Beaumont School Music Department

Thank you to those of you who auditioned for Vocal Ensemble and Training Ensemble today. The standard was excellent and I would like to reiterate what I said about not being too disheartened if you didn't get into your ensemble of choice.  Please stay in choir and continue to build your confidence there and try again next time. The places offered to you are on the understanding that you maintain your commitment to Choir and where applicable, Male Voice Choir. It is essential that you attend all rehearsals and that any reasons for missing one are given to me in advance. You must remember your music for each rehearsal too. If you are unable to adhere to this, we reserve the right to reconsider your membership. The first Vocal Ensemble rehearsal is tomorrow (Wednesday 6th September) after school until 5pm. The first Training Ensemble rehearsal is Tuesday September 19th at lunchtime. Vocal Ensemble Sopranos : Hannah Carruthers, Beth DM, Nell, Lucy, Mae, Bethany, Tamsin...

Dear all, Auditions for our two chamber choirs will take place after school on Tuesday 5th September after school.  Please sign up on the door outside of the Music Office. You need only put down your name. This will go up some time next week.  You will be asked to sing the soprano line (tune) of  Ave Verum Corpus  by Mozart (up to bar 18). The music can be found  here , as well as in Ms Doan's red pigeon hole (outside the Music Office) from next week. If you are lower voice, please see Mr Guinane or Ms Doan for clarification. We are looking for a clear tone, accuracy of pitch and rhythm, and musicality. Pronunciation of Latin is not the most important thing. You will audition once, and should you be successful, we will place you in the appropriate ensemble. Vocal Ensemble rehearsals take place after school on Wednesdays, and Training Ensemble rehearsals at lunchtime on Tuesdays. Should you be offered a place, you will be expected to atte...

As you should know: 12.05pm Meet in Music. Bring a packed lunch. Rehearsals in St Peter's Church from 1-3pm. You will make your own way home. Back at St Peter's Church at 6.30pm in FULL WINTER UNIFORM (Years 7-11) or SMART ALL BLACK (6th form). Boys - decide between yourself regarding the jackets. Can't wait.

As promised, here are the playlists for your choir carols this year! On the YouTube playlist, there is not a decent version of I saw three ships  so you will have to listen to Spotify for this. I have also put all the congregational carols on the playlists too. Enjoy and LEARN.

Thank you to everyone who came today. The standard was excellent, making our job really very difficult.  Listed below are the members of the Vocal Ensemble and Training Ensemble for 2016-17. Voices parts will be decided depending on repertoire. Vocal Ensemble Ladies: Clare Baker Hannah Carruthers Hannah Crisp Beth Dickinson-Macrae Lois Fordham Nell Hayes Bethan Hughes Lydia Jacobs Laura Knill-Jones Mae Lankshear Bethany Lincoln Tamsin Sandford Smith Raya Tan Ward Katie Walton Lucy Wilson Gents: Caius Datt (alto, please) Tenor: Theo Habbick Leon Heaney  Finlay Hopkins Matthew Lee Bass: Matthew Holmes Alex Jenkins Joseph Lee Joseph Lewis Patrick Quinn Michael Winter Training Ensemble Sian Appleyard Ellie Bunker Amalia Bolton Sarah Chrisp Chloe  Dickinson-Macrae Rosie Fletcher Alice Fraser Grace Fryer Lauren King Hannah McGovern Poppy Oliver Katie Ripley Molly Robbins Helen Ross Lauren Walker Ella Wilton Congratulations to all tho...

Hi All, We have just finished deliberating your places. I have run out of time before going to collect my son and taking on personal duties for the evening, so places will be announced by 8pm tonight. Apologies for making you wait, but I don't want to make errors and miss people off etc. Cheers, Ms D x

Dear all, Auditions for our two chamber choirs will take place after school on Wednesday 20th July. Please sign up on the door outside of the Music Office. You need only put down your name. You will be asked to sing the soprano line (tune) of  Ave Verum Corpus by Mozart. The music can be found here , as well as in Ms Doan's red pigeon hole (outside the Music Office) from next week. We are looking for a clear tone, accuracy of pitch and rhythm, and musicality. Pronunciation of Latin is not the most important thing. You will audition once, and should you be successful, we will place you in the appropriate ensemble. Vocal Ensemble rehearsals take place after school on Wednesdays, and Training Ensemble rehearsals at lunchtime on Wednesdays. Should you be offered a place, you will be expected to attend all rehearsals, as well as continuing to be a member of the main choir. We would encourage all students interested in singing to audition. Please do not be intimidated by t...

The Cambridge Choral Experience  are running a fantastic singing weekend in Cambridge run by Ben Parry (director of the National Youth Choir of Great Britain) and Simon Toyne, of the Eton Choral Courses. These courses are specifically for students from non fee-paying schools and will be free of charge. Many of you may not have even thought about your future plans but this weekend is designed expose you to lots of high-quality singing as well as getting a tour around some Cambridge Colleges and meeting lots of new people too. This event is free and given the quality of training you will get on this day, I strongly advise you apply and go for it. The link to the flyer is here ; please see me if you would like some paper copies - I have a limited number.  Go for it and please let me know if you get a place. Ms Doan From the website linked above: Saturday 18 June 2016: Boys and girls in Years 7-11 Sunday 19 June 2016: Boys and girls in Years 12 and 13 ...

The Vocal Ensemble is delighted to be joining Carillon Chamber Choir in a concert of music by Bairstow, Finzi and HK Andrews. Please join us this Saturday 19th March at 7.30pm in St John's Church, Harpenden  for what will be an evening of glorious music.

