Music at St. Edward’s

We aim to ensure that children in their time at St. Edward’s receive consistent and appropriate Music tuition and the opportunity to perform. Every class receives blocks of planned and well-resourced lessons and teachers plan using Charanga scheme as a starting point, either altering or annotating the basic lesson plans to ensure individual children’s needs are met. Year 4 benefit from taking part in the Wider Opportunities Programme, this government sponsored initiative ensures that every child will receive specialist tuition in voice and instruments. There is also a School Choir who prepare for internal events such as Christmas and Easter as well as external events at King George's Hall and Manchester Arena. 

Specialist Music Tuition at St. Edward’s

The children at St. Edward’s have benefited from being part of the St. Bede’s Music Academy. Teachers from St. Bede’s will instruct the children in Brass, Woodwind and Strings.

Children are given the opportunity to sing very regularly and both the standard of singing and the enthusiasm for singing are both very high. Children always sing at assemblies during the week, and we regularly receive compliments from parents and parishioners at the whole school Masses we celebrate approximately twice a term. Children are also given other opportunities to perform their chosen instruments on Monday and Friday assemblies.

The School Choir always takes part in the Blackburn with Darwen Carol Service at Blackburn Cathedral in early December. As part of the Year 4 Wider Opportunities Programme the class perform the instrument they have been learning to their parents, we usually have attendance of in excess of twenty despite middle of the afternoon performances! Key Stage 1 children always sing beautifully at the Nativity Play in December for which they learn a variety of songs every year. Years 5 and 6 work together to sing the songs in a musical production that takes place every summer term, the children learn between six and ten songs and perform to a packed school hall for matinee and evening performances.

Highlight of the musical year is always the Musical Afternoon. This takes place in the week before Easter and gives all our various musicians opportunities to perform: the choir; Year 4 all children who receive peripatetic tuition with their tutors to support and the school recorder group. re are usually three or four classes in attendance and for the last four years approximately 70 parents.