Instrumental Groups
At Caterham School we pride ourselves on the range of instrumental ensembles offered which give our students the opportunity to perform together and experience repertoire outside of their individual music lessons. The ensembles are led by our music staff and Visiting Music Teachers, whose specialisms encompass all orchestral instruments as well as guitar and drums. A high level of playing is maintained throughout the instrumental families and pupils are expected to attend rehearsals on a weekly basis.
These groups perform regularly throughout each term and are a vital part of the musical life at Caterham School.
SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Symphony Orchestra is the largest ensemble at Caterham School with over 120 students. Combining the full forces of the String, Woodwind, Brass and Percussion faculties, Symphony Orchestra welcomes musicians of all abilities from the Third Year to Upper Sixth. Recent repertoire has included Stravinsky’s ‘Firebird’, Tchaikovsky’s ‘Nutcracker Suite’ as well as Sibelius’ ‘Finlandia’ and the 1st Movement of Beethoven’s 6th Symphony. The Symphony Orchestra’s performance is always a highlight.
LOWER SCHOOL ORCHESTRA
Our Lower School Orchestra caters for instrumentalists of any standard in the First and Second Year. Whether a beginner string player or a grade 5 oboe player, music is tailored to the individual musician. Repertoire includes both popular classical and film music, discovering composers such as Mussorgsky and Williams in a fun and relaxed environment.
FILM ORCHESTRA
Film Orchestra welcomes pupils who are of grade 5 standard and above from across the orchestral families. At their debut concert, Film Orchestra performed highlights from ‘Gladiator’, ‘How To Train Your Dragon’ and ‘Pirates Of The Caribbean’ to a spellbound audience. As the name suggests, Film Orchestra focuses on popular film and television repertoire and is a favourite amongst our pupils.
CATERHAM CONSORT
Our Caterham Consort welcomes pupils of grade 5 standard and above and is tailored towards those wishing to foster an interest in Baroque repertoire. Featuring stings alongside woodwind and continuo players, this ensemble put on an annual ‘soiree’, featuring the ‘heavyweights’ of Baroque including Bach, Handel and Purcell.
NEW MUSIC ENSEMBLE
New Music Ensemble features our instrumental scholars and those pupils of grade 7 standard and above by audition and is a bespoke chamber ensemble. Repertoire is advanced and often commissioned especially for the group. Playing classical as well as contemporary works by great composers such as Glass, Francaix, Stravinsky and Vaughan Williams, the ensemble sets out to challenge its members.
SWING BAND
An increasingly popular ensemble, Swing Band features our jazz musicians of grade 5 standard and above. With an exciting and abundant array of repertoire, this ensemble regularly performs at our lunchtime and twilight concert series, as well as our larger showcase events.
CHAMBER ENSEMBLES
We offer a range of smaller ensembles that include:
- Piano trios
- String quartets
- Flute choir
- Piano duets
- Percussion ensemble
- Brass ensemble
- Saxophone ensemble
These ensembles rehearse weekly and participate in the School’s Chamber Music Concerts as well as taking part in local music festivals.
