Music

At The British School of Beijing, opportunities abound for the exploration, development and refinement of musical expression. Enriching musical education is a key component of the curriculum from Foundation Stage through to the completion of Key Stage Three. Music can also be studied as an optional subject from the commencement of International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) courses in Year Ten; followed by further in depth study at A level, Year 12 and 13 (Key Stage Five).

Music Department Staff
Name	Position	E-mail Address
Mrs. Jennie Grierson	Director of Music and Performing Arts	jennie.grierson@britishschool.org.cn
Mr. Paul England	Assistant Director of Music and Head of Secondary Music	paul.england@britishschool.org.cn
Mrs. Jennie Grierson	Head of Primary Music	jennie.grierson@britishschool.org.cn
Mrs. Vera Mitford	Teacher of Primary Music	vera.mitford@britishschool.org.cn
Mr. Christopher Ward	Music Teaching Assistant	christopher.ward@britishschool.org.cn

A central principle behind the teaching of Music is opportunity and experience for all. Our line-up of talented music specialists strives to produce work of the highest quality while fostering a deep appreciation and love of a wide variety of musical styles. In addition to class work, our Music Department also runs a wide range of instrumental and vocal ensembles, enabling students to perform with their peers (please see below). The work they do is supported by visiting instrumental tutors, who deliver private lessons on site as part of our Individual Music Programme. This Programme enables any student within the school to receive tuition on an instrument of their choice; the student receives one thirty-minute lesson per week, equating to ten lessons every term. Further details on the Programme are available from the Music Department or by clicking the link below.

Please see our Music booklet for more information

Instrumental Teacher Details
Name	Tuition Provided	E-mail Address
Ai Jin	Violin	aj1016@hotmail.com
Maggie Zhou	Violin, Cello & Piano	maggie_hazz@yahoo.com.cn
Annie Gao	Piano	annie_piano@sohu.com
Kristin Koh	Piano	kristinkoh@yahoo.com
Zhang Yuan	Piano	zhangyuan_jingyi@yahoo.com.cn
Nicolas Dimakopoulos	Guitar & Drums	guitarnicolas134@yahoo.com
Star Zhang	Flute	zhangweiflute@hotmail.com
Joyce Liu	Clarinet & Saxophone	joyliu17@hotmail.com
Samson Wang	Trumpet	sunshinelovechina@yahoo.com.cn
Junzhuo Wang	Voice	wangjunzhuo@googlemail.com
Shirley Wang	Guzheng	wang.jing0507@163.com

Within the Primary School, the Music Department operates the Primary Instrumental Programme (PIPs) which enables every student from Reception through to Year Six to study a musical instrument. Tuition is delivered by specialist instrumental tutors in two thirty-minute sessions per week. The Programme is showcased in an annual concert held at the School: ‘Music Circus’ presents every Primary School student - from both our campuses - with the opportunity to perform on their specific instrument in front of their parents. Further details on PIPs are available from the Music Department.

Primary Instrumental Programme
Year Group	Instrument Studied
Reception	Sopranino Recorder
Year One	Descant Recorder
Year Two	Keyboard Percussion
Year Three & Year Four	Violin Cello
Year Five & Year Six	Flute Clarinet Trumpet

The musical ensembles available at The British School of Beijing come with an open invitation to all. We firmly believe that there is something for everyone; furthermore, through the experiences of participating in these ensembles, we are of no doubt that we are nurturing the musicians of tomorrow. The list below identifies and details some of the ensembles currently in operation; however, we provide encouragement to students who wish to form their own ensembles within the School, e.g. a Rock Band or a Clarinet Choir comprised of Year Six PIPs students.

Musical Ensembles
Ensemble	Description
Junior Choir	The Junior Choir meets weekly during a Primary lunchtime. We rehearse a varied repertoire - from slow ballads to groovy syncopated pop hits - in preparation for the many performance opportunities that come our way.
Junior Chamber Choir	The Junior Chamber Choir meets once a week, during Primary lunchtimes, and is a selective ensemble. The most talented and committed singers from Years Five and Six on both campuses are invited to join and we perform a wide range of challenging choral music.
Junior String Ensemble	The Junior String Ensemble meets for an hour a week and talented string players from Years Four to Six are invited to join. Everything from classical to pop is covered: one moment you’re playing Rossini’s “William Tell Overture”, the next it’s Coldplay’s “Yellow”.
Advanced Wind Ensemble	This ensemble is a new opportunity for intermediate to advanced instrumentalists to exceed and improve their ensemble skills in a chamber music environment. The repertoire to date includes uniquely-written arrangements of everything from Mozart to Gershwin.
Senior Choir	If you like to sing and you’re in the Secondary School, we extend a warm invitation to join the Choir. We rehearse twice a week during Secondary lunchtimes. Our repertoire varies incredibly due to the many different performances we are asked to partake in throughout the year, both in and outside of school. You are quite likely to hear us singing anything from Harrison’s “Something”, to Parry’s “Jerusalem”, to “Better Days” by the Goo Goo Dolls.
Senior Chamber Choir	This choir is by invitation or audition only. We focus on complex arrangements of popular music, often with demanding harmony parts. Opportunities are provided to feature soloists from time to time.
Jazz Ensemble	The Jazz Ensemble focuses on creating arrangements of various jazz standards but with an improvised element. It is a chance for students to play in a smaller group where every player has a distinctly different but interrelated role. The ensemble also provides an opportunity for the students to perform with the Music Department staff and extend their knowledge of the jazz genre, as well as widening their technical skills.
Jazz Orchestra	We are a large wind ensemble focussing purely on jazz repertoire. We allow some of the more advanced instrumentalists to solo or improvise within composed structures. You are invited to join if you are a wind player of more than one year’s experience and are keen to participate in what could be your first instrumental ensemble.
Girl Bands/Boy Bands	If you want to try your hand at something a little more intimate and contemporary, then maybe forming or joining one of our Girl Bands/Boy Bands is just for you. We assist you in locating similar voices to sing with and finding the correct repertoire to suit the ensemble. Our current Girl Band, in the Secondary School, is really pushing the boundaries of musical excellence with their intricate, yet beautiful, three-part harmony arrangement of “Make Someone Happy”.

Major musical performances - directed by Music Department staff, instrumental specialists and mounted with the on-going support of class teachers - are staged at many levels throughout the School calendar. Primary and Secondary School concerts take place biannually, in the Autumn and Spring terms. These performances feature all of the ensembles within the school, as well as several soloists who have shown promise and excelled in their ability to confidently perform. Christmas Productions and several Carol Evenings ensure we are full of the festive spirit before we break for the holidays. In recent years, our Choirs have accepted invitations to sing at various prestigious functions, including the honour of presenting carols for his Excellency, the British Ambassador.

Other musical events which take place throughout the year include: the aforementioned Music Circus which showcases our Primary Instrumental Programme (PIPs), both Primary and Secondary House Music Competitions, a talent contest dubbed BSB Idol, Music Workshops aimed at all Key Stages, large scale Summer Productions featuring all aspects of Performing Arts within the School and providing musical entertainment for the celebrated Prize-giving Ceremony which closes every academic year. Here, we have named but a few. Throughout the year, special evenings are arranged in which to host professional visiting musicians/ensembles or indeed feature our talented Music Scholars. Further details on the Secondary School Music Scholarship Programme are available from the Music Department.