Music at St Peter's - Musical experiences

This is about all the other musical events and opportunities that we organise, such as singing in assembly, concerts and shows, and trips to professional concerts.

At St Peter’s, we endeavour to provide our students with a diverse array of musical experiences. There are regular opportunities to participate in live musical performances throughout the academic year. These experiences not only enrich their appreciation for music, but also motivate and inspire them in their own musical and academic journeys.

Mass:

As a Catholic school, one of the department’s most important purposes is to provide music at Mass. We are also often called upon to support students, families and members of our community with music at important life events, such as weddings and funerals.

School Productions:

Our annual school musical is a high-point of the year and provides an opportunity to collaborate with the Drama Department. Our most recent production was ‘School of Rock’ in October 2025 and students from all year groups were encouraged to participate in the audition process.

School Concerts:

We mark the Christian calendar by offering our Carols by Candlelight service in the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Stroud. Our Lent Concert takes place in St Peter’s RC Church, Gloucester. Both events are very well attended by the school and wider community.

Whole School Events:

Students often participate and contribute to school Open Evenings. This platform allows them to showcase their talents and share pieces they have been learning. It is an opportunity for students to gain confidence in performing whilst demonstrating their abilities to prospective parents and students of the school.

We are currently running the ‘Music Champions’ Competition, an event which is open to the whole school and aims to encourage students who may not otherwise take part in weekly musical rehearsals to take part. Every participant will be rewarded with a Rock Award point and the Grand Final in March will be judged by external adjudicators, with a range of certificates, medals and prizes being awarded.

External Events:

The school Jazz Band is always delighted to perform on the Free Stage at Cheltenham Jazz Festival. This internationally-acclaimed professional festival really celebrates youth music and the incredible musical talent which is present in Gloucestershire secondary schools.

For the last few years, we have been lucky enough to attend a GCSE Music workshop delivered by members of Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra at Gloucester Guildhall. This has been an incredible experience for our students to see and hear professional classical musicians performing their GCSE set works. It has also provided invaluable practical advice for composition tasks where students have seen their own work come to life.

We have strong links with other music providers within the county:

GSW Music Hub

Students are actively encouraged to join county music groups. We currently have students representing St Peter’s in the Gloucestershire Youth Choir, Gloucestershire Youth Wind Orchestra and Gloucestershire Youth Jazz Orchestra.

Gloucester Cathedral

We had the fantastic opportunity to perform with other schools in the Teenage Voices Project in November 2025. We are also preparing for a joint Evensong service with Gloucester Cathedral Choir in March 2026.

Several of our students are regular members of the Cathedral’s Youth Choirs – The Trinity Singers and St Benedict’s Singers.

Strikealight and Multi-Story Orchestra

Selected students recently performed in ‘The Endz’, a collaborative performance in GL1 Leisure Centre, which confronted the hard-hitting topic of knife crime and its impact on society.

Charity and Ethos

By offering such a diverse range of musical experiences, we aim to cultivate a lifelong love of music and the performing arts in all of our students, fostering their personal growth and nurturing their artistic expression. In line with the school’s ethos and Catholic Social Teaching, we also raise significant sums of money for charity through ticket sales and collections.