Music School Ensembles

Percussion Ensemble, Gamelan Ensemble

Percussion Ensemble

(Junior, Intermediate and Advanced Level Ensemble) 

Rehearsals: Wednesdays 18:30 – 20:00 

Entry Standard: Grade 2-8+ on any instrument 

Percussion Ensemble performs a wide range of music using a huge variety of pitched and unpitched percussion instruments, some familiar, some more unusual, from all around the world. Repertoire includes arrangements of songs, soundtracks and classical pieces, along with original works in a plethora of different styles.  

Although this ensemble is primarily for percussionists, we welcome any musician who learns another instrument and is interested in learning more about how to play percussion and can read music to at least Grade 2-3 standard. Percussion Ensemble is ideal for drum kit players who are keen to expand their skills on an array of percussion instruments, for example Timpani, Xylophone, Bass Drum, Tubular Bells etc….  

Percussion Ensemble performs regularly at the Hawkey Hall as part of the Music Service concert series.   

How to join: Entry is via audition – Click here to visit our registration page, scroll to the bottom and select ‘Sign up for a Music School Audition’. 

Guitar Ensemble

(Junior, Intermediate and Advanced Level Ensemble) 

Rehearsals: Mondays 17:30 – 18:30 

Entry Standard: Grade 3-8+ 

Guitar Ensemble is a group for advanced guitarists who play all types of acoustic guitar.  

The ensemble plays a wide variety of repertoire from classical pieces by composers such as Vivaldi and Faure, to Jazz and Latin inspired styles by Django Reinhardt and Piazzolla.  

The group performs regularly at the Hawkey Hall as part of the Music Service concert series.   

Guitar Ensemble is a great way for young guitarists to improve their ensemble skills, develop and expand their knowledge of guitar repertoire and enjoy playing with likeminded peers.  

How to join: Entry is via audition – Click here to visit our registration page, scroll to the bottom and select ‘Sign up for a Music School Audition’. 

Wind Ensembles

Recorder Consort, Saxophone Ensemble

Recorder Consort

(Intermediate and Advanced Level Ensemble)  

Rehearsals: Thursdays 18:00 – 19:00 

Entry Standard: Grade 3-8+ 

Redbridge Music Service Recorder Consort is an ensemble for advanced recorder players. Members have the opportunity to play a range of instruments, from descant to the tiny sopranino and all the way up to the Great Bass (provided by the Music School).   

Recorder Consort plays a wide range of repertoire, from Medieval and Renaissance pieces to 20th/21st century compositions, both originally written for the recorder or adapted for the instrument. This includes a variety of genres, including classical, folk, soundtracks, pop/rock adaptations and much more.    

Regular performances include the Music Service Autumn & Summer concert series, as well as the annual RMS Recorder Festival where they provide inspiration to the many beginner recorder players involved in this event.   

Recorder Consort provides an opportunity for recorder players to celebrate the rich, complex and beautiful sounds these often under-appreciated instruments can make, whilst developing ensemble skills with like-minded peers.  

How to join: Entry is via audition – Click here to visit our registration page, scroll to the bottom and select ‘Sign up for a Music School Audition’. 

Saxophone Ensemble

(Intermediate to Advanced Level Ensemble)  

Rehearsals: Mondays 18:30 – 20:30 (fortnightly) 

Entry Standard:  Approx. Grade 4-8+   

Saxophone Ensemble is an ensemble just for Saxophones and includes Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Baritone instruments. It is an opportunity for intermediate to advanced level saxophonists to play together in a small group and develop their ensemble skills and technique on a range of different sized saxophones.  

The group plays a wide range of exciting repertoire across many different genres and performs regularly at Music Service concerts and events throughout the year.    

Rehearsals take place on a fortnightly basis, allowing members to play in the Jazz Orchestra in alternate weeks.  

How to join: Entry is via audition – Click here to visit our registration page, scroll to the bottom and select ‘Sign up for a Music School Audition’. 

String Ensembles

Junior String Orchestra

(Junior Level Ensemble)  

Rehearsals: Saturdays 08:30 – 10:30 

Entry Standard: Approx. Grade 2-4 

Junior String Orchestra is an ensemble for string players and is made up of violins, violas, cellos and double basses.  

The orchestra plays a wide range of musical genres including classical, film, folk and pop. They perform regularly at the Hawkey Hall as part of the Music Service concert series and also share their progress through informal concerts at the John Savage Centre.  

Junior String Orchestra is a fun and exciting ensemble where young musicians can make music with other children from different schools whilst improving their instrumental and ensemble skills.    

Instruments included:  

Violins, violas, cellos and double basses.    

Progression Routes: Students typically move up desks within the orchestra and then progress into the Intermediate Orchestra.  

How to join: Entry is via audition – Click here to visit our registration page, scroll to the bottom and select ‘Sign up for a Music School Audition’. 

Brass Ensembles

Brass Band

(Intermediate to Advanced Level Ensemble)  

Rehearsals: Wednesdays 19:30 – 21:00

Entry Standard:  Approx. Grade 4-8+  

Brass Band is an intermediate to advanced level ensemble for brass and percussion players and follows the format of a traditional brass band.    

Brass Band plays a wide variety of repertoire, arranged and original, for brass band including; traditional and contest marches, popular medleys and film scores. It also provides opportunities for principal players to play solos with the band.  

The band perform regularly at the Hawkey Hall as part of the Music Service concert series. Recent performances have also included the Royal Albert Hall, and side by side concerts with Superbrass and Redbridge Brass, with whom they performed the soundtrack to the Wallace & Gromit film ‘The Wrong Trousers’ along with the film screening.   

Instruments included:  

Cornets (trumpets also welcomed!), flugelhorn, tenor horns, baritone horns, trombones, euphoniums, tubas and percussion.   

Progression Routes: Students progress within the band to move up to principal positions and may also progress on to Symphonic Band or the Intermediate or Symphony Orchestras.    

How to join: Entry is via audition – Click here to visit our registration page, scroll to the bottom and select ‘Sign up for a Music School Audition’.  

Mixed Bands

Junior Wind Band, Intermediate Wind Band, Symphonic Band, Jazz Orchestra

Junior Wind Band

(Junior Level Ensemble)  

Rehearsals: Wednesdays 17:30 – 19:15 

Entry Standard:  Approx. Grade 2/3-5   

Junior Wind Band is an ensemble for woodwind, brass and percussion players.  It is the first group at the Redbridge Music School where woodwind, brass and percussion players come together in a joint ensemble.  

The band plays a wide range of music from original compositions for wind band to jazz, film scores, musical theatre and classical repertoire.  They perform regularly at the Music Service Autumn & Summer concert series.   

Junior Wind Band is a fun and exciting ensemble where young musicians can make music with other children from different schools whilst improving their instrumental and ensemble skills.    

Instruments included:   

Woodwind – Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Saxophone and Bassoon  

Brass – Trumpet/Cornet, French Horn, Tenor Horn, Trombone, Euphonium/Baritone and Tuba  

Percussion – Drum Kit, Timpani, Tuned percussion and auxiliary percussion    

Progression Routes: Intermediate Wind Band, and/or Brass Band.    

How to join: Entry is via audition – Click here to visit our registration page, scroll to the bottom and select ‘Sign up for a Music School Audition’. 

Intermediate Wind Band

(Intermediate Level Ensemble)

Rehearsals: Saturdays 08:30 – 10:30 

Entry Standard:  Approx. Grade 4-6   

Intermediate Wind Band is a fun and engaging ensemble for intermediate level wind, brass, and percussion players.     

Intermediate wind band plays a variety of musical genres, covering classical arrangements, songs from musicals, pop songs, film music, and compositions written specifically for wind band.  They perform regularly at the Hawkey Hall as part of the Music Service concert series.   

This ensemble seeks to challenge players but equally provide them with a welcoming space to hone their skills of ensemble playing.    

Instruments included:  

Woodwind – flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, saxophones   

Brass – trumpet/cornet, trombone, French horn, euphonium/baritone horn, tuba  

Percussion – all instruments, but typically drum kit, timpani, chimes/bells, cymbals    

Progression Routes: Wind players traditionally progress on to Intermediate Orchestra or Symphonic Band, whereas brass players and percussionists move on to Brass Band, Intermediate Orchestra or Symphonic Band.    

How to join: Entry is via audition – Click here to visit our registration page, scroll to the bottom and select ‘Sign up for a Music School Audition’. 

Symphonic Band

(Advanced Level Ensemble)

Rehearsals: Fridays 17:00 – 19:15 

Entry Standard:  Approx. Grade 6-8+   

Redbridge Music School Symphonic Band is an ensemble for advanced wind, brass and percussion players.    

Symphonic band plays a wide variety of engaging and challenging repertoire including film soundtracks, contemporary classical works, songs from musical theatre, pop & rock medleys, folk music, traditional military marches and pieces from other cultures.   

Regular performances include the music service Autumn and Summer concert series and Remembrance Sunday services. Symphonic Band regularly takes part in Music for Youth Festivals, often progressing to performances on a national level at the Birmingham Symphony Hall and Royal Albert Hall.    

Symphonic Band is a fun and engaging group that challenges students to raise their ensemble and individual performance skills to the highest levels.    

Instruments included:  

Woodwind – flute, piccolo, oboe, clarinet, bass clarinet, bassoon, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone and baritone saxophone.   

Brass – trumpet/cornet, French horn, trombone, euphonium and tuba.  

Percussion – a wide variety of instruments are utilised but most commonly, drum kit, timpani and tuned percussion    

How to join: Entry is via audition – Click here to visit our registration page, scroll to the bottom and select ‘Sign up for a Music School Audition’. 

Jazz Orchestra

(Intermediate to Advanced Level Ensemble)  

Rehearsals: Mondays 18:30 – 20:45 (fortnightly) 

Entry Standard:  Grade 5-8+  

Jazz Orchestra is a ‘Big Band’ style ensemble in which advanced students can explore the large ensemble Jazz sound.     

Jazz Orchestra aims to explore all the subgenres available: traditional jazz, bebop, swing, Latin, funk, fusion, and bossa nova. The ensemble performs regularly at the Hawkey Hall as part of the Music Service concert series.   

Members benefit from playing in a high standard ensemble where students are guided to improve their knowledge of improvisation through solo opportunities, whilst exploring the Jazz language in one of its most famous expressions.   

Instruments Included:   

Traditionally, it’s made up of 5 saxophones (2 alto, 2 tenor and 1 baritone), 4 or 5 trumpets, 4 trombones (one of which is a bass trombone), one piano, one drumkit, one bass and one guitar.  

We are, however, quite flexible and more than happy to consider other instruments!    

How to join: Entry is via audition – Click here to visit our registration page, scroll to the bottom and select ‘Sign up for a Music School Audition’. 

Full Orchestras

Intermediate Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra

Intermediate Orchestra

(Intermediate Level Ensemble)  

Rehearsals: Saturdays 10:45 – 12:45 

Entry Standard:  Approx. Grade 5-7 standard   

Intermediate Orchestra is the first ensemble at the Redbridge Music School where strings, woodwind, percussion and brass combine, and is for players of orchestral instruments.  

Intermediate Orchestra plays and performs a range of well-known pieces from traditional classical repertoire, along with popular music from films and shows. Recent works have included Beethoven’s 5th Symphony, Brahms Hungarian Dances, Sheherazade by Rimsky- Korsakov, and John Williams’ film scores.   

This orchestra performs regularly at the Hawkey Hall as part of the RMS concert series and is a fantastic entrance point to the wonderful world of orchestral music for intermediate level players.   

Instruments included:  

Strings – violin, viola, cello and double bass.  

Woodwind – flute, piccolo, oboe, clarinet, bassoon.   

Brass – trumpet, French horn, trombone and tuba.  

Percussion – a variety of instruments are utilised but most commonly, tuned percussion, timpani, snare drum bass drum and cymbals.  

Progression Routes: Symphony Orchestra and/or Symphonic Band   

How to join: Entry is via audition – Click here to visit our registration page, scroll to the bottom and select ‘Sign up for a Music School Audition’. 

Symphony Orchestra

(Advanced Level Ensemble)

Rehearsals: Fridays 19:30 – 21:45 

Entry Standard:  Approx. Grade 6-8+    

The Redbridge Music School Symphony Orchestra is an ensemble for advanced wind, brass, percussion and string players.   

Symphony Orchestra plays a wide variety of engaging and challenging repertoire particularly orchestral music from the 19th and 20th Centuries. Recent repertoire has included: Mars, Venus and Jupiter from the Planets - Holst, Danzon No.2 - Marques, Symphony No.9 - Dvorak, Symphony No.2 - Sibelius.  

As well as performing at the music service Autumn, Christmas and Summer concert series, Symphony Orchestra regularly plays at the Royal Albert Hall as part of the biennial Redbridge Schools’ Choral Festival.    

Pupils benefit from weekly sectional coaching as well as full rehearsals, and students are encouraged and challenged to raise their ensemble and individual performance skills to the highest levels.    

Instruments included:  

Strings – violin, viola, cello and double bass.  

Woodwind – flute, piccolo, oboe, clarinet, bassoon.   

Brass – trumpet, French horn, trombone and tuba.  

Percussion – a variety of instruments are utilised but most commonly, tuned percussion, timpani, snare drum bass drum and cymbals.     

How to join: Entry is via audition – Click here to visit our registration page, scroll to the bottom and select ‘Sign up for a Music School Audition’.