Over 180 people turned out at our Rose Garden Music Festival to watch 6 acts perform in the glorious sunshine! Everything was organised by Olivia from portaloos to staging, booking the acts to arranging BBQ and cake. We are so incredibly proud of everything Olivia has done this year to raise money for her chosen charities.  The end of term is always hectic: final assemblies, activities week and saying goodbye to those visitors who are not […]

Our Rose Garden Music Festival is a fantastic afternoon of live music with local bands, in the glorious setting of Fyling Hall’s Rose Garden. After two years without it, I am super excited that this Festival is going to happen again this year. For those who haven’t attend this festival before, it’sIt is usually on a Saturday afternoon between 2-5 and welcomes audience members from all over. The profits all go to a chosen charity, […]

After weeks of preparation, our Year 11 and Year 13 musicians really did perform amazingly at the RockSchool concert events. Both events went smoothly (bar some technical drum issues!) and the audience expressed their love for the performers.  Some particularly great highlights of the nights were the beautiful harp piece from our only school harp player – Maya – who played an emotional classical piece called ‘Nataliana’. The other great performance which got everyone dancing […]

This term, we’ve had an exciting time planning and preparing for the year 11 and year 13 RockSchool Concert which is part of their course. Both nights should be fantastic events with songs being performed on a multitude of instruments. The pupils have been working and rehearsing hard ready to put on a good show for their first audience in 2 years! After so long of being indoors and locked away, we are so excited […]

January to March is always a busy time in the Music department and I am optimistic that this year we will finally get to do some live performances. Every year, our Year 11 and 13 RockSchool musicians, spending the first quarter of the year preparing, rehearsing and completing their exam concert as part of their final exam unit. They have 5-6 weeks of rehearsal time, to prepare and perfect a performance of their choice (following […]

On Friday the 8th of October, a group of aspiring musicians ventured out into Lythe; their sole mission to learn about the fascinating keyboard instruments: the clavichord and the concert grand-piano. Used largely during the Baroque, Classical and Renaissance periods, the clavichord’s spell-binding music had our group in raptures as our guide played a Bach piece, the sound sweetly serenading our ears and lulling some into an awe-inspired trance. But our exploration of the clavichord […]

Welcome to this little blog about the wonderful music teachers we have at Fyling Hall. My name is Mrs Swain (known as Miss Johnson before the Summer Holidays) and I am the Head of Music at Fyling Hall School. We are very lucky to have such fantastic musicians teaching one to one lessons to the pupils at Fyling Hall and I wanted to create this blog to allow you to meet them and to get […]

Despite many music exams still being recorded and marked digitally, it’s great to see Rockschool (RSL) leading the way once again with face-to-face appointments. Our very own super-confident Gracie jumped at the chance to do a real, live performance, and took her Grade 5 Singing exam in July at the Forum Music Centre in Darlington. RSL examiner Graham Sykes was absolutely blown away by Gracie, stating that her “vocal tone was superb throughout” and that […]

This year has been yet again another bizarre year for Music and Drama at Fyling Hall. We have had Year 11 and 13 exam concerts with no audience, a Fyling Hall’s Got Talent competition with only a handful of judges and the contestants, we even had an outdoor concert on the terrace to allow our Year 10 and 12 musicians the chance to perform. Although it has been another bizarre year for Music and Drama, […]

One could not help but exclaim “We really do have talent!” as the proverbial curtains drew on Fyling Hall School’s Got Talent. The first talent show its kind at Fyling Hall saw more than 30 students showcase their talent, both live and virtually. Acts include singing, dancing, musical instruments and also mountain biking, trampolining, skateboarding whilst completing a Rubik’s Cube and dog training. Performers did not make the judges’ job easy! After much deliberation, many […]

