Music

Music is vibrant at Dean Close, reflecting its purpose-built Music School.  An extensive number of vocal, chamber and orchestral groups exist, including Orchestra, Sinfonia, Choral Society, Chapel Choir, Concert Band, Jazz Band and Chamber Choir, as well as numerous chamber ensembles and Rock Bands.  These activities reflect the wide-ranging appeal of music across the school.

Unparalleled performing opportunities exist for scholars of all abilities and the department stages in excess of 50 concerts each year, ranging from informal lunchtime recitals to major choral and orchestral events, with top music scholars being given the chance to perform Concertos with the Orchestra.  Recent performances include Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto no.2, Haydn's Concerto for Two Horns, Bruch's Violin Concerto, Saint-Säens' Cello Concerto, Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto and Mozart's Concertos for Flute, Bassoon and Violin.  Orchestral and Choral works performed during the past year include Beethoven's Eroica Symphony, Mendelssohn's Hebrides Overture, Bach's St Matthew Passion and Mozart's Requiem.  The Chapel Choir makes frequent CD recordings and sings Evensong in St Paul's Cathedral and Tewkesbury Abbey each year, in addition to regular school Chapel services.

Although the Bacon Theatre and the Prince Michael Hall are the major performing venues, musicians are also taken out of school and into local churches, the Pittville Pump Room and, recently to London to perform a lunchtime concert at St Martin-in-the-Fields.  The Jazz Band performs annually at the Cheltenham International Jazz Festival and Upton Jazz Festival.  Tours to Northern France, the Veneto and Tuscany, Bavaria, New York and Paris within the past 4 years have given the scholars the opportunity to perform in exciting venues further afield, including St Thomas Church, Fifth Avenue, St Mark's, Venice and Notre Dame, Paris.

A strong tradition of Oxbridge Organ and Choral awards exists, as well as places at the country's leading Conservatoires.  There are currently past scholars at the Paris Conservatoire, the Royal Academy of Music, and Berklee College, Massachusetts, the latter two with Scholarships.  Since October 2006 there have been five Oxbridge Choral Scholarships and two Organ Scholarships awarded to Dean Close scholars.  There are currently two scholars who study at the Royal Academy Junior Conservatoire on Saturday mornings, and one member of the National Youth Orchestra and National Wind Orchestra.  Many singers gain invaluable experience from attending the Eton Choral Courses each year, one of which is now held at Dean Close.  A considerable number of our top music scholars go on to become professional musicians, as performers, teachers or in the recording industry.