The Music department offers tuition to any child who shows an interest in music.

The staff believe that each child should be given an opportunity to learn music, and that this should take place in an environment where all the various instruments can be heard and experienced.

Individual tuition is offered on the following instruments:

• Piano
• Brass: Trumpet, Trombone, French Horn, Tuba and Euphonium
• Woodwind: Clarinet, Saxophone
• Flute
• Strings: Violin, Cello
• Percussion
• Recorder

Pupils have the choice of entering internationally recognised practical and theoretical music examinations held by Trinity College, London.

Mrs de Meillon conducts the Senior Band, which performs at:

The annual Senior Band camp at Assegaai Valley outside Kenton-on-Sea is always a highlight in the year.

A Junior Band for beginners is conducted by Mrs du Plooy. and an innovation in 2009 was the formation of a String Ensemble. The school also has a choir for pupils in Grades 4 to 7.

These activities provide the children with an opportunity to perform in ensembles and in concerts.

In addition, class music is taught up to Grade 5 and children have a chance to play Recorders and Orff instruments, to sing and to play games which develop ryhthm, pitch and co-ordination skills. 

2011 Music Department Report

It was a very good year.

Frank Sinatra’s words are an apt description of a year that has passed quickly, yet very successfully, for the Music Department.

Mrs Suzanne Buchanan joined our staff at the beginning of the year to teach the piano and class music.  She has brought with her expertise and an enthusiasm that has instilled in her pupils a genuine appreciation of music. We are very fortunate to have her on the staff.

The first exciting event of the year was the annual band camp, which is always the source of much excitement.  It is held at Assegaai Valley and provides an opportunity for the members of the band to get to know one another.  Thanks must go to Mr Lees who, once again, agreed to join us for the weekend.  His braaing skills will be sorely missed on band camp next year and we are very grateful for the continual support that Mr Lees has given to the music department. 

Among many highlights on band camp this year were a shaving cream fight and a trip to Kenton-on-Sea to spend some time at the beach.  Also memorable was a not-so-successful swim in the dam which was marred by an attack of wasps!  The Saturday of the band camp brought with it Mrs de Meillon’s birthday.  The members of the band surprised her with a beautifully laid table and a breakfast of fruit salad and ‘pizza’ (which was really a microwaved concoction of several ingredients ingeniously devised by Thomas Wait). A gift and a card signed by every member of the band made the occasion very memorable.  We returned on Sunday having done some good practising and, more importantly, having grown closer as a group.     

2011 has been a busy year for the music department.  The first term saw the choir make their first appearance at a special Easter assembly which was conducted by Father Daniels.  The band performed at the final assembly. 

In the second term several small ensembles were formed in preparation for providing entertainment for the various functions that formed part of the school’s 75^th celebrations: the Victorian tea, formal dinner, burying of the time capsule and a special assembly were all accompanied by music performed by pupils.  The junior band played out the term at the final assembly. 

The highlight of the third term was the school’s production, A Pocketful of Rhymes. A very talented and hard-working cast made the show a pleasure to rehearse.  It was a musical extravaganza that will long be remembered as an excellent piece of junior musical theatre.

The third term saw several other musical events.  A remarkably well-attended concert was held in which the best of the music department was showcased.  The evening included performances by the junior band, string group, senior band, choir and a recorder ensemble, which was formed especially for the occasion.  Several instrumental solos also formed part of the programme.  At the annual grandparents’ tea, the foundation phase had the opportunity to perform for their grandparents in the form of class presentations as well as instrumental solos.  A clarinet trio performed at the official opening of the Pearson Conservatory in St Georges Park.  The occasion was the highlight of the park’s 150^th birthday celebrations.  The Grade 7 music pupils enjoyed an outing to the Feathermarket Centre to attend a concert held by the Organ Society.   As part of the Grade 1 outreach programme, the grade one classes and Mrs Buchanan performed for the residents of Epworth Close.  The audience was very appreciative.     

The Trinity College London examinations took place at the beginning of the fourth term.  This year the Music Department had its biggest examination entry to date. All 41 candidates were successful, with 20 pupils achieving merits and 6 achieving distinctions.  We are very proud of all the entrants. 

The Grade 7 leavers’ concert and dinner was particularly special this year, as several of the grade 7 pupils have been active members of the Music Department for most of their junior school careers.  The Music Department said farewell to Celeste Potgieter, Erin Müller, Michael Purchase, Zukisa Biyana, Callan Johnson, Hanne Mertens, Ilse-Mari Visser, Thomas Wait, Nathan Isaacs, Nico Mund, Timothy McWilliams, Celia Schmidt and Buhle Made.  They have been a very important part of our department and have contributed a great deal to the musical life of the school.  We hope that they will continue their music tuition in high school. 

By way of change the carol service took the form of a cantata. The Christmas Jazz involved every pupil from Grade 1 to Grade 5, as well as the choir.  It was a great success and was enjoyed by all.   As usual, there was a collection for the Herald Christmas Cheer Fund and we were pleased to be able to present them with a generous contribution.

The class music programme has undergone a few changes under Mrs Buchanan’s leadership. We have added considerably to our collection of Orff instruments which enables us to allow the learners more playing opportunity during class time.  Every child in the class is being taught to read basic musical notation and the purchase of glockenspiels has provided a means by which pupils may practically apply this skill. 

The senior band and choir have grown considerably throughout the year.  Four of our Grade 3 pupils joined the senior band in the fourth term, which is an excellent achievement.  Our choir ended the year with 38 members, which is larger than it has ever been.  Interest in music appears to be growing at St George’s Prep and we are ever grateful for the opportunity to share this incredible subject with so many of the learners. 

Mrs Julia de Meillon