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Music

The Music Department in Coleraine Grammar School is a lively department where a large number of pupils are involved in extra-curricular activities throughout the year.

Tuition is available on strings, woodwind, brass, piano, voice, guitar and drum kit on a weekly basis with the Education Authority Music Service and external private music tutors.

Education Authority Music Service staff:

  • Mr Colin Elliott – violin
  • Mrs Liz Haggan – violin
  • Mrs Gwyneth Reid – lower strings
  • Miss Thomasena Hall – clarinet
  • Mr Taylor Ross – flute
  • Mr Martin Haggan – woodwind and brass

Private Tutors:

  • Mr Peter Wilson – voice and piano
  • Miss Erin Teacy – voice and piano
  • Mr Drew Hamill – guitar
  • Mr Geoff Arnold – guitar
  • Mr David Whiteside – drum kit

Links with the local community

Annual whole school events such as the Carol Service and Spring Concert provide several opportunities for pupils to perform during the school year. There are currently five choirs and three orchestras in the school and any pupil is welcome to join without audition. Smaller groups of pupils are also often involved in providing entertainment in the local community. Recently we have organised a trip to the Lyric Theatre in Belfast and have developed links with the Ulster Youth Choir and members of the Ulster Orchestra who have given workshops on performance to senior pupils.

This year the Year 11 GCSE class had an exciting opportunity to receive tuition in Jamaican drumming and dance from Ripton Lindsay of WOMAD, World of Music, Arts and Dance. The master classes proved so successful that the GCSE pupils were able to perform their drumming and dance at the Spring Concerts in March.

Our network of iMac computers on the Lodge Road campus gives pupils the opportunity to develop their compositions using the latest technology, working on programs such as Sibelius 7 and GarageBand.

Honours in Music

Honours are awarded to pupils who have developed their musical skills to a high level and have combined this level of excellence with a commitment to perform at musical events in school throughout the year.

Chamber Choir Tour

The Girls’ Chamber choir, after reaching the final of BBC Radio Ulster School Choir of the Year, has been invited to participate in the Carnegie Hall premiere performance of Karl Jenkins’ Songs of Sanctuary on the DCINY (Distinguished Concerts International New York) Concert Series in New York City. This performance is on Monday, January 18, 2016 – Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend – in the Isaac Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall under the baton of Dr. Jonathon Griffith. The CGS Chamber Choir will join with other outstanding choristers from around the world to form the Distinguished Concerts Singers International. The residency includes two half-days of rehearsals and clinics, culminating in a performance accompanied by the Distinguished Concerts Orchestra.

Music Staff

  • Mr R McCreery BMus, PGCE (Curriculum Leader)
  • Mrs J McCreery BMus, PCGE (Teacher in Charge of Junior Music)
  • Ms S Cameron, Msc, B Mus Hons, MTD (Pastoral Leader)

Music at KS3

Pupils in Years 8 and 9 receive two and a half hours teaching every fortnight where they learn to read music, perform both individually and in a group, compose and perform their own work and develop an appreciation of musical styles. Pupils in Year 10 currently have a fifty minute lesson every week.

The emphasis in the KS3 classroom is on enjoying making music with other people of a similar age. Working together, being creative and fostering a love of music at an early age.

GCSE Level

Find out more about GCSE course content here

The study of music is a challenging and enriching experience. It will involve solo performance and participation in a range of musical activities. You will be expected to show commitment and dedication to developing these skills to a high standard if you choose to study Music post KS3. Students choose to study Music for many different reasons. Since Music involves performance you should be taking lessons on at least one instrument.

Courses Offered

The Revised CCEA GCSE Music course follows a holistic approach to the subject where pupils perform, compose and study music from three Areas of Study i.e. Repeated Patterns in Music, Incidental Music and Vocal Music.

AS/A2 Level

The AS and A2 Level courses allow candidates to choose options according to their musical strengths. During the year they record a composition, prepare for a practical performance and study a wide range of musical styles. The written component of the examination is based on set topics, such as Music for Orchestra 1700-1900, Music for Solo Piano, 1825-1890, Music for Orchestra in the Twentieth Century and New Directions in Twentieth Century Music.