 2:30pm 3:10pm 3:50pm* 4:30pm*

Pupils will need to register at Reception after this lesson time

Th ese times rotate the most

Not for those who get the early coach

* Th e lessons at these times may be fixed. Th e lesson times are agreed with pupils’ instrumental/singing teachers and are published on SOCS, accessible at socscms.com/login/180. Th is can be accessed by pupils, teachers, and parents. Most instrumental/singing lessons are rotated each week so that pupils only miss parts of di ff erent academic lessons throughout the term. It is intended that pupils who learn more than one instrument will have one lesson fixed outside the time of academic lessons. Pupils in the Upper Sixth will have lessons fixed in a free period. Apart from organ lessons, all instrumental lessons take place in the Music Department. Th e whiteboard near the Instrument Store displays where the VMTs will be teaching each day. It is important that pupils check the time of their music lesson(s) regularly so that they can ask permission from their academic teachers to attend their music lessons. Pupils must let their teachers know at least 24 hours in advance. Pupils must contact their music teachers immediately if they think that there will be a problem with the scheduled time of their music lesson, no later than 48 hours before the lesson. Th e teacher will try to reschedule the lesson but this may not always be possible. Academic teachers will always give pupils plenty of notice of important tests so this should never be a reason for missing a music lesson.

Th eory and Aural Classes Free theory and aural classes are run by Miss Clark at 8:15am on Th ursday and Friday mornings respectively. Th eory classes are open to pupils preparing for any grade; aural classes are o ff ered to support those pupils preparing for grades 6, 7, and 8 practical exams. To sign up for these classes pupils should add their names to the sheets on the ensemble notice board. Music Scholarships and Exhibitions Scholarships and exhibitions in music are o ff ered annually to pupils at 11+, 13+, and 16+ entry, and o ff er free instrumental and/or singing tuition on two studies. Each year the school awards one scholarship of up to 25% of the school fees, one scholarship of up to 15%, and two scholarships of up to 10% of the fees. Th e school also awards up to four exhibitions each year, o ff ering free tuition on two studies. Th e Director of Music, Simon Couldridge, is always happy to meet prospective candidates and answer enquiries at any stage. For more information, please contact the Music Administrator, Samuel Hill, via email at music@mtsn.org.uk or by telephone on 01923 845495. Serenaders Music Support Group Th e Serenaders Music Support Group is a group of parents and friends which since 1994 has supported the musical life of Merchant Taylors’ School through fundraising events, and by serving refreshments at concerts. Th e next social event is to be announced. To find out more about the Serenaders, please contact serenaders@mtsn.org.uk Information and Tickets For more information please contact the Music Administrator, Samuel Hill: E: music@mtsn.org.uk T: 01923 845495 W: mtsn.org.uk/life-at-taylors/activities/music Where events require tickets or registration, this can be done through the school Development O ffi ce: E: events@mtsn.org.uk T: 01923 845545 W: development.mtsn.org.uk/events

Weekly Rehearsal Schedule

Monday

8.15am * 8.15am * 8.15am 1.50pm * 1.50pm * 8.15am * 8.15am * 1.50pm * 3.50pm 3.50pm †8.00pm 8.15am * 8.15am 8.15am * 1.50pm 3.50pm * 3.50pm * 8.15am 8.15am * 8.15am * 8.15am 8.15am 1.50pm

Big Band

Recital Hall

Mr Gathercole

String Quartet Wind Quintet Wind Band

MU82 MU89

Mrs Tait

Recital Hall

Miss Martin Mr Couldridge Miss Martin Miss Cotton Mr Tonks Mr Couldridge

Chamber Orchestra

MU82

Tuesday

Dixieland Band Wind Quintet Concert Band

Recital Hall

MU82

Recital Hall Recital Hall

Symphony Orchestra

Sinfonia

MU82

Mr Hill

Choral Society

Recital Hall

Mrs Stubbs

Wednesday 8.15am

Choir: Tenors & Basses Recital Hall

Mrs Stubbs

Th ursday

Percussion Ensemble Clarinet Quartet Music Th eory Class

Recital Hall

Mr Lawrence Miss Beddoe Miss Clark Mrs Stubbs Mrs Stubbs Mr Couldridge

MU91 MU82

Chamber Choir

Recital Hall

Choir: Trebles & Altos Recital Hall

Chamber Music

MU82

Friday

Taylors’ Brass Guitar Ensemble

Recital Hall

Mr Byron

MU82

Miss Hawkins

Saxophone Ensemble MU65

Mr Robb Mr Tonks Miss Clark Mrs Stubbs

Recorder Consort

MU88 MU89

Aural Class Choir: Full

Recital Hall

* Entry by invitation.

†Rehearsals begin 14th January

MU82 = Music Classroom

MU89 = Keyboard Room

Merchant Taylors’ School, Sandy Lodge, Middlesex, HA6 2HT