Bath Festivals Initiative Promotes Orchestral Music to Pupils

A new initiative spearheaded by Bath Festivals is bringing live orchestral music to young pupils at Kingswood. During the four-week programme, Year 7 pupils are immersing themselves in the world of orchestral instruments, guided by professional musicians. 

Each Friday the pupils have had the opportunity to meet with musicians who have demonstrated the full range of orchestral instruments, including all four families: strings, woodwind, brass and percussion. This experience has allowed them to explore the rich variety of sounds within the orchestra and hear the timbre of each instrument up close, as well enjoy the incredible performances given by the professionals. The partnership has not only benefitted Kingswood pupils but has also allowed for the workshops to also be delivered at St Mark’s School in Bath, extending the musical opportunity to even more pupils in the community. 

The workshops that have been organised in partnership with Bath Festivals were fortuitously timed, as this year, the Kingswood’s Music Department have designed an entirely new curriculum for every Year 7 pupil to learn to play an orchestral instrument. With professional guidance and resources provided from our Music staff, pupils have discovered their musical talents and nurtured their skills. The initiative has been made possible by a generous legacy donation from a former Kingswood pupil. The donation has funded the resourcing of instruments and equipment to allow each pupil access to an orchestral instrument with a wide range on offer – clarinet, violin, viola, cello, trumpet and trombone.  

Kingswood’s Director of Music, Andy Barton, said: “This is a wonderful opportunity for our pupils to experience orchestral music in a way that is both educational and inspiring. We are very grateful for the generous donation that has made this possible. The chance to engage with acoustic, orchestral instruments is something many of our pupils might not have experienced otherwise and the workshops with the visiting professionals have been inspirational for our pupils. I’d like to thank Evelyn Strasburger for her brilliant organisation and support – it's been a wonderful project to be part of.” 

The initiative has been met with enthusiasm by both pupils and teachers alike, with Year 7 pupils expressing excitement about the prospect of learning a new instrument and experiencing orchestral music first-hand. Ralph said, “At the start of the term we were struggling to even play a single note on the clarinet, and now we can all play full pieces together in time. We've had a blast and I’m looking forward to improving my skills even more!” Aila-Mae said, “I really like playing the cello as it’s fun and you can get lost in the sound of the instrument”. Kitty added, “The workshops have been really great, seeing how the instruments are played by professionals. It was an extraordinary experience, and we were mesmerised by their talent and skill.”