Subjects: Performing Arts (Music; Drama; Dance)

Overview

Music, drama and dance feature prominently in the life of the school, with opportunities for anyone who wants to be involved.  We put on a full programme of activities and performances each term.

  Music

Music is a flourishing part of school life. The department's resources  easily rival those of some universities, whilst at the same time we pride ourselves on keeping up-to-date with the latest technology. We  have complete facilities for digital recording and post-production editing, and students will be able to learn these techniques for themselves.

Choral music is strong. There are 3 choirs; one for Years 7 and 8, one for all Years, and one for auditioned singers. The sixth form college also runs its own Madrigal Group. All choirs have been regularly successful in the local Mid-Somerset Music Festival, often winning 1st place. There is a very popular biennial Choir tour, and in recent years they have visited Prague, Kracow, Rome (where they sang a Mass in St Peter’s Basilica), and Paris (including a performance at Notre Dame Cathedral).  . A growing number of current students are members of the National Youth Choir, whilst several others belong to the renowned Bath Abbey Girls’ Choir. The annual Carol Service in Bath Abbey is a wonderful opportunity to sing and celebrate Christmas in England’s last great medieval church.

Instrumentalists can choose to join any of our performing groups; the Orchestra, Wind Band, or Swing Band – all coached enthusiastically by Mr Dave Pegler. We also have Rock Bands, a String Orchestra and the much-admired violin Ceilidh Band.  Several members of the Orchestra also play in the auditioned Schools Philharmonic Orchestra.    Concerts take place each term, whilst Informal concerts are held monthly in either the Music Department or in the Library over lunch.

There is a major whole-school musical production every 2 years, and professional-quality performances playing to full houses, have included “Grease”, “My Fair Lady”, “The Wizard of Oz”, “Carmina Burana”, Fauré’s Requiem, Mozart’s challenging “The Magic Flute”, and a visually and vocally stunning “The Mikado”.

Pupils are entered for Associated Board and Trinity Guildhall exams, and Merits and Distinctions are the norm here. The 20 or so peripatetic Music staff are exceptionally experienced and gifted teachers, and are able to offer reliable and enthusiastic tuition in all the usual instruments, as well as drum-kit, harp, and electric guitar.

Technology mixes well with more orthodox music-making here. We have a Keyboard Suite containing 12 PCs loaded with both Sibelius 4 and Cubase SE, as well as copies of the popular sound-editing Audacity throughout the school’s intranet.  An overhead projector is also installed here.

Years 7-9

These years provide the foundation years for GCSE and beyond. To begin with, key skills for performing are learnt and practised, including solo and group-work, involving mini-performances in class. In Year 7, there are “taster” lessons for one term, given by the peripatetic staff, so that you can try out an instrument and – who knows, perhaps become the next Jamie Cullum or Vanessa Mae! Also in Year 7, music notation is tackled through theory and practice. In Years 8 and 9, the world of computer music is opened up, and projects using sequencing and composing allow you to go modern, hip-hop, cool, or even retro!

Years 10&11 (GCSE)

You can by now build on your interests, be they performing, composing, or listening, and the Edexcel specification allows you to specialise strongly through coursework, covering a world-wide study of music. Technology can play a large part, and it is possible to gain even the highest grade in the exam without singing or playing a note on an instrument, though you do need to be able to read music fluently! Traditionalists will find the course just as rewarding as those with contemporary tastes.  The sky’s the limit for you as a performer, and if you have reached Grade 4 or above by the end of Year 11 you are sure to gain a high mark at performance in GCSE.

Drama

Drama is a highly popular subject within the school; you will have the opportunity to study it in Years 7 - 9 and take it as an option for GCSE, A Level and IB. We also offer a range of extracurricular productions which would enable you to take part in at least two performances a year. We have a thriving and steadily growing Production Support team of students (for those who prefer back stage involvement) which is run by a full time technician. We have a strong history of pupils achieving places in the National Youth, and Youth Music Theatres and many go on to train at Drama School either as performers or technicians.

Production opportunities include the annual School Play which is open to all year groups, the Lunchbox Theatre performances for those in Year 10 & 11, the summer play for those from Years 7 - 9 and two productions for sixth form theatre company, ‘bathos' run in partnership with Beechen Cliff School. 

Speech & Drama is a popular extra with many pupils entered for LAMDA and Trinity exams, as well as the annual Midsomerset Festival in the Spring.

Facilities

We have a new Performing Arts Centre, following the conversion and refurbishment of the Old Chapel building. It is a marvellous facility for drama and music productions. We also have the Memorial Hall Theatre with tiered seating.  These two venues are also used for teaching. There is an expanding wardrobe and props storage.

Staff

Head of Drama: Ben Pender BA (Hons) English  PgDip in Contemporary Literature at King Alfred's College. (Directs Whole chool Play and Bathos, the Sixth Form Theatre Company)

Key Stage 3 Co-ordinator: Joanne Bailey BA (Hons) English, Stirling University, PGCE Lancaster University, Postgraduate Certificate in Theatre & Performance Studies, Manchester University.                                      (Assists with productions and supervises Drama Clubs) 

Performing Arts Technician: Rebbecca Key BA (Hons) Technical and Production Arts at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, Glasgow.

Years 7 - 9

You will discover that at the Royal High School, Drama is an essential subject for the curriculum. It involves you in both practical and analytical work. Throughout every lesson you will be both ‘doing' and ‘thinking', developing your imagination and creativity, learning new skills and achieving a greater understanding of the theatre art form.

Drama is taught weekly to Year 7's and in a half term carousel with Music for Year 8 & 9's.

The Lower School Curriculum is all about understanding how to create imaginative drama and theatre. In Year 7, you will learn how to construct and communicate stories using a variety of techniques and forms from different theatre genres. In Year 8, the course will take you through all the processes of creating and interpreting character, and in Year 9 the focus is on exploring a specific genre of theatre - The Commedia del Arte. This will include learning the techniques and style of performance, constructing your own production and performing this in an annual competition. Those of you who do not want to act, are given a short course on all the different areas of production support and create the designs, costumes and lighting plots, and run the final performances. Pupils from Year 9 also help to lead a workshop on Commedia for local Primary schools.

Years 10 & 11 (GCSE)

Drama is an exciting option for you in Years10 & 11, and the school follows the Edexcel course. Through this you can build on your previous experience and deepen your understanding of the structure and language of drama. In response to exciting projects and topics, you will continue to improve your performance or design skills, responding to different stimulus material, and create your own theatre, looking at plays, poems, newspaper articles, themes and issues through improvisation, research and sustained rehearsal.

You will be able to audition for the Upper School Theatre Company and take part in Lunchbox Theatre productions either as actors, writers, directors or designers both in the school and occasionally as part of National festivals.

Dance

Dance is at present taught to students in the lower school as part of their PE provision, but you will also be able to take it as a GCSE option. Here it is taught by a dance specialist. You will be able to join in the many dance clubs and activities, perform at the Dance Show in January and audition for the newly launched Dance Company. This would enable you to perform also in many local events and different theatre venues.