Westminster Under School has an outstanding reputation for Music. The well-equipped department comprises a full-time Director of Music and two part-time Assistant Directors. Twenty-five peripatetic Music teachers, including specialists in jazz and music technology, enable us to arrange individual tuition on most instruments and, of course, in singing. Nearly all boys in the school choose to learn at least one instrument and the emphasis is on enjoyment at all levels. A free tuition scheme during a boy's first term at the Under School ensures that all have the opportunity to experience learning and playing an instrument of their choice.
Group music making is hugely encouraged and, for boys in Years 3-5, there is a junior choir and orchestra. The senior choir, Westminster Boys' Choir, and senior orchestra cater for boys in years 6-8. There is also a wind band, “The Pink Panthers”, a jazz ensemble, brass group, guitar consorts, percussion ensembles and several smaller chamber groups for all ages. Westminster Boys' Choir tours abroad every other year - South America in 2007 and the U.S.A. in 2009 - and makes frequent appearances in London concerts. Their CD recordings have been featured on radio and they were finalists in the 2008 BBC Radio 3 Choir of the Year Competition. The Under School also provides the choristers for St Margaret’s Church, Westminster Abbey, the historic church of Parliament. At least one of the school's dramatic productions each year is a musical and the annual music competition, which gives every boy in the school an opportunity to display his musical talents, culminates in a grand summer concert in St John's, Smith Square.
We offer Music scholarships to talented musicians entering the school at the 11+ entry point and these are also available to pupils already at the school. The school also has an outstanding record of boys winning Music awards at 13+ to Westminster, St Paul's and Eton. For further information concerning Music awards, please contact the Director of Music, Jeremy Walker, at jeremy.walker@westminster.org.uk.
