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Music at Thornhill College Introduction Thornhill College has a long tradition of producing young musicians who continue their music studies at universities and music colleges both north and south of Ireland and in England. Our school offers Music at Key Stage 3, GCSE and A-Level. Extra curricular activities have always played an important part in the life of music in the school, and Thornhill College has two choirs, an orchestra, an Irish traditional music group and various instrumental ensembles which provide the music for school functions such as the School Mass, concerts and the annual Prize-giving, as well as competing in local Feiseanna. The School employs one music teacher to teach piano. The facilities in our new school building are first class. As well as three well-equipped classrooms there are also three rooms for ensemble rehearsals and two dedicated tutor rooms. All of our classrooms are equipped with internet access and we have a hi-tech recording suite.
This course incorporates the fundamental musical activities of
The three elements are taught in a holistic manner through three areas of study which encompass Music for Celebration, Musical Arrangements and Musical Traditions in Ireland;
A-level Music Music is a popular course of study at A-level. It can involve a study of a variety of styles including classical, folk, jazz, traditional, pop etc. There are two study routes: Route 1 : AS-level
A2-level
Route 2 : AS-level
A2-level
Instrument Tuition Instrument tuition is provided at Thornhill College by the WELB team of qualified instrument tutors. All orchestral and band instruments are catered for. Pupils need not necessarily have to possess their own instruments as these can be loaned from WELB. There is also an assisted purchase scheme operated by the board. Lessons take place once per week at Thornhill College during school hours. Annual fees are payable to WELB according to the number of students in your child's tutor group. If you would like further information, please consult the WELBs own website.
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The Musical Life of the School The School Choirs We are proud of our rich musical history at Thornhill College which has been graced over the years by our school choirs. We have two main school choirs, the Junior Choir (up to Year 10) and a Senior Choir. Our Senior Choir has achieved a fantastic reputation including many national and international successes in recent years. The Derry Feis Each year we prepare pupils for individual and group performances at the Derry Feis. Each year our pupils achieve many awards. The School Orchestra The School Orchestra includes brass, woodwind, strings, piano, harp and percussion. It rehearses and performs regularly each year both in the school and at outside events. The orchestra provides a fabulous opportunity for musicians to play together and all instrumentalists are encouraged to join. The School Musical Every two years Thornhill College stages a major musical production. In
2002/3, "The Sound of Music" was
widely acclaimed.
In 2005, the school
staged a production of "West Side Story". Other Events The Music Department provides music for the many liturgical services during the year, including an annual Christmas Carol Concert to which parents are invited. There are also recitals and musical evenings held each year which have now become a mainstay of our musical calendar. Musical Ensembles We have a number of smaller musical ensembles, including a string quartet and a recorder group. All rehearse and perform regularly. KS3 Music Each pupil in Years 8, 9 and 10 is timetabled for Music lessons every week. Our philosophy is that all pupils are potentially musical and we wish to foster the musical abilities of all whilst also nurturing a lifelong appreciation of music. All our pupils have experiences in both making and responding to music. At Key Stage 3 our pupils are encouraged to develop their musicianship and self-confidence through a wide range of individual and group music-making activities. All pupils are given opportunities to develop their composing, performing and listening skills. They are also encouraged to express, through the music they compose and perform, their ideas and feelings about themselves and the world around them. We expose our pupils to a wide variety of music and encourage them to listen to unfamiliar music with open and enquiring minds.
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