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Independent School of the Year 2021 awards – Finalist in the Performing Arts category
Canford is delighted to announce that it has been selected as a Finalist in the Performing Arts category of the Independent School Parent magazine’s Independent School of the Year 2021 awards for the high quality of its Music provision.
Excellence, involvement and ambition underpin Canford’s music-making. Academically, we are proud of achievement at the very highest levels including five university scholarships in the last 3 years, including 3 at Oxbridge, 13 ARSM Diplomas, with over half at distinction level and a further 28 Grade 8 exams, with 80% at merit or distinction. An extensive programme of concerts throughout the year provides opportunities to nurture this pupil talent. More details can be found here: Music Concerts
Music is also for all and sits at the heart of our pupil wellbeing with all pupils having the chance to experience positive joys of music. Examples include ‘Tune Up Tuesday’ which saw a virtual assembly with the whole school banging samba rhythms on their classroom desks, more or less ‘in time’ and an outdoor ‘dance and sing’ stage in front of the Theatre/Music School area allowed pupils to give free rein to their musical talents.
We take our music into the heart of our wider community too. Our musicians perform in local care homes and we invite elderly groups to visit for afternoons of musical entertainment enjoyed alongside tea and homemade cake. Music plays a major part in high profile events - from the poignancy of the Last Post at the annual Remembrance Service to the rousing drummers of the CCF Parades - involving staff, pupils, parents, grandparents and governors as well as visiting servicemen and women. A special recorded performance of ‘Nimrod’ on YouTube marked Remembrance 2020 and achieved over 2000 views in the first few days. The Canford Music YouTube Channel currently has 560 subscribers with 17.7 views and 1.2k hours of music listened to between September 2020 and March 2021 alone. To watch videos and subscribe to the Canford Music YouTube channel please visit this link:
The winner of the category will be announced at a virtual awards ceremony being held on Thursday 7th October.
Christopher Sparkhall, Director of Music, commented:
We are thrilled to be a finalist in these prestigious awards which celebrate pupil opportunities and positive experiences through an independent education. Music plays a major role here across academic, co-curricular and pastoral areas of school life and beyond into the wider community. Whatever the result on 7th October, we are all hugely proud of being recognised nationally for the quality of our Music at Canford.”
