Music

The boys have a class music lesson every week. Our aim is to stimulate and maintain lasting pupil enjoyment, interest and curiosity. By exposing boys to a wide range of material, we aim to enable them to see music as a major cultural feature and part of a wider body of knowledge and skills. In addition to their academic music lesson, over two-thirds of the boys have private instrumental lessons and a considerable number learn more than one instrument.

There is a team of peripatetic teachers who, together with the full time members of the department, offer lessons in all instruments from the violin to bagpipes. Boys receive one thirty-five minute lesson per week; these are arranged on a rotational basis. The ethos within the department is to foster a love and enjoyment of music making. However, boys also take both Associated Board and Trinity Guildhall exams as well as music awards to public schools. The choirs, school band and string group meet every week and there are formal and informal concerts every term where boys are encouraged to perform both individually and in groups.

Drama

Drama at Ludgrove has a high profile and we regard it as an integral part of school life. Quite apart from educational and enjoyment factors, it is well known that acting is a great boost to overall confidence in young people.

The school’s new Performing Arts Centre gives the boys a wonderful space in which to perform. Almost every boy will be on the Ludgrove stage at least once a year. For those more interested in the production side, there are opportunities to become involved in backstage, technical and set design.

We produce five major productions a year involving all the different year groups, many being musicals. Recent productions include: The Little Shop of Horrors, Godspell, Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Othello, Porridge, The Jungle Book.

We also liaise with the English and ICT departments producing classic playlets, short videos and radio dramas. Alongside the productions, we offer LAMDA sessions in acting, group performance & speaking and prose. Graded examinations take place at Ludgrove in June & November.