MUSIC AT THE HILLS
It has been so good to finally get things restarted after the pandemic, and the music department has been busy this summer term making up for lost time.
Mrs Frost and Mrs Simpson have been very excited to get The Hills School Choir relaunched and have thoroughly enjoyed seeing the children after school on a Tuesday.
We have worked hard this term preparing for the Sing Up Digichoir, and the children did us proud when we recorded them singing for this event.
We are hoping for some new recruits in September from all KS2 year groups (3-6) as we prepare for Young Voices, when we will take the choir and parents to a concert in Birmingham of the biggest choir in the world, with special guest this year of Heather Small.
It has been exciting promoting music through a series of workshops and visitors into school. Years 2 and 3 attended an African drumming workshop in June and all had fun playing djembes and learning more about African drumming and playing together.
Mr King from Goldington Academy visited the year 4’s to support work they were doing on Indian music in the classroom. He had the whole year performing an Indian piece which included a drone on the piano, tala patterns on the drums and various improvisations on other drums. The children benefited from this experience greatly.
The Year 6 were treated to a day of steel pans run by Music for Bedford Borough. In a couple of focussed sessions, each class learnt the correct technique of playing steel pans and practised a short piece to be performed to their parents at their Year 6 Leavers Assembly that day. They did an excellent job and worked hard to achieve this in such a short time. They also performed some poems and shared their Primary school memories, and a few talented musicians performed instrumental solos on piano, guitar, flute and saxophone before the whole year sang their Leavers song ‘See You Again’ which probably didn’t leave many dry eyes. We all wish them all the best in the future as they sadly leave The Hills.
Finally, we have a skilled team of peripatetic music teachers who come into school to teach our young musicians. We offer strings; violin, viola, cello and guitar, brass; trumpet, trombone and French horn, woodwind; clarinet, saxophone, and flute, as well as piano. Some instrumental teachers currently have a waiting list, but please let Mrs Frost know if your child is interested in learning an instrument and a form can be sent home at the beginning of term. Lessons are mainly offered from year 3 onwards due to hand size.
Instruments can be hired for a nominal cost from Bedford Borough, but there is a charge for lessons.
Recorder club will be starting up again in September for Year 3’s and 4’s.