Music

“Music binds us together with invisible threads”

Medbury School has an excellent reputation for its music programme, both choral and instrumental, and enjoys strong support from the School community. A highlight of the School calendar is the annual music evening that showcases some of the Medbury's top musical talent.
All boys receive a thorough grounding in musical education, and many undertake to learn an instrument.

Medbury has an experienced Music Director who is supported by another specialist music teacher and twelve instrumental tutors who number among the best professional musicians in the South Island. Instrumental tuition starts in Year 5. The School has a well equipped music teaching room, keyboard laboratory, percussion/orchestra room and performance auditorium, all purpose built. Its three practice rooms are kept busy with more than 100 individual music lessons each week.

An extensive calendar of musical events spans the school year, including Music Tours to the North Island to sing and attend musical workshops at Auckland Preparatory Schools, cushion concerts as part of the Tuesdays at 5 programme, music evenings including the Christchurch Schools Music Festival, and House Singing competitions. Every two years Year 7 and 8 boys perform a Musical with a professional director. Recent years’ Musicals have been “Bugsy Malone” and “Pirates of Penzance” and "Peter Pan".

Musical scholarships to follow-on secondary schools are available, and since 1997, 10 Medbury School boys have achieved music scholarships.

The Director of Music may be contacted by email - Click Here

Musical Tuition

Medbury has twelve specialist instrumental tutors who between them teach a wide range of musical instruments. In general, the School will do its utmost to find a tutor to enable a boy to learn any orchestral instrument of his choice. Tuition is currently available in the following instruments:

Medbury Choirs

Medbury has three established choirs, the Junior Choir, the Chapel Choir and the Medbury Chorus for unauditioned voices. In addition all boys regularly attend a singing assembly.

Boys from Year 6 to 8 are voice tested in the search for the 26 choristers who make up the Chapel Choir. The head chorister, assisted by the deputy head chorister, leads the choir as it performs regularly at St Barnabas Church and other functions such as weddings and fundraising concerts. The Medbury Chorus has performed with the Christchurch Symphony and its Christmas Carol performances have been televised.

Medbury School Orchestra
The Medbury School Orchestra has 30 members who all play orchestral instruments. The Orchestra plays at School and community events and the boys respond enthusiastically to the challenge and opportunity of performing at this level. Chamber Music tuition for quartet and trio chamber ensembles is available, and the School also has a concert band, a percussion ensemble, a brass ensemble - all tutored by professional musicians.