The Music Department does this through promoting public concerts, bringing students together to make music in ensembles, educating them in creative musical skills, and providing facilities in which students can develop their talents, and realise their full potential.

There are two full time members of staff in the department, whose expertise covers a range of skills such as composition, concert standard piano performing, conducting, and of course, teaching. This is a practical department, which believes in leading by example, so they are often seen playing, or conducting, in concerts. They also teach the music courses for the International Baccalaureate examination, at both Higher and Standard Levels. Additionally, a team of ten musicians visit the college to provide instrumental tuition on violin, viola, cello, double bass, flute, clarinet, saxophone, guitar, voice, and brass. The department organises weekly short concerts given by students throughout the year, in addition to termly choral/orchestral concerts. There are often two or three choirs in existence each term, the Tour Choir, which undertakes a concert tour of a European country most years, a Chamber Choir of about 16 singers, sometimes a Madrigal Choir, and a Gospel choir. A chamber orchestra, consisting mainly of strings, is formed when possible from the range of instrumentation that occurs each year, but chamber music is a very important aspect of practical music making here. Students also form rock groups, jazz bands, and folk groups whenever they can. It is a busy performing life, with a great deal of creative energy being focused into concert giving. Luckily there are excellent venues for such activity: the Bradenstoke Hall in the castle, and the campus Arts Centre.

The Music Department itself consists of a classroom with full audio facilities, large rehearsal room, six practice rooms with pianos, and a piano teaching studio. It has a Steinway C grand piano in the Bradenstoke Hall, two smaller grand pianos, a Morley harpsichord, several good instruments for loan, four composition workstations equipped with Apple Mac computers, sound modules, recording equipment, etc., and also an Javanese Gamelan orchestra.

We look forward to having creative practising musicians use the department and participate in the music making at the college. We also look forward to having students who have a desire to learn about music in all its myriad forms.