Ellesmere College hits the high notes
Students at a Shropshire school are hitting the high notes in their education.
Ellesmere college is celebrating a string of successes in music competitions for individual pupils and its choirs and musical ensembles.
Director of Music, Tony Coupe, says music has the power to transform lives and inspires students to aim for the very highest standard.
Concerts
In the last year, the colleges choirs were finalists in the Barnardo’s National Choir Competition at the Royal Festival Hall and the BBC Young Choir of the Year Competition, televised on BBC One. They also performed concerts and services at St. Peter’s Basilica and the Pantheon in Rome, the amphitheatre at Pompeii, St George’s Chapel Windsor and Queen’s College Oxford.
There are five choirs at the College, including Lower School Choir, Chapel Choir, Chamber Choir, Coro Lux and the College Choral Society.
The college also won an Education Business award for music last year.
Mr Coupe said: "Regular rehearsals alongside a broad and challenging repertoire provide a foundation upon which anything is possible. Singing is about feeling inspired as a performer to communicate something to your audience which has the power to move them."
Skill
The music department encourages students to perform as soloists and within ensembles as part of an all-round music education. Many students sing and play an instrument, each skill supporting the other.
In 2017, Mr Coupe launched Ellesmere Sinfonia, a community orchestra to perform alongside the Choral Society. They will be performing Handel’s Messiah tomorrow at the College.
Support of the arts is also seen with scholarships, bursaries and awards and the organ scholarship is currently open for applications.
It was also the first independent school to be awarded this Platinum Arts Mark, for its provision to the arts.
"Many of the ensembles are managed and led by students with coaching support from the instrumental staff. This requires hard work, good communication, positive working relationships, emotional intelligence and trust – all necessary components of an effective musician," Mr Coupe said.
"I would encourage everyone to take part in or go and see live music as often as possible. You would be most welcome to join us at the College for ‘The Five Choirs Concert’ on May 10."
