Music

The Year 7 Band and Year 7 String Ensemble are part of the College’s Year 7 Music Program.  Whilst some students have prior experience in music, all students commence the Year 7 Program learning an unfamiliar instrument, to broaden their range of musical experience and provide a new challenge.  Students in these ensembles learn to read music, gain an appreciation of instrument-specific technique and develop fundamental ensemble skills.  In addition, the students utilise creativity, increase their confidence and learnt to work together as a team.

The College String Ensemble features string students from the Middle and Senior Schools, as well as some of our most talented instrumentalists from the Junior School.  The ensemble performs a broad range of repertoire, and its members enjoy the challenge of playing complex pieces that require both individual ability and keen ensemble skills.

The Jazz Combo offers our Middle and Senior School students the opportunity to explore the jazz ensemble tradition.  A Jazz Combo is a flexible ensemble that can accommodate different combinations of instruments and is therefore very well suited to a secondary school environment.  Jazz originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries, and has its roots in blues and ragtime.  The Kingswood College Jazz Combo performed at many College events annually.

The Woodwind Ensemble provides an opportunity for woodwind students in Middle and Senior School to come together and play in a chamber ensemble setting. This ensemble explores a broad range of repertoire and is led by a professional woodwind musician and educator. Advanced students, beginner students, and every in between, is welcome to join this ensemble!

The College Rock Band is an ensemble with a rich history at the College. The Rock Band features some of our most talented music students and explores a broad range of rock styles on a weekly basis.  In addition to expanding their knowledge of this musical genre, students also learn successful rehearsal techniques and receive musical advice from the experienced professional artists who lead this ensemble.

The Junior School Rock Band provides our youngest rock musicians with an opportunity to learn how a band is constructed, and explore numerous different styles of rock.  In rehearsals, the Junior School Rock Band enjoy learning from both their teachers and one another, whilst having fun making music together.

The Junior School String Ensemble features the astonishingly talented violin, viola and ‘cello players of the Kingswood College Junior School.  For many students, this is a first opportunity to play in an instrumental ensemble, and the students learn skills that will be invaluable to them throughout their musical lives.  This ensemble caters to students of all abilities and provides a fun and safe environment in which to learn.

The College Choir is the largest of the Kingswood choral ensembles, and many of the students in the College Choir sing in multiple ensembles at the College.  This choir provides a wonderful opportunity for anyone with a burgeoning interest in singing to come and get involved.  Everyone in the College Choir works cooperatively and diligently, in rehearsals and in practice at home, to achieve the beautiful choral sound for which the choir is known.  The College Choir is an unauditioned ensemble and is open to all students in the Middle and Senior Schools.  Staff are also welcome to join this choir.

Cantabile is the College’s Soprano and Alto choir. This choir’s name is an Italian word, which means ‘in a singing style’, and the moniker was chosen by students performing in the choir to reflect the flexible and convivial spirit of the group, as well as the beautiful blend of voices and sense of line for which the ensemble is known. The choir sings in four to eight parts and the keen observer may well notice that the students in this ensemble are encouraged to develop vocal versatility, often singing different parts for different songs.  Membership of Cantabile is by invitation or audition and is open to all sopranos and altos from the Middle and Senior Schools.

Tomfoolery is Kingswood College’s four-part Tenor and Bass choir and, as its name may suggest, the members of this ensemble are known for their occasional on-stage and rehearsal antics.  After an exhaustive selection process, the choristers of Tomfoolery settled on this name in 2022, as they felt that it most appropriately captured the spirit of the choir whilst also paying deference to their esteemed and beloved Director.  The four sections of this choir are First Tenor, Second Tenor, Baritone and Bass. Membership of Tomfoolery is by invitation or audition and is open to all tenors and basses within the College Community.

The Tiny Trebles Choir is a compulsory choir for all students in Prep to Year 2.  Rehearsing in a choral group encourages a wonderful social dynamic and gives our youngest singers a sense of purpose and discipline, whilst enhancing their appreciation for music and developing core music and singing skills.

The Junior School Choir provides the opportunity for Junior School students to develop fundamental choral, vocal, and musical skills, whilst developing an early passion for a wide range of music. Students rehearse using Solfa and traditional notation whilst incorporating actions and additional elements into many of their performance pieces.  This ensemble is an unauditioned ensemble that is open to all students in Years 3 to 6.

The Junior School Chamber Choir offers advanced choral training to the College’s more experienced Junior School singers.  The choir has performed on numerous occasions since its inception, to great critical acclaim!  In rehearsals, the students enjoy the opportunity to create beautiful music, whilst having an explicit focus on creating blend and harmony.  This is an auditioned ensemble that is open to all students in Years 4-6.