Month: July 2015

Once again we have passed the point in the school year where it is time to bid some of the older students a fond farewell as they leave school and head out into the wider world. 

For me, this year was a particularly poignant one.  The seven girls leaving this year have been stalwart members of the vocal department from the very beginning of their school careers, and I have taught several of them for their whole time at the school.  

I consider it a huge privilege of my job to be able to watch my students grow from slightly nervous but excited young girls into the talented, and confident young women who take the lead in all aspects of school life.  It is therefore always with a mixture of huge pride, and a little sadness that I prepare for their departure each July.  Whilst every year touches me, there are inevitably some who have a greater impact than others, and leave a bigger void in their wake.  I know that this year group will be much missed by the whole school community, and not just the musicians!

As has become tradition, I took these girls, along with a number of other singers from year 11 upwards to perform at my old University College, St Peter’s on the final day of term.  I am lucky to have students who are passionate enough about their singing to agree to give up precious holiday time to rehearse and perform in these concerts, especially as the end of the school term is always fraught and filled with other events!

As I had such a significant cohort of upper sixth it seemed appropriate to send them off in style.  Whilst searching for something which allowed me to sum up all I wanted to say to them, I looked back at old concert programmes from their time at the school.  We talked about some options for ‘favourite finishers’, including ‘Homeward Bound’, but in the end they chose to sing a celtic song ‘The Parting Glass’.  This had been selected by me as the final song in a number of concerts in previous years, but none of the girls had sung it for a while.  I learned it from an American group called ‘The Wailin’ Jennys.’  It was such a joy to me that it meant so much to them that they wanted to ‘resurrect it’ and to make it the final thing that the whole group would all sing together.  

Meanwhile, my husband had been listening to an album which we recently purchased and suggested another song which might be suitably poignant for the leavers to sing.  Initially I considered singing it to them at the concert, but in the end decided to arrange it for these seven girls to sing together.  The song was originally written by Scott Murray, a musician who worked with a group of homeless men who had found shelter in a hostel together.  Scott formed a choir to help the men improve their self esteem and give them a sense of belonging.  Most importantly, he gave them a voice.  The recording I used was made by Roy Bailey, and I felt the message was appropriate for these girls as they go out into the world too.  

The girls sang magnificently, and held back the tears until the very end of the Parting Glass.  It was lovely to see them supported by the girls who will still be at the school next year, and the camaraderie between all the girls as they sang together.

After the concert the leavers, their parents, and I went for a meal together to celebrate the end of their school singing careers.  Whilst we ate, the girls reminisced about their memories of singing at SHSK, and I was struck not only by the wealth and variety of achievements they had between them, but also by the common bonds which held this group together.  It was particularly touching to hear one of them comment that without singing, she may well never have got to know the girls who have become her closest friends.  

What an amazing power music has: to draw us together into common experiences, to allow us to express our deepest emotions, to give us strength and hope, and to leave indelible marks on our lives.

I have no doubt that this year’s leavers will go on to great and wonderful things, and I hope that the experiences which they have shared through singing so far continue to be a source of happy memories for them.  I very much look forward to hearing of their future successes, and hope that music will always bring them a sense of community and happiness.  What more could a teacher ask for?

The text for both songs is below:

The Parting Glass:

Oh all the money that e’er I spent,
I spent it in good company.
And all the harm that e’er I’ve done,
Alas it was to none but me.
And all I’ve done, for want of witTo memory now I can’t recall,
So fill to me the Parting Glass,
Good night and joy be with you all.

Oh, all the comrades that e’er I’ve had
Are sorry for my going away
And all the sweethearts that e’er I’ve had
Would wish me one more day to stay.
But since it falls unto my lot
That I should rise, and you should not,
I’ll gently rise, and I’ll softly call
“Good night, and joy be with you all”.

I Thought I Had no Voice (Fellowship in Song)

We’ve had good times together, 
We’ve shared a song or two,
In warmer days of summer,
And winter’s days of snow.
We know that life’s not easy,
The road is hard and long
But music aye can cheer us,
We’re better for a song.
I thought I had no voice,
Now listen to my song
The fellowship of music,
A place where I belong.
We raise our voice in song,
In ev’ry verse and chorus,
Many songs behind us now,
As many waiting for us.
Our time is nearly over,
These days are nearly done,
The tunes we will remember,
The songs will still be sung.
I hope the sun shines for you,
And that we’ll meet again,
For there’s a bond between us,
A bond that has no end.
I thought I had no voice,
Now listen to my song
The fellowship of music,
A place where I belong.
We raise our voice in song,
In ev’ry verse and chorus,
Many songs behind us now,
As many waiting for us.

It was with a sense of incredulity that I read the words above on my twitter feed, whilst in Paris on tour with three of our senior choirs last week!

My immediate response on twitter was to declare that there is no such problem at SHSK – and I’m jolly grateful that this is the case.  It seems desperately sad (and very infuriating) that the headmaster of Marlborough College has deemed it necessary to bemoan the ‘death of the art of choral singing’ in the National Press.  Whilst educational reforms are doubtless leading to the decline of singing in primary schools it seems defeatist to claim that the whole art of choral singing is in jeopardy.  

