Music

Wellington Music 3-18 delivers high quality music education across the Prep and Senior schools.

We operate as a single strategic administrative and performance structure and enable outstanding specialist teaching and coaching at all levels. Focusing on identifying, nurturing and developing musical talent and with excellence and diversity as our key goals, we aim to offer an unparalleled creative journey for able young musicians. 

Over a third of students 3-18 currently have instrumental tuition and academic and individual lessons are delivered by a team of 30 specialist staff. 

We offer both Music and Music Technology courses for A level study.

Class music is part of the normal curriculum for all pupils up to the end of Year 9 and music is an option for GCSE and A Level examinations. The department’s examination results are exceptionally strong, and many past pupils have continued their musical studies at  University or Conservatoire or have gained choral or instrumental scholarships. 

Music Scholarships and Exhibitions are awarded annually in early February, following auditions held at the school. Candidates are assessed for musical potential and not solely for actual achievement. Awards are made at the ages of 11, 13 and 16. The winning of a music award does not in itself secure a pupil’s entry to the school; they must also meet the academic requirements.

Instrumental tuition is offered in all the orchestral woodwind, brass, percussion and strings, together with piano, organ, voice, saxophone, guitar (acoustic, electric and bass) and drum kit. Instruments are available for hire.  Some 30 ensembles rehearse every week, ranging from rock bands to wind ensembles and Vocal groups and chapel choir to Big Band and our two Orchestras. Contemporary music is also thriving and there are currently 7 rock bands involving prep and Senior musicians. These ensembles perform termly within school and further afield.

The school presents around 50 music events each year, ranging from Pop-Up Performance in Cafe37 and Prep Teatime Concerts to large scale concerts and music theatre productions, such as Les Miserables, SIX, School of Rock and Songs for a New World. 

The Chapel Choir comprises some thirty-five of the most experienced singers in the school. The choir has earned a considerable reputation outside the school as a result of its numerous visits to sing services at churches and cathedrals from Truro to London in addition to fulfilling its primary role as a focus for worship within the school at chapel services. The Chapel is equipped with a three manual Rogers electronic pipe organ, incorporated into the original organ casework.