Every year many parents choose to send their sons to Harrow because of its strong Music department. Harrow offers a rich musical life both for gifted musicians and the less skilled enthusiast.

The Music Schools have recently undergone major refurbishment and have been rejuvenated with the arrival of many new pianos in the summer of 2007.

Over half our pupils learn an instrument and most of these boys are involved in ensemble work through participation in choirs, bands, orchestras and drama productions. Tuition is offered in all orchestral instruments as well the piano, organ, guitar, bagpipes and singing.

A large number of ensembles rehearse each week and perform regularly. Click on the links in the righthand menu for more information about each ensemble.

In addition there are many opportunities for solo performance and preparation for practical examinations with the Associated Board, and advanced diplomas such as the LTCL and DipABRSM and ARCO.

There are more than 80 concerts each year and all boys are encouraged to perform regularly. These concerts range from Informal Concerts in the Old Harrovian Room, to solo recitals in the Concert Hall, to weekly lunch-hour concerts in St Mary’s Church to full scale orchestral, band and choral concerts in the magnificent Speech Room. Musical productions are also staged each year. Harrow’s music also travels widely though tours and CDs.

Unique to Harrow is its famous Song Book, containing over fifty Harrow Songs, the words and music of which have all been written especially for the School by former or present Masters. These songs are an important part of life at Harrow, and are sung at end-of-term concerts, House Songs, School Songs and once a year at Churchill Songs in Speech Room. Every boy takes part in singing these songs, so the School really can claim that 100% of its pupils take part in musical activities on a regular basis!

Click on the links in the right hand menu for more information on each different musical group.

Facilities

The Music Schools contain specialist teaching and practice rooms and a Concert Hall suitable for chamber music performances. A new building situated next door to the Music Schools boasts a state-of-the-art recording studio and associated facilities, and for academic teaching we have two classrooms in the new International Studies Centre, including a suite of 25 computers and midi keyboards with notation and sequencing software. Harrow has two major pipe organs, a three-manual Walker organ in Chapel and a four-manual Harrison organ in Speech Room, several grand pianos, including a Bosendorfer Concert Grand in Speech Room and two Steinway As and a Harpsichord in the Concert Hall. In addition to the Music Schools, a number of other buildings are regularly used for musical performances including Speech Room, Chapel, the Old Harrovian Room, the Ryan Theatre and the Vaughan Library.

Harrow is fortunate to have a purpose-built state of the art recording studio with a control room, two separate acoustically-treated recording spaces (Studio 1 and 2) and cabling through to the adjacent Music Schools Concert Hall enabling recording of all styles of music from rock through to classical to a professional, commercial release standard.