String opportunities
String Starters (formally Capel Strings)
- Saturday, 9.00 – 9.45am.
- For Key Stage 2 children who have been learning between 1–2 terms and feel confident holding their bow, playing individual strings and bowing up and down.
- This is a first ensemble experience and is an introduction to orchestral playing skills.
- £52 per term (term time only).
Junior Strings
- Saturday, 10.00 – 10.45am.
- This orchestra follows on from String Starters and is for players at grade 1–3 standard or equivalent.
- A wide range of repertoire is rehearsed and performed.
- As well as practising the strings skills you have already learned, students will learn the elements of ensemble playing.
- £52 per term (term time only).
String Works
- Saturday, 11.00am – 12 noon.
- Minimum grade 3.
- Requires good sight-reading skills and some position shifting.
- As well as practising all the string skills that they have learned, the players learn formal aspects of orchestral playing and have a lot of fun.
- £52 per term (term time only).
WSM Sinfonia
- Saturday, 12 noon – 1.15pm.
- Minimum grade 5.
- For string, woodwind and brass players with good sight-reading skills who wish to gain orchestral experience.
- Confident position shifting and some vibrato required.
- £52 per term (term time only).
Senior strings
- Friday, 6.00 – 6.45pm.
- Minimum standard of grade 7.
- For experienced orchestral players who wish to tackle professional string orchestra repertoire and perform to a high level.
- A well rounded technique with confident shifting into all positions is needed and well developed vibrato skills.
- Cost included in the Youth Orchestra fee.
Watford School of Music Youth Orchestra
- Friday, 6.00 – 8.30pm
- Grade 7 and above.
- Entry by teacher recommendation or by informal audition.
- Standard full symphony orchestra repertoire is studied in full and in sectional rehearsals.
- This orchestra is for all students from the Watford, Three Rivers, Bushey and Radlett area. You don't need to study at Watford School of Music to join.
- £69 per term (term time only).
Wind and brass opportunities
Junior Wind Ensemble
- Tuesday, 5.00 – 5.45pm.
- For beginner to grade 3, children in Key Stage 2 and above.
- This is a great first experience for playing in a wind band.
- £52 per term (term time only).
Concert Band
- Tuesday, 5.55 – 6.55pm.
- For players who are grade 3 standard and above.
- We play a range of music from television and film music to traditional wind band repertoire.
- £52 per term (term time only).
Senior Wind Ensemble
- Friday, 6.00 – 6.45pm.
- Grade 7 and above.
- For advanced wind players who would like to enhance their ensemble playing skills.
- Cost included in the Youth Orchestra fee.
Adult Wind Band
- Monday, 8.00 – 9.15pm.
- We welcome all woodwind, brass and percussion players of grade 5 to 8 standard.
- £62 per term (term time only).
Senior Brass Ensemble
- Friday, 6.00 – 6.45pm.
- Grade 7 and above.
- For advanced brass players who would like to enhance their ensemble playing skills.
- Cost included in the Youth Orchestra fee.
Watford School of Music Youth Orchestra
- Friday, 6.00 – 8.30pm
- Grade 7 and above.
- Entry by teacher recommendation or by informal audition.
- Standard full symphony orchestra repertoire is studied in full and in sectional rehearsals.
- This orchestra is for all students from the Watford, Three Rivers, Bushey and Radlett area. You don't need to study at Watford School of Music to join.
- £69 per term (term time only)
Percussion opportunities
Junior Percussion Ensemble
- Tuesday, 4.00 – 4.30pm.
- Ideally suited to year 5, 6 and 7 students who have some beat and rhythm experience and want to learn a wide variety of percussion instruments in an ensemble setting.
- £52 per term (term time only).
Senior Percussion Ensemble
- Thursday, 6.15 – 7.00pm.
- For year 7 and above students who are approximately grade 5 on their instruments.
- This ensemble is also the percussion section of our Youth Orchestra.
- £52 per term (term time only).
