Summer Term Music Spotlight

Music is a major part of the experience at St Peter’s, with our talented pupils regularly performing in a multitude of concerts each term. This week has showcased the breadth and presence of the musical culture at St Peter’s, with concerts and performances occurring across the school.

The Junior School music concerts have taken place this week, and it was a lovely way to celebrate the children's musical journeys so far. Our Year 1 concert featured the whole year group singing a selection of songs, with solos on the piano and recorder also impressing the audience. Our Year 2 concert had soloists on the piano, guitar, violin, baritone, voice and recorder, as well as a choir singing songs in 2,3 and 4 parts. The Year 3 concert also featured a choir singing songs in 2,3 and 4 parts, alongside individual performances on the recorder, piano, clarinet, cornet, trombone, violin, cello, guitar, drum kit and electric guitar. It was fantastic to see the younger end of our school perform to such a high standard and show incredible enthusiasm during the concerts.

At the Senior school, The Junior Music Festival Final for the summer term marked another celebration of the music at St Peter’s. Mr Miles-Kingston, Mr Wright, and Dr Harrison heard every instrumentalist in Years 9 and 10, with a select few from each discipline performing in the final this week. Guest adjudicator and musicologist Dr Elaine King was invited to provide feedback and commentary, as well as to award a winner in each category and an overall winner for the whole evening, who will receive the Junior Music Festival Prize award at Commemoration.

We would like to congratulate every pupil who has performed this week; your hard work in practice truly shone through. A special well done to Oliver for winning the Junior Music Festival Prize, a much-deserved award after a fantastic performance on the piano.

Thank you to all off our staff who help put these wonderful events together, and to Dr Elaine King for her adjudication and insightful feedback.

Our broader musical scene is integral to life at St Peter’s, with a variety of exciting offerings that support musical development at every stage, from foundational skills to advanced performance opportunities.

Our Junior school offers weekly lessons, both individually and as an ensemble, with our specialised teachers making sure the pupils are getting the best musical education possible. Pupils are encouraged to learn instruments like violin and piano and to join ensembles, such as Sinfonia Orchestra or Jukebox Choir, where both formal and informal concerts are frequent.

In our Senior School, music continues to be a valued part of our curriculum, with plenty of opportunities for pupils to follow their musical passion. Our highly qualified teachers offer over 300 lessons a week, including in piano, saxophone, voice, harp and cello among many others. Our broad ensemble programme at the Senior School ranges from smaller chamber groups such as the Clarinet Choir to larger ensembles like the Wind Band. Our beautiful Chapel is a fantastic space for concerts and events, which all the members of the community are welcome to. The York Minster also plays host to a variety of our services, where the ensemble groups have an opportunity to perform at a historic landmark.

The facilities at both the Junior and Senior School are excellent, with computer equipped teaching rooms, rehearsal spaces, recital rooms and a recording studio.

The Senior School is also fortunate enough to tour as part of the musical programme, providing them with the opportunity to perform to a wide range of audiences and connect with other cultures in some fantastic locations across the globe. Our tours alternate between European cities and New York with notable performances in Notre-Dame de Paris, St Mark’s Basilica in Venice, Barcelona Cathedral and Saint Thomas Church New York City.

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