Choristers & Ensembles

“At Willington we believe that music is for all and we provide many ensembles for a diversity of music making.”

Please click on Weekly Schedule to see music activities

Does your son enjoy singing? Perhaps he would thrive with an enriching Chorister education at Willington.

Chamber Choir

We are extremely proud of our 20 boy choristers, who form the school Chamber Choir. Choristers are admitted to the Chamber Choir usually between the ages of 7 and 9. They rehearse most mornings during the week and perform a traditional treble repertoire as well as learning newly commissioned music. The choristers give many concerts and recitals outside school in some excellent venues and sing to a professional standard. The Chamber Choir leads the school in worship both in assembly and in church services.

At a recent concert in St. Mary’s Church in Wimbledon the choristers premièred a new Eucharistic setting by Richard Bates, an up and coming West End musical director and composer.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed composing for the young voices at Willington; they are professional and eager to learn new music, which is such a joy.” Richard Bates

If you would like your son to experience being a chorister without the pressure of attending a cathedral boarding school, Willington is for you. We are currently assessing the viability of offering bursaries and choral scholarship to some of our most promising choristers. The Director of Music is always willing to meet with prospective choristers and their parents and sometimes places may be available to boys over the age of 9, depending on their ability.

Other Ensembles

“At Willington we believe that music is for all and we provide many ensembles for a diversity of music making.”

  • Sparrows Choir
  • Hawk Choir

Sparrows Choir

Sparrows Choir is a fun choir for Years 1, 2 and 3 which meets once a week. The group exists to provide boys with the opportunity to learn to explore their voice in a fun and healthy way and was formed in response to the National Singing Campaign for Primary Schools, led by Britain’s singing ambassador, Howard Goodall. The Sparrows Choir perform at assemblies and concerts throughout the year.

Hawk Choir

The Hawk Choir is open to every boy in Years 4-8 and it is run by the Head of Music. It meets once a week and performs at school concerts, assemblies and church services, as well as giving an annual concert at the famous Wimbledon Fair and performing to the elderly at Christmas. The Choir recently toured to Belgium, Prague and Malta.

 

The Orchestra

The Orchestra runs every week and is conducted by the Head of Music.  It is open to boys playing instruments at Grade 1+ standard and above.  The rehearsal is broken into two sections, sectionals and full rehearsal, to ensure the best possible results and achievement.  The repertoire is extremely varied, as the boys have recently played an arrangement of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture as well as Mission Impossible!  The repertoire challenges the boys with complicated key signatures, time signatures, dynamics and general ensemble playing.  The Orchestra performs at assemblies and concerts throughout the year.

The Jazz Band

The Jazz Band is the most recent addition to the ensembles at Willington.  It is run by woodwind tutor and jazz specialist Patricia Clowes.  The Jazz Band is open to boys in Years 6-8 and studies basic jazz repertoire and traditional jazz techniques.  The boys enjoy eating their lunch while listening to jazz greats such as Miles Davis and then take part in an exciting and challenging rehearsal.  Every member of the Jazz Band develops his ensemble and improvisation skills.