Hampton School Music Department is committed to providing boys with a full range of opportunities at all levels. Practical music-making holds a unique place in the cultural heart of the School and excellence in performance comes from both the motivation and commitment of the Music Staff, and the skills and abilities of the pupils themselves.
The range of music covered at Hampton is extensive and gives extraordinary scope for raising pupils’ awareness and appreciation of music from around the world, past and present.
Teaching
Music is taught in the ‘Garrick’, a purpose built and recently refurbished music facility. It accommodates:
- The Music Hall, a large rehearsal and teaching space which is equipped with 13 iMacs and a Steinway grand piano
- The Keyboard Room with 26 Yamaha keyboards set up for individual use
- Two further rooms for teaching with 26 further iMacs
- 10 practice rooms for individual instrumental lessons, including a drum room and orchestral percussion suite
Music is compulsory in the First and Second Years. From the Third Year onwards pupils can opt for the subject and Music is a very popular option amongst boys at Hampton both at GCSE and A Level.
Co-curricular classes are offered in Music Theory and Aural in preparation for ABRSM exams.
Performance
Hampton School offers an outstanding range of opportunities for musical performance in a wide range of genres. Each term culminates in a showcase concert (with two at Christmas!) and there are other concerts throughout the year, including rock concerts, chamber music concerts and occasional concerts devoted to individual instrumental families (keyboard, strings, woodwind and brass). The School Choir sings a Christmas Carol Service at St Mary’s Church, Hampton, and the Jazz and Swing Bands have annual external concerts in the summer at Garrick’s Temple (by the Thames) and Jazz in the Park (with the Richmond Schools Jazz Band).
School concerts take place in The Hammond Theatre which is a performing facility to rival any School in the country. This remarkable building doubles as a theatre and concert hall and is equipped with acoustic panels that can change the sound from the clear, dry conditions required for the spoken word, to the warmer, reverberant atmosphere suited to music. The Hammond also has an orchestra pit, making it ideal for musical theatre.
