Music at Kelvedon St Mary's

  Music plays a very important role in school life at Kelvedon St. Mary's. This allows us to provide children with opportunities to use a variety of instruments, ranging from recorders, trumpets and guitars to a variety of percussion instruments.
By following the curriculum for music and the QCA guidelines, Kelvedon St. Mary's is ensuring a good standard of music teaching throughout both of the key stages.
Music is introduced to the children as early as the reception class, giving even the youngest children an opportunity to have fun in a musical environment.

As the children progress through the school, opportunities for extra curricular music present themselves. These include recorder clubs, a school choir and an orchestra. Previously we have had 2 steel pan groups.

The school choir is very popular in the local community. Not only do they take part in the school events, such as our music evening, they also visit the local convalescent homes and are often out carol singing at Christmas.

The wide variety of music on offer at St. Mary's gives children not only musical skill but also the confidence to perform in front of an audience.

Peripatetic music in the school is also of a high standard and prepares the children for the school orchestra.

The orchestra at Kelvedon St. Mary's has a varied repertoire, including the main theme from Star Wars and the Great Escape. They have often performed at the Young Musicians Prom at the Charter Hall Colchester and the Kelvedon Village Festival.

Our school choir is proving to be very popular. An amazing number of children joined Miss Sewell at the first rehearsal and really raised the roof. We look forward to their  performances this year.

Our choir rehearse every Monday after school and sing at most of the end of term services. They play a big part in the annual Spring Music Concert.

They are pictured here singing at the Carol Service at St Mary's Church in December 2007.

Lots of the children in KS2 have guitar lessons, either individually or in groups. A large group of them performed together at the Summer Music Concert in May 2008

The school now has 3 drumming groups using 30 African Djembe, including children from Year 1 to 6. The groups aim to build the children’s confidence and esteem through enjoyment and team building skills. They learn about the origins of the Djembe, the different ways it can be played and develop their rhythmic skills.

Recorder sessions are on Thursday and open to anybody from year 3 to 6. The Largo group, with Miss Panting, is for those children just starting recorders; when they become more confident in their abilities they will be moved to the Andante group with Miss Scotchford. The Vivace group, with Mrs Knowles, caters for those children who are confident and fluent on notes above an octave. The groups all work from the lively Razzamajazz scheme and the main aim is to enjoy their playing as they learn.