Music

The Music Department underpins its varied and lively programme of practical music-making with firm academic foundations. Pupils are offered a wide-ranging foundation course in the Second and Third Forms, centred on work which is developed at GCSE level, should this be an option.

Glenalmond’s music department is home to a beautiful, wood-floored Recital Hall, the offices of the three full time music staff, the Music School Administrator and seven teaching/practice rooms. There are also two teaching classrooms, one laid out with desks, high definition Blu-ray, a large flat screen monitor and full surround sound, and the other a dedicated Music Technology teaching classroom with an adjacent soundproofed live room.

As elsewhere in the school, the ambition seems to be big.

Good Schools Guide

All teaching and practice rooms are equipped with upright pianos. There is a Yamaha concert grand piano in the stunning Recital Hall and the Chapel benefits from a  II/26 mechanical action Harrison & Harrison organ.

External And National Representation

Glenalmond music is constantly being taken out into the community. The annual Choral Society concert takes place in a large venue away from Glenalmond. Over recent years, our instrumentalists and singers have performed in Carlisle Cathedral, Hexham Abbey, Oban Cathedral, St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral Edinburgh, Dunblane Cathedral, St Ninian's Cathedral Perth and St Giles' Cathedral Edinburgh. In addition, our musicians bring many prizes back from the annual Perform in Perth Festival, as well as performing at local prep schools and at charity events in the local community.

Our musicians are currently representing Glenalmond in the Perth Youth Orchestra, Aberdeen Youth Orchestra, Edinburgh Youth Orchestra, National Youth Orchestra of Scotland, the National Children's Orchestra, the National Schools' Symphony Orchestra, the National Youth Choir of Great Britain, the Scottish Opera Connect programme and the National Youth Choir of Scotland.

The Teaching Rooms

All the individual teaching rooms at Glenalmond are named after famous Scottish musicians. Glenalmond is very proud to recognise the contribution of the following to music on a global scale:

• ANDERSON Ian Anderson, MBE, lead singer with Jethro Tull
• BANTOCK Sir Granville Bantock, composer
• BENNETT Martyn Bennett, musician and composer
• CAPERCAILLIE Scottish folk/contemporary fusion band
• CUNNINGHAM Phil Cunningham, MBE, traditional instrumentalist and composer
• GLENNIE Dame Evelyn Glennie, DBE, percussionist
• MACMILLAN James MacMillan, CBE, composer
• LENNOX Annie Lennox, OBE, solo artist and lead singer with the Eurythmics
• MUSGRAVE Thea Musgrave, CBE, composer
• WEIR Judith Weir, CBE, composer

Chamber Groups

All instrumental and singing pupils are expected to be a member of an ensemble as a part of their studies. The following groups meet on a weekly basis: