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It is our aim to engender an appreciation and love of all things musical in our school community, whilst encouraging our students to understand the benefits of music on all aspects of their own and other peoples' lives.

The music department at Langton Boys is a vibrant, hardworking and exciting place to be. We strive for excellence in all that we do and expect our students to do the same. Musicians that integrate themselves into the department are provided with a solid basis for further musical studies and many fun and fantastic performance opportunities. Whilst preparing our students for some of the top universities in the country and building their skills for a career in teaching or performance, we are keen to dispel the myth that music training will only provide limited job prospects, and wish to open our student’s minds to the growing opportunities for alternative careers in music.

About the Department

Along with the four members of teaching staff, there are over 20 instrumental teachers working in the department on a weekly basis.  We feel that it is of great benefit to our students to be taught by professional performers and academics, providing them with solid role models to aspire to.  All of the teachers perform alongside the students as part of our extensive concert calendar.  We like to offer our students the opportunity to tackle challenging repertoire, including recent performances of Mozart’s Piano Concerto in D Minor and Saint Saen’s Carnival of the Animals by our school orchestra, Britten’s Rejoice in the Lamb and Rossini’s Petiite Messe Solennelle with our main school choir and a production of The Pirates of Penzance with the school orchestra and all student cast.  We have recently performed Britten’s Noyes Fludde in conjunction with Chartham Primary School.  The Chamber Choir are proud to have performed evensong in Canterbury Cathedral and have sung for the annual conference for the World Organisation for Early Childhood Education (OMEP).  Many of our students further their musical studies at university and we are proud to have helped several students gain places at top institutions, including Oxford, Cambridge and the Royal Academy of Music. 

Useful Links:

Click HERE to view our first Interhouse Music competition video

Langton Music Centre Video

Our Performances (click on the links below to listen/watch)

Commemoration Service 2023 

Girls’ Choir singing May it Be from Fellowship of the Ring

Fantasia for Commemoration composed by Year 13 student Joe Cobb for his A Level coursework

Other Performances

Pergolesi Stabat Mater Girls Choir and String Quartet

O Holy Night – Christmas Carol Service at Canterbury Cathedral

First Movement Elgar’s Cello Concerto

Dambusters March by Eric Coates

Haydn Piano Concerto in D (1st Movement)

Vivaldi Magnificat

Year 13 A level Music students perform Maggie Baxter’s A level composition at the Painted Hall in Greenwich

 

 

 

 

Emily Renshaw-Kidd

Director of Music at the Langton

Emily has taught music at the Langton since 2006 and became Director of Music in 2014. She leads a vibrant and high achieving department of curricular and extra-curricular music.  Alongside her career as a teacher and professional singer, Emily also directs a wide range of choral and orchestral ensembles.  Emily plays the piano, cello and became one of the first female lay clerks at Canterbury Cathedral in 2021. Currently holding the post of Artistic Director of the Canterbury Cantata Trust, Emily leads several community singing groups, focusing on music as a form of improving both physical and mental health, whilst caring for each other. She is very proud of the school’s involvement in Skylark’s Sing to Beat Parkinson’s which she leads, along with the students, at the Parkinson’s Centre for Integrated Therapies. (emilyrenshaw.co.uk)

Lucy Gove

Song Centre Co-cordinator and Music Teacher at the Langton

Lucy Gove has taught at Langton Boys since 2014.  She leads many projects and specialises in musical outreach, particularly with our local primary schools.  Since working with us, Lucy has collaborated with Glyndebourne Opera and the Philharmonia Orchestra and she enjoys bringing the thrill of live performance to our students.  She leads the annual Langton Christmas Choirs Festival at Colyer Fergusson Hall, Canterbury and is very proud to have established the Langton House Music Cup.  Beyond the school, Lucy is a choral conductor and mezzo-soprano and is the Musical Director of Folkestone Choral Society.

Mr Martin Gove

Martin graduated with a Masters in music in 2005 and has followed a career as a freelance musician and teacher.  He performs on trumpet regularly in local orchestras and bands, appearing often at the Cathedral, the Marlowe and Colyer Ferguson Hall.  Martin plays soprano cornet with the Langton Brass Band and is looking forward to the musical challenges ahead after their victory and promotion to the 2nd section.  As well his work at the Langton Martin also teaches at the Kings School and St. Edmunds school, Canterbury.

Dr. Sam Bailey

Music Teacher at the Langton and Improvisation Specialist

Sam Bailey is an improvising pianist and composer equally at home in the world of contemporary music or jazz. Sam has a PhD in improvised music and runs a successful series of weekly improvised and experimental music, film and poetry events called Free Range.www.sambailey.space

 

Music and Health

The department has an enthusiastic and meaningful interest in the benefits of music on physical and mental wellbeing. Following a wonderful 3-day festival in 2016, the department is continuing to develop and run projects involving the community as part of the Langton Song Centre. Some of these projects include, The Butterfly Machine (working with the RNIB to help visually impaired people experience visual arts through music), the Skylark’s Sing to Beat Parkinson’s project and the Melody for Me project (working with dementia patients to help restore memories through music). Involvement in these projects is open to all of our students; it is our aim to help build a strong sense of altruism in our ‘Leaders of Tomorrow’.

Extra Curricular Music

Click HERE for the 2023/24 programme

Langton Music Centre Newsletter

Your concert last night was nothing less than superb. We marvelled at the professional enthusiasm and joy, which was apparent in all the performances.  The standard was exceptional. Most of all it was clear that all your musicians were valued and appreciated which does you and your fantastic team credit

Parent Feedback

The staff are taking the music department in a direction which will ensure the importance of music in young people's lives, both promoting the school and its balanced view of learning and promulgating the caring community which is the hallmark of the Langton institution.

Professor Grenville Hancox MBE