Music & Drama
Rokeby has a flourishing Music department with a busy programme of ensembles each week, including Junior and Senior Choirs, Orchestra, Junior and Senior String Groups, Woodwind and Jazz Groups and Guitar Ensemble. These provide a large number of boys with the experience and enjoyment of making music in all its forms. Around half of the boys learn musical instruments and our team of twelve eminent visiting teachers offers lessons in singing and the whole range of instruments. There are usually two major concerts each term as well as smaller, informal concerts, workshops, trips and visits by outside musicians.
All boys in Years 3 - 6 benefit from weekly class music lessons, with further opportunities for singing, recorder playing, tuned percussion work, theory, composition and, in Year 4, violin tuition for a term and a half. Year 7 and 8 boys are able to take Music as one of their creative options.
Drama is taught in Y4, and in Y7 and 8 as an optional subject: this has proved to be a very popular choice and in the hour-long lessons the boys might start with drama warm-up exercises or specific skills, while the main part of the session may be a mixture of reading and acting a scene from a play and improvised acting in groups. Plays are put on at least every other year, and the recent production of 'Toad of Toad Hall' was highly successful, giving an opportunity for many boys of different ages to perform in front of larger audiences.
