Each year, a limited number of spaces are made available for Fourth Form girls who would like to learn to play a new instrument as part of a free trial scheme, MINIS (MINority Instrument Scheme), which runs through the Autumn and the Spring Terms. There is a long list of instruments available, which is made up of some of the less obvious choices.

On Friday 6th March, senior singers competed for the 2020 Sir Bryn Terfel Song Prize with international mezzo-soprano, Catherine Wyn-Rogers, presiding as adjudicator.

Year 5 and 6 girls from a number of visiting schools were thrilled to learn the authentic choreography from the hit musical, Mamma Mia! at the ‘Hits of Hollywood’ Musical Theatre Workshop, which was hosted by St Mary’s on Tuesday 3rd March.

Just before Half Term, this year’s Fourth Form Music Festival kicked off with the preliminary rounds during Donaldson Week. The Festival is a unique opportunity for Fourth Form girls (Years 7-9) to play or sing a piece they have been working on to a live audience of their peers and a panel of music teachers, regardless of what standard they have reached.

Once again, Junior Consort enjoyed their annual festive visit to The Fairways Retirement Village and Care Home in Chippenham. The girls donned their Christmas attire and brightened up a cold and dreary day with their glittering tinsel, beautiful voices and happy faces. 

On Monday 9th December, the LIV (Year 7) girls made the short walk along the Oxford Road to entertain the residents of Penn Court with some seasonal cheer. Bedecked with Christmas jumpers, tinsel, antlers and hats, there was an array of festive colour on display.

With hundreds of candles glimmering in the dark, the scene was set for the school’s annual Service of Nine Lessons and Carols at St Mary’s Parish Church. 

On Thursday 28th November, an audience of parents and supporters gathered in the Chapel of the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich for the eagerly-anticipated performance of Fauré’s Requiem.  The piece was performed by St Mary’s Chamber Choir and Junior Consort, together with a choir of 25 tenors and basses from Eton College.

Now a regular fixture in the Music Calendar, this year’s Autumn Concert took place in Chapel on Thursday, 14th November, marking the first major outing of the year for all of the school’s major instrumental ensembles.

On the evening of Wednesday 6th November, the Music Scholars came together for their annual gathering, which this year took place in Top Hall. The evening began with solos from two of our UIV Scholars, Deborah and Izzy. Deborah opened with a lovely rendition of Bach’s aria Bist du bei mir, before Izzy gave an atmospheric performance of the opening movement from Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata.

Once again this year we were privileged to have been asked to give a concert for the Calne Music and Arts Festival.

The Cecilia James Company Music Festival took place on Friday 4th October and was adjudicated by Roy Rashbrook, who is a classically trained singer, director of various vocal ensembles and Vicar Choral at St Paul’s Cathedral. 

On Saturday 22nd June, St Mary’s Concert Artists joined Bath Choral Society for an exhilarating concert at
St Mary’s the Virgin, Bathwick. Under the energetic instruction of the much lauded composer himself, Alexander L’Estrange, the girls took part in a brief workshop to hone actions and musicianship for the demands of Zimbe! a choral work involving SATB choir, a youth choir and a jazz quintet.

On Thursday 13th June, St Mary’s Concert Artists performed solo repertoire at a fundraising event at Cadenham Manor, Foxham.

On 4th June, the acclaimed baritone Christopher Purves visited St Mary’s to give a much anticipated masterclass and solo performance in the Chapel. Currently performing at Glyndebourne in the powerful La Damnation de Faust by Berlioz to rave reviews, Christopher made a huge impact working with senior singers on their chosen repertoire.

Some of our LV (Year 10) singers visited Trinity College, Cambridge on 12th-13th May, with a view to finding out more about Choral Scholarships at Cambridge.

On Friday 10th May our Music Scholars presented their annual concert to a supportive audience of family and friends in Chapel.

Saturday 27th April saw the annual ‘Calne Spring Sing’ take place at various venues around the town. As the school’s contribution to this vibrant venture, we sent the LIV (Year 7) Choir to showcase some of their favourite repertoire from the past year.

This year’s concert was held on 22nd March at the Wiltshire Music Centre in Bradford on Avon, in the splendid, sold-out 300-seat concert hall.

On the weekend of 9th March, St Mary’s was one of a number of schools from across the South of England to participate in a Piano Festival at Pangbourne College. Fourteen girls from right across the age range took part, providing them with a wonderful opportunity to play on a Steinway Model D grand piano.