Music
Gustav Holst was Director of Music at the school during the period he composed his orchestral suite, The Planets; he was succeeded by Herbert Howells before John Gardner followed in the 1950s. Gardner wrote many memorable pieces for the school, including his popular Christmas carols Tomorrow Shall be My Dancing Day and The Holly and the Ivy.
The school has many music programs, for mainstream pupils, and also scholarship or advanced pupils. The training orchestra, called the "Sinfonia", is generally for years 7-9, however some lower ability students stay on. It trains for one and a half hours a week. The advanced orchestra, called the "Symphony", is generally for years 10 and above, however, higher ability and scholarship musicians from younger year groups perform in it as well. It trains for two hours a week. There are also a number of string, brass and flute groups, as well as a wind band. The school also has a choral program. For Lower School students (ages 11-13), there is the Junior Choir. For Middle School Students (ages 14-16) there is a Middle School Choir. Both of these are open to all. However, for the Senior School (ages 16-18), there is a select choir. For the entire school, there is an advanced choir - "Paulina Voices" - to which admission is by audition only.
Read more about this topic: St Paul's Girls' School
Famous quotes containing the word music:
“How little it takes to make us happy! The sound of a bagpipe.—Without music life would be a mistake. The German even imagines God as singing songs.”
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)
“As I define it, rock & roll is dead. The attitude isn’t dead, but the music is no longer vital. It doesn’t have the same meaning. The attitude, though, is still very much alive—and it still informs other kinds of music.”
—David Byrne (b. 1952)
“And this shall be for music when no one else is near,
The fine song for singing, the rare song to hear!
That only I remember, that only you admire,
Of the broad road that stretches and the roadside fire.”
—Robert Louis Stevenson (1850–1894)