Music and the Choir

Music at the school is varied, united only in a commitment to excellence and, that essential ingredient, good fun.

Holland Park is committed to musical excellence.  Classroom music is innovative, adventurous, ambitious and rigorous.  Students leave the school with a strong grounding in the foundations of musical theory, musical history, performance and composition.  Extra-curricular music is vibrant, popular and equally committed to high standards.

Our annual performance, the Katharine Kent Music Concert, showcases the very best of musical performances in the school.  It is a celebration of the rich and diverse music scene at Holland Park.  Grounded in the western classical tradition, the school choir and school orchestra enjoy a growing repertoire of music that is foremost traditional.  Choral music featuring Byrd, Tallis, Palestrina, Victoria, Dowland, Gibbons, Bruckner, Mozart and Parry form the basis of the choir's public performances. The orchestra has a similar focus and plays a central role in our centre-piece school production.

Katharine Kent is a much loved friend of the school and attends many of our concerts and performances, frequently joining the choir in rehearsal. She is one of a number of influential and well-celebrated musical contacts the school enjoys. 

Talented music teachers ensure that music is at the forefront of all that the school celebrates. Ms Amy Chapman, Associate Leader, is not only a talented and imaginative teacher, she has also curated the school's music magazine and countless lunchtime performances, evening events and festivals of music. She is a trumpet player, an arranger, a percussionist, a highly skilled drum player, guitarist and stalwart alto in the school's choir. She leads the school's orchestra with panache and flair.

Mr Karl Kramer is a guitar player and a talented singer and brings a wealth of experience to the Holland Park music department and is a very exciting member of the team of committed and talented musicians.

Mr Nicholas Robson, Associate Head, has his background in choral music, having been a choral scholar at the University of Durham and a chorister at Chichester Cathedral. He leads the choir and is dedicated to ensuring access to high quality classical music in school.

The school's facilities for Music are first rate. The music suites comprise fully equipped Apple computer running Logic Pro with access to a range of sampling software and Sibelius notation writer. The department has a fully digital recording studio equipped to a professional standard. The studio incorporates an air-conditioned "live" room. Tuition is available to students. The students work, from time to time, with a range of organisations such as The Royal College of Music. Students have performed at the Royal Albert Hall.

You will find on these pages information about the musical work of the school.