A Short Introduction
to Music at Tiffin
The Arts are central to life at Tiffin. The School’s ‘Arts College’ status refers to its excellence in provision of both teaching and wider opportunities. There are exceptional opportunities for involvement beyond the classroom in the Performing Arts. Visit the websites of the Tiffin Choirs and Tiffin Music Department to find out more.
Tiffin has a reputation for excellent music-making. Each year, Tiffin musicians typically present more than fifty performances, ranging from concerts of major choral and orchestral works, to chamber music recitals, jazz evenings, open mic events and music theatre productions.
Choral Music
All Tiffin boys sing from their first day at school: it is quite usual for members of the rugby team also to be in the choir. In their first year, each boy will compete in the Year 7 Inter-Form Singing and House Singing Competitions, perform the Year 7 Jazz Cantata - the finale to the School Concert, and many will sing their first major choral work as members of the Tiffin Oratorio and Tiffin Boys’ Choirs.
Since its foundation in 1957, the Tiffin Boys’ Choir is one of the few state school choirs to have been continually at the forefront of the choral music scene in Britain. The choir has performed with all of the London orchestras (LSO, LPO, Philharmonia, BBCSO), in Royal Opera and English National Opera productions, on national radio and on television (BBC, ITV and Classic FM) and on film soundtracks (Dumbo, Philomena, The Hobbit). The choir gives regular concerts in London and tours annually (destinations have included Australia, China, Russia, Czech Republic, Italy and Spain). It has an extensive, Grammy-nominated discography (Mahler 8/Tennstedt, Puccini Il Trittico/Pappano, Britten Billy Budd/Hickox, Britten War Requiem/Masur).
Tiffin Oratorio Choir is formed of over 200 pupils, parents, staff, alumni and other members of the local community. Open to all, the choir rehearses on Wednesday evenings (7-9pm, School Hall) during the Autumn Term, to prepare a concert given in November with professional orchestra and soloists. Each year, more than a quarter of Year 7 pupils join this choir, rehearsing each Wednesday lunchtime and joining the main choir a few weeks before the performance. The choir welcomes new members: please contact the Director of Choral Music, James Day jday@tiffin.kingston.sch.uk for more details.
Tiffin Children’s Chorus is formed of over 80 girls and boys aged 8-16 from schools across Kingston. Open to all, the choir rehearses on Mondays from 4pm at Tiffin School. Tiffin Children’s Chorus regularly performs not only with the Tiffin Boys’ Choir and Oratorio Choir, but also at other events across the borough, recently including The Rose Theatre Christmas Concert, Kingston Arts’ Festival of the Voice and the Royal Opera House production of La Boheme. The choir welcomes new members: please contact the Director of the Children’s Chorus, Sian Cadogan scadogan@tiffin.kingston.sch.uk for more details.
Instrumental Music
At Tiffin, over 400 pupils learn to play a musical instrument. Taught by a team of 25 visiting music staff, individual music lessons are available on all woodwind, brass, string and keyboard instruments.
Every week, a wide range of instrumental ensembles rehearse in the music department. For each instrumentalist, whatever his interest or ability, there is an ensemble for him. Tiffin instrumentalists are given the opportunity to join an Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, Wind Band, Brass Band, Swing Band, String Orchestra, Jazz Combo, String Ensemble, Clarinet Choir, Guitar Ensemble and other wind, brass and string chamber groups. Tiffin instrumental ensembles perform a wide variety of challenging works, recently including symphonies by Dvorak, Beethoven and Haydn, concertos by Bach, Vivaldi and Corelli, jazz standards by Gershwin, Duke Ellington and Louis Prima, as well as film, musical theatre and pop arrangements. To join an ensemble, pupils should simply attend the next rehearsal. More details of the times, locations and standard required can be found on the music rehearsals timetable (displayed in the music department and on the department website).
Music Alumni
Following their involvement in music at Tiffin, an exceptional number of pupils have won music scholarships to study a wide range of subjects at Cambridge, Oxford and other Russell Group universities. In recent years, Tiffinians have been awarded choral scholarships to sing with the choirs of King’s, St. John’s, Jesus, Clare, Trinity, Emmanuel and Queen’s colleges in Cambridge, and Magdalen, Queen’s, Exeter and Oriel colleges in Oxford.
Friends of Tiffin Music
You are encouraged to join the Friends of Tiffin Music (FoTM) to support the work of the music department. For more information on how to join, please click here: information
