Ensembles

Winterfold has an incredibly busy music department with a huge range of musical groups taking place every week. They cater for all standards, from beginners to the advanced. They also cover all styles from baroque to jazz and funk. Listed below are some of the groups which your child will become involved in if they learn an instrument at the school.

Chamber Choir

Chamber Choir is a very select group of singers. Led by their wonderful vocal coach they perform a wide range of sacred and more popular repertoire. The choir has sung at various venues including most recently the Vatican, The Pantheon and St Peters Basillica in Rome. A little closer to home, performances have taken place at Villa Park, Birmingham Town Hall, Kidderminster Town Hall, and The Bullring. Other venues visited include Barcelona Cathedral, Prague Cathedral and Monserat Cathedral.

Orchestra

Winterfold is proud of its orchestra. This ensemble is some 30 strong with a complete range of instruments, from violins to double bass and trombones. They tackle arrangements of classical pieces and orchestral favourites such as ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’. Several of the members play in county level ensembles.

Groove Diggers

The Groove Diggers (senior jazz band) are the flagship ensemble of the School. The group have performed at a wide range of events and venues, including Birmingham Town Hall, Kidderminster Town Hall, Bewdley Museum, Upton Jazz Festival, Far Forest Country Fair and many more. Members of the band have even ventured to Europe and beyond to showcase their talents.  The average age of the band is only 12 years old. They have had extraordinary success and recognition over the last two years, both at a local and national level. Performances include the Symphony Hall in Birmingham and the Royal Albert Hall Foyer Cafe.

Junior Band

Junior Band is the training band for beginner brass players. The group gives them an introduction to playing in an ensemble and learning how to count in time and pitch their notes. They perform at the Christmas Market and the Summer Concert.

Senior Brass

Senior Brass is one of the busiest groups in the School, especially at Christmas time when they seem to be popping up everywhere with their brassy Christmas cheer! The group is made up of the best players in the school and produce a wonderful sound when in top form.  They have been invited to play at Bewdley Museum’s Santa’s Grotto and have a new booking to perform every year at Christmas in the Park in Stourbridge.

Off Beats

As the training band for the ‘Groove Diggers’, the Off Beats have really come into their own of late with an entry into the National Youth Music Festival. They went on to win a place in the Jazz Finals held in the Town Hall, Birmingham. They are made up primarily of musicians from Years 5 to 6 and all take their music very seriously.

Girls’ Harmony Choir

The Girls’ Harmony Choir was formed by a group of close friends many years ago.  It has kept going and now has morphed into a wonderful accapella and harmonized girls’ vocal group. They rehearse every week and perform regularly at Christmas time, at coffee mornings and have taken part in competitions.  In 2018 and 2019, they won a wonderful trophy at the Dudley Festival of Music, Drama and Dance.

Saxophone Group

The Saxophone group is a selective group of the top saxophonists in the School. With the full range of Alto to Baritone saxophone, they make a wonderful sound. They perform a wide range of music at School concerts and coffee mornings and are a great group to perform outdoors and at social events.

Senior String Group

The Senior String Group is for high flying violins, cellos and viola players.  They are a small group who specialize in playing chamber music. They perform at regular coffee mornings where they set a lovely cultured tone for the parents to enjoy.

Percussion Group

The Percussion group is a hugely popular ensemble that drums every Tuesday lunchtime in the Performing Arts Centre. Using untuned and tuned percussion, they compose, improvise and perform their own rhythmic pieces.  The Senior group Stick in Time has performed one of their own synchronised drum pieces as part of the National Youth Music Festival in Birmingham.

Junior Strings

Our training string group takes place every week and welcomes beginner violinists up to Year 5 and 6. They practise every week and learn how to play in an ensemble setting.  The group is made up of cellists and violinists. They look forward to playing every year at the Christmas market, where they play a wide range of carols and at the Junior Summer Concert.

Year 1 and 2 Choir

This choir is made up of children in Years 1 and 2 and rehearses every week in the Performing Arts Centre under the guidance of their teachers and Mrs Richardson, Vocal Coach. They are certainly one of the most enthusiastic groups in the School!

Junior Choir

Pupils in Years 3 – 4 have an extra singing session every week, as well as their music lessons. They perform in Mass once a year, lead the Junior concert and the Sing-It event.

Music Makers

Music starts early at Winterfold with the Music Makers.  This group is made up children in Kindergarten 2 and Reception.  They learn to sing and play the glockenspiel.  As they say, acorns grow into mighty oaks!

Year 2 Fifes

We have a Year 2 music programme which includes a Fife group.  Pupils learn how to play an instrument which is a great introduction to future wind and flute playing.

Year 2 Violins

Violinists can start young.  We have started many a violinist in Year 2 with our wonderful violin programme. The children learn how to play the instrument and how to look after it, how to practise, how to read music and have the opportunity to play in a concert.

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