Musicians tune in
This year has been another busy, fulfilling and successful one for students and staff in the music department. There have been many highlights, including some excellent exam results on a wide range of instruments and voice with over 90 students entering external exams with the Associated Board of The Royal Schools of Music or Trinity Guildhall.
The department calendar contained the usual series of concerts, recitals and other performances. Several events took place outside school, including some excellent performances at the Mrs Sunderland Competition.
The full choir was awarded first place and also the Arthur Rooke trophy for best overall performance on the day for Fix You. The junior choir was awarded joint second place and the senior choir came in second place in their respective categories.
Our big band supported the totally locally campaign by entertaining shoppers in Brighouse in the run up to Christmas and our musicians of all ages have continued their programme of visits to our associate schools, performing in assemblies and inspiring younger students to get involved with music.
The department runs a talented musician programme offering 16 places for students in year six wishing to join Rastrick High School. The programme is an admissions opportunity for students who do not attend one of our associate schools or do not meet criteria’s 1-3 in our admissions policy, but have a talent in music or voice.
The culmination of the musical year is the RHS Music Festival, run over three days and concluding with the festival concert on Friday, June 26 at Central Methodist Church, Brighouse from 7pm.
The concert will feature the finals of the RHS young musician of the year following two extremely full and exciting days as students of brass, woodwind, string, guitar, voice, keyboard and percussion do their best to impress our guest adjudicator, Mr Tom Greatorex. The concert will also feature a varied programme of pieces from the choirs, big band and concert band and the presentation of two annual awards, the Eddie Noble award, kindly donated by the Brighouse and Rastrick Band and the H M Lennie award, which is given to the key stage five pupil who has shown exceptional commitment to extra-curricular music at school.
It has been a most rewarding year for all concerned and we wish all our musicians good luck with their exam results and a fond farewell to students moving on to higher education or employment.
Further information is available on our website at www.rastrick.calderdale.sch.uk