Monthly Archives: August 2018

Wind and Swing Band

The first Swing Band rehearsal will be on Friday 7th Sept in the Main Hall from 3.30-4.45pm. If anyone cannot attend please let me know. New pieces for this year include:

I Want You Back by The Jackson 5

Don’t You Worry ‘Bout A Thing by Stevie Wonder

I Wish  by Stevie Wonder

If they get a chance, please could all players have a listen to the originals so that the head and hooks are not too much of a shock?

The first Wind Band rehearsal will be on Monday 10th September from 3.30-5.00pm – again, full attendance is expected. New pieces include:

Symphonic Animation arranged by the Royal Marines

The Greatest Showman arranged by Paul Murtha (grade 3)

Both of these can be found on youtube (there is a video of us playing Symph An with the Marines somewhere!)

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

Huge, huge congratulations to those students who have received their A Level and GCSE results in the last two weeks.

Year 13 came up with a 100% A-C pass-rate which is brilliant considering the demands of the new course and the lack of supporting resources from the exam board. They achieved:

A-B    83%    (nationally 47%)

A-C    100%  (nationally 83%)

Best of luck to all of them in their chosen pathways, but especially to David (performance @ Royal Birmingham Conservatoire of Music), Beth (film composition @ Leeds College of Music) and Leah (hopefully, 2019 entry to either the Royal Marines or the Army Corps of Music). Please keep in touch!

At GCSE, despite worries about the new course in terms of both breadth of content and overall demand, UVHS has maintained its superb record of achievement:

Grade 9      38% (nationally 8%)

Grade 9-7   88%  (nationally 32%)

Grade 9-5   100% (nationally 72%)

A huge WELL DONE to all of them and GOOD LUCK with A Levels/Apprenticeships/BTECs etc. Please keep us informed of your progress and good news!

New year (slightly) new rehearsal schedule

Well … another new year is approaching. Hope you’ve all had a good summer and that the students are raring to return to school!!!!!  … or not!

Just a reminder that WIND BAND rehearsals are moving to a MONDAY evening (3.30-5pm) in order for me to attend SLT meetings on a Tuesday. Students have known about this since Easter so it should not be a shock to them. ALL students going on the tour to Italy next July need to be able to commit to Monday evenings consistently.

Please let me know if there are any issues with this … if students are going to miss a rehearsal they must come and see me in advance and make sure their music is in school.

After-School Rehearsals – Autumn Term

MONDAY          Wind Band (3.30-5pm)

TUESDAY          Primary Tuition (3.30-5.30pm)

WEDNESDAY    Little Big Band (3.30-4.45pm)

THURSDAY       Primary Tuition (3.30-5.30pm)

FRIDAY              Swing Band (3.30-4.45pm)

Here’s to a great 2018/2019.

Mr B.