To those taking part: Please meet promptly in the Music Department at 10.10am (beginning of lesson 3). Don't forget the following: Your music and swanky VE folder A packed lunch Full winter uniform for Years 9-11 (please be smart - shine your shoes) Smart all black for 6th form (please be smart, shine your shoes, and girls, please observe a decent skirt length) Your instrument work/book to read during rehearsals as there will be some time when the other group/soloists are rehearsing We will be travelling to St Peter's at about 10.20am and will warm up together with a view to starting rehearsals as close to 10.45am as possible.  Senior Strings: section leaders, please ensure that your sections have got music.  Please could one person from each desk take a music stand. Should be a really lovely concert so please advertise it and invite everyone you know who might be interested. Quality questions only.

Congratulations on a fantastic service.  You were all incredible. Please swing by the Music Department tomorrow to collect next term's music. Don't have a huge hissy fit over it, the big works are joint with Carillon so you will be fine. I would love you to to listen to the music along with the scores and just familiarise yourself with the sound worlds of Finzi and Bairstow. Lush stuff. Here is the playlist:

This should cover it: The Basics The Carol Service takes place on Wednesday 16th December, in St Peter's Church, St Albans, at 7pm It is free to attend, and there will be a retiring collection for Grove House Hospice Mince pies and mulled wine will be served in the octagon room of the church following the service Info for Performers The service involves the Choir, Vocal Ensemble, Training Ensemble and Male Voice Choir Rehearsals take place from 1200-1525 on the day Meet in Music at 1205 (start of period 5) - we will take you to the church Bring a packed lunch (you will be out of school for the rest of the day) At the end of the rehearsal (1525) you will need to make your own way home from the church - if this is a problem your parents MUST let Mr Guinane know asap In the evening, meet in the church NO LATER than 1830, in full winter uniform Don't even think about not attending the final choir rehearsal on Friday Quality questions only to Doan or Guinane...

Year 11, During exam leave we expect you to attend all Big Band, Vocal Ensemble and Orchestra rehearsals. If you cannot make any of these rehearsals, please inform either me or Ms Doan asap . In terms of other clubs, we would love to see you there (it might make for a nice break from intense study). Thank you, Mr Guinane

As per tradition, here is a playlist of your music for you to enjoy: Before Dawn is not on Spotify but can be found here:

Well done on today's rehearsal. Lots of work to do but hopefully you will enjoy it! Please make sure you look over your parts this week. Use the following videos to help you: 1. A New Day - see, it's not that slow!! 2. Like as the hart 3. Litanei auf das Fest aller Seelen (who doesn't love the dative case?) 4. Hear my prayer

Dear all, Thanks to all those who auditioned today.  The standard was significantly higher than it has been in previous years. Listed below are the members of the Vocal Ensemble and Training Ensemble for 2015/6. Voices parts will be decided depending on repertoire. Vocal Ensemble: Ladies: Naomi Baker Hannah Carruthers Hannah Crisp Elise Cutforth Beth Dickinson-Macrae Lois Fordham Alice Hancock Bethan Hughes Laura Knill-Jones Mae Lankshear Bethany Lincoln Tamsin Sandford Smith Katie Walton Lucy Wilson Gents: Sidney Brass Oliver Davies Theo Habbick Tom Holmes Joseph Lee Joseph Lewis Tom Pate Patrick Quinn Michael Winter Training Ensemble: Sian Appleyard Clare Baker Amalia Bolton Chloe Dickinson-Macrae Alice Fraser Grace Fryer Nell Hayes Lydia Jacobs Poppy Oliver Katie Ripley Molly Robbins Raya Tan Ward Lauren Walker Emily Webster Becky Weir Congratulations to all those successful this year. Positions in both choirs are of course...

We always love to hear from our alumni, and even better when our students end up in the same choirs as them.  At Easter, Ollie Davies, Alice Webster, and Sidney Brass sang in the National Youth Choirs with Emma Doherty (class of 2013).  Ollie then went up to Magdalen College, Oxford for a choral scholar open day, where he bumped into alumni Will Pate (class of 2010).   It was lovely to receive messages from Emma and Will, each with a cheeky photo, and both ensuring that the members of our department were being well looked after.  The Beaumont Music Family continues beyond Beaumont.

We're not letting up and we've got a busy schedule ahead of us, with some lovely new repertoire. Check it out below: 3 motets - Stanford Dirait-on from Les chansons des roses : And I forgot this one, Faire is the Heaven  by Harris:  BRING IT ON!!

Please be aware that SASSMA is on  Tuesday 31st March 2015 We will be leaving for the daytime rehearsal at at 10.30am and return to school by 3.20pm.  The concert starts at 7.30pm and you will be expected to be back at the Alban Arena for 7pm.  Dress code is school uniform and smart all black for 6th form.   If your parents would like to come, tickets are available from the Alban Arena box office. You must come and see us immediately if you are unable to take part. Many thanks D&G

Hello singers! Please can we meet at 10am prompt, not the start of lesson 3. We need to warm up very quickly and then I have assigned you your method of transport below!  It's a tricky one, but should work.  DO NOT FORGET YOUR MUSIC (Niamh, lots of you in TE) as I do not have spares. A reminder: Years 10-11: Full winter uniform, skirts of appropriate length Years 12-13: SMART all black.  No leggings please, girls (and boys), and skirts/dresses of an appropriate length. Smart shoes also please. Please bring a packed lunch, though there will be some snacks for you.  We will return to school for lesson 7.   Should be a cracking concert - looking forward to it. Ms D Anastasia - Beth, Niamh (later) Mrs Brass - Sid, Ollie, Tom and Tom DG - Michael, Patrick, Bethany Lincoln, Hannah Carruthers Alice W  -  Emily W, Alice H, Megan, Naomi Minibus - Doan, Laura KJ, Katie, Amalia, Naomi CJ, Beth DM, Chloe DM...