Farrington Music School

Music has become very important at Port Regis. All children are taught Music, with every seven-year-old learning the recorder and every eight-year-old the violin as part of their curriculum. In addition, at the last count there were just over 400 individual Music lessons a week! The Director of Music enters children for Associated Board examinations and senior-school scholarships, in which outstanding results are achieved. There are several wind, brass and string ensembles, a school orchestra, and senior and junior choirs, all of which give regular concerts throughout the year. Performance Days and Novices' Concerts introduce beginners to the thrill of performing in public and to the excitement of playing with other people and for other people. That thrill makes the practising so much easier!

 

 

The new Music School is the logical next step in the development of Music at Port Regis. Situated on the edge of the small lake we call Bob’s Pond, the octagonal design is immediately attractive as we approach, as is the combination of natural stone, brick and glass. Named after Robin Farrington, the previous Chairman of Governors who died in 2002 and who devoted so much time to the School and showed such interest in its Music, the new building provides fourteen practice rooms; teaching rooms for each of the instrumental groups (brass, strings, woodwind and percussion); a classroom and a music technology room, to assist in the teaching of composition; a recording “studio” to allow the children to review their performances and to have video and audio recordings of concerts made, as well as a beautiful recital hall which forms the heart of the building with beautiful views through the huge front windows over the water and across the North Lawn.

Nothing glitzy, nothing extravagant – just seriously good design, excellent acoustics and the sort of ambience that will have children wanting to make Music.

 

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