WSM Sinfonia and WSM Youth Orchestra
- There are opportunities for orchestral percussionists in both these orchestras.
Guitarist opportunities
Rock Up
- Thursday, 5.30 - 6.15pm.
- Students work as a whole class, in groups and by themselves to create their own music and work out how to perform pop and rock standards.
- This will be open to all instrumentalists and vocalists in Year 5 and above.
- £43 per term (term time only).
Guitar Works
- Thursday, 4.30 – 5pm, Guitar Works 1 – group lessons for beginner guitarists Year 4 and above.
- Thursday, 5.00 – 5.30pm, Guitar Works 2 – group lessons for students who can already play at least 5 chords and change with ease.
- £43 per term (term time only).
Guitar Project (for adults)
- Wednesday, 7.30 – 9.00pm.
- An ensemble for adults of grade 2 standard or above, although exams are not necessary.
- All styles from classical to world music to rock are covered.
- All guitar types are welcome: acoustic, classical, electric, bass.
- Music notation is used, but tab is available if required.
- £69 per term (term time only).
Singing
Watford Junior Singers
- Saturday, 11.30am – 12.15pm.
- This choir is for all children in Year 3 and over.
- Come and sing and have lots of fun exploring songs from all around the world in many different styles.
- You don't need to be able to read music or be learning an instrument.
- £43 per term (term time only).
- Free for Sing, Make, Play students.
Watford Chamber Choir
Watford Community One Voice Choir
- Thursday, 7.30 – 9.15pm.
- This is a community choir for adults.
- This choir is organised and facilitated by members of the One Voice Choir - please email watfordmusicenquiries@hertfordshire.gov.uk for more information
Music for babies, toddlers, Nursery, Foundation and Key Stage 1
Dalcroze Eurhythmics
Eurhythmics offers a very good basis for children preparing to take up an instrument and complementing what they learn in music lessons and at Key Stage 1.
It's a method of learning about music by using the whole body: listening, starting and stopping, rhythm, pitch, dynamics, beat, pulse, phrasing, notation and composition.
These classes are designed to introduce children to the world of music through movement, singing, rhythms, untuned percussion, aural training and quick response games.
The benefits of these classes include improved listening and co-ordination skills, simple notation to help children prepare for reading music, and group / solo activities to build confidence.
0–3 years olds
- Wednesday, 10.30 – 11.15am.
- Only this class is drop-in.
- £5 per child per session. £8.50 for 2 siblings per session.
Nursery/Reception
- Monday, 4.00 – 4.45pm.
- The children must be accompanied by an adult.
- All classes are in term time only and consist of 10 x 45 minute sessions.
- £52 per term (term time only).
Year 1 and 2
- Monday, 4.00 – 4.45pm.
- All classes are in term time only and consist of 10 x 45 minute sessions.
- £52 per term (term time only).
Explore Music Reception
- Saturday, 10.00 – 10.30am.
- Our music programme for Reception.
- Children sing, dance and play simple percussion instruments, as well as creating their own music.
- £43 per term (term time only)
Explore Music Year 1
- Saturday, 10.00 – 10.30am.
- Our music programme for Year 1.
- Children sing, dance and play simple percussion instruments, as well as creating their own music.
- £43 per term (term time only)
Explore Music Year 2
- Saturday: 9.00 – 9.30am or 9.30 - 10.00am.
- Our music programme for Year 2
- Children do all the activities from Explore Music Reception/year 1, and begin to play the recorder.
- £43 per term (term time only)
Opportunities for Key Stage 2
Sing, Make, Play
- Saturday, 9.00 – 11.30am
- For children aged 7 and above.
- SING! – warm up session for all KS2 children.
- MAKE! – children create and perform their own music in their year groups.
- PLAY!
- Year 3 children learn to play recorder and violin.
- Year 4 children learn to play recorder and tabla.
- Year 5 and 6 children learn to play tabla and play in a band.
- EXTRA PLAY! – Watford Junior Singers, 11.30am – 12.15pm.
- £69 per term (term time only).