Doubtless, the lack of expertise in music among primary school teachers, and the limitations on the curriculum and resources has had a huge impact on music education.  Having said this, there are many organisations trying to redress the balance and make music accessible to primary students.  When the budget for instruments is non-existent, surely singing is the obvious solution? Everyone has a voice – and everyone should be encouraged to use it.  Organisations like ‘Sing Up’ even provide all the resources for schools to get involved, and include songs which link to other areas of the curriculum, so that every school can use singing as part of the daily lifeblood of teaching.  Whilst these resources are not free, they are available at reasonable cost, and are accessible to everyone, no matter how little previous musical experience they have.  

There are numerous articles about the benefits of musical education to all round academic skills, and how music influences personality traits, improves concentration, team work and basic listening skills – even in those with little obvious musical ‘talent’.  Music is also hugely enjoyable, and a great social leveller – as long as the ‘teacher’ doesn’t make assumptions that certain social groups won’t cope with, or wont enjoy specific musical genres.  Anyone watching the TV programmes made by James Rhodes on just this subject a few months ago will know how excited young children are when they are exposed to all sorts of music.

I am well aware that I work in a privileged environment as a music teacher.  There are nearly 500 music lessons a week happening in the department where I work, over 100 of these are girls receiving individual weekly singing lessons.  There are ten separate choirs and vocal ensembles which cover all age groups and abilities.  Music is a weekly part of the academic curriculum in years 7 and 8 and many students continue with academic music into GCSE and A level.  Of those who continue to A level a high percentage choose to read music at University.  There are 30 visiting music teachers, 2 academic teachers and a wealth of other music clubs and groups to support music education at the school.  There are even supporting clubs for aural skills, sight singing and music theory.  Each year there are joint musical productions with the drama department, a Music Theatre concert, and in recent years concerts of Opera Scenes, and a fully staged production of Dido and Aeneas. Last year there were 45 different concerts across the school year. There really is no limit to the opportunities open to these girls, and they grasp them with both hands.  More often than not we are limiting the number of choirs they can sing in, rather than forcing them unwilling into rehearsals!

Colleagues and friends who work in less well funded schools across the country are also proud of their choral traditions and the musical opportunities offered to their students.  Many have used choral singing as the basis for igniting a musical passion in their schools – and have been exceedingly successful in so doing.  

So why is music at SHSK so successful? For me the answer is simple (whilst multi-faceted):

1. Freedom. It starts with a Head of Department who allows the staff to be creative, and to get involved.  When the staff are given freedom and encouraged to take part, they are naturally more inclined to give of their time and energy to run a wide variety of activities.  
2. Music is infectious.  Girls coming in to the school see their peers, friends, and role models taking part in music.  They see that it’s fun, and that there really is an activity for everyone.  They are rewarded for turning up to weekly rehearsals by a sense of community, and pride in their success when they perform in concerts or competitions.  
3. Aspiration and accessibility.  There is a hierarchy of activities, with some only open to musicians who have reached the highest standards of musicianship.  This drives the girls forward, as they want to earn their place in these elite groups and become role models themselves.  However, none of the ‘elite’ musicians is on a pedestal.  They also participate in the groups which are open to all-comers, and with a breadth of musical talent established in every year group, there are no ‘divas’.  Certainly, there are individuals who stand out from the rest, and achieve many accolades, but it is rare for there to be one single musician who takes all the glory.  As the girls reach sixth form they may well have confidence in their abilities, but they are aware of other talented individuals who they meet at national and local competitions.  They never become complacent, and they care about the music which is so central to their weekly experience.  Music forms friendships which last well beyond school, shared community and rest-bite from academic pressures.  
4. Resources.  The music staff have such freedom as they also have access to the resources to support them.  Without this, I am certain that some activities would continue to thrive, but it certainly helps when there is financial backing for the ‘showstopping’ extras which have the greatest impact.
5. Parental support. I have no doubt that this also has a significant impact on the level of music making at school.  If parents didn’t collect their daughters after weekly rehearsals after school, continue to come to many concerts, and ask the simple questions like ‘how was your singing lesson today?’ then the standard of music making would decline rapidly.  With the parents also understanding the benefits of a musical education, it is so much easier to inspire students to push themselves through a plateau in their learning, or to keep on attending rehearsals.

There has been a strong choral tradition for many years at SHSK.  When I started at the school back in 2004 there were only 20 or so girls having singing lessons, but the standard of the Chapel Choir was excellent, and there were opportunities for choral singing across the whole school community.  Those opportunities have expanded a great deal, and I hope that we will always be looking for new experiences to offer our students. Last week in Paris the girls sang at Euro Disney in front of the Princess’ Castle, followed by recitals at Notre Dame Cathedral and La Madeleine.  Needless to say they performed a wide variety of repertoire in these disparate locations, but all emphasised that they had enjoyed each as much as the others.  There was great envy among those too young to come on tour this time, and much excitement already for the next music tour – and for concert opportunities in the coming year.  The girls made friendships across year groups and bonded over these experiences which I know will stay with them for many years to come.  

I’m very happy to report that the art of choral singing is certainly alive and kicking in this corner of Oxfordshire, and I’m confident that it can be so EVERYWHERE with a little encouragement from those in a position of influence!  Perhaps Marlborough College just needs an injection of enthusiasm from somewhere.  Fingers crossed they get it soon!

For reference the original article can be read here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/11736981/Why-is-no-longer-cool-to-join-the-school-choir.html