We’ve been hearing about what the pupils have been doing away fromtheir screens, but wonder what our teachers have been doing to escapethe ubiquitous Zoom lessons… Mr Cross is a huge Bach fan, and decided to re-arrange Bach’s Andante inF major for the organ. Not only did he transcribe the piece – it wasoriginally composed for violin –  but he also decided to learn to playit himself and then record it! Miss Stewart has been […]

How does one teach music in a virtual world? Miss Johnson, Fyling Hall’s Head of Music, takes us on a quick journey through some of our music lessons during the UK’s third lockdown. Year 4, 5 and 6 having been creating their own instruments. Pupils had a choice of three . . . from glass xylophone, straw pipes and rain maker and only one lesson to make it.  Take a look! Year 7 looked at […]

Whilst we are all working and learning from home again, be sure to look after your mental health with music. Finding ourselves in yet another lockdown, mental health must be at the top of the priority list. Music is key to keeping ourselves mentally healthy and making us smile during this lockdown. Whether that is learning a new instrument, writing a song to express your emotions, or listening to some classic tunes to keep you […]

This year it has been a very odd lead up to Christmas. Usually by this point I would be busy rehearsing with the choir and orchestra preparing for the many performances that occur in December. I am saddened that we won’t be able to perform to the residents at two care homes in Whitby, nor in Robin Hoods Bay for the Victorian Weekend. There will be no performance in our fabulous Christmas Fair and sadly […]

Music will continue to flow through our school, regardless of Covid.  This is my objective. As a teacher you learn to adapt and change, but this year has been a much bigger change. As musicians it is so important we are given the chance to perform together in whatever way we can. How do we do this in a safe environment? I spent my Summer recreating all of my KS3 schemes of work to make […]

With exam results published, we proudly showcase the fantastic, musical footage from our Year 11 and 12 exam concert. Taking place in March 2020, just before lockdown hit, Fyling Hall’s annual Rockschool concert is always a great night, attended by friends and family. But did you know that it also serves as music students’ exam? The Rockschool music qualifications are tailor-made for the contemporary musician, and the concert is videoed for assessment. The performances you see […]

Rise Up is a truly collaborative piece . . . a compilation of photos and videos inspired by Rising Up during Lockdown, accompanied by the school choir organised by Miss Johnson, Fyling Hall’s Head of Music. Thank you to all of our contributors including current Fyling Hall students and staff, alumni, former staff, friends and family, with special thanks to Paul Whittaker for his hours and hours of editing. This truly collaborative piece is a true labour […]

Will you Rise Up to the challenge? We need your help! To accompany her virtual choir, Miss Johnson, Fyling Hall’s Head of Music, requests your pictures and videos. We are looking for something you have done in lockdown that makes you think of rising up. New baby or pet? Fantastic piece of work? Or just a photo, painting or piece of art that fits the theme. It is what ‘Rise up’ means for you! Entries […]

In an effort to raise money for the Covid 19 research at Barts Health, local musicians, including our very own Head of Music have released a charity single. Miss Johnson joined up with musicians from all around the Whitby and Bay Area including her Dad and most of her Back in the Habit Band.  The single has been in the making since lock down started and was set up by local musician, Phil Moore. Miss […]

Taking advantage of the Easter Break, Miss Johnson, Fyling Hall’s Head of Music, takes a look back in Music. Read more about the immediate impact of the coronavirus crisis on the Music Department and watch this space for her plans for the upcoming term . . . As a Music Teacher it was with a heavy heart that I had to cancel the upcoming Fyling Hall School Orchestra concert and the school trip to see […]

During these scary times, I would love to see as many of you as possible developing your skills in music! Why not learn a new instrument, or practice singing, or even set up a mini concert from your home like some of our students have already done. Use your time in your home wisely and come back to school with lots of new skills that you never normally get chance to learn. Below are some […]

Last term Fyling Hall’s Year 7’s created from scratch their own composition to do with the sights, smells and sounds of nature. They got their inspiration from a lesson in our Rose Garden and created it using the four chords of pop. Each member of the class was involved with either the writing side of things, the performance or the production elements. It was a class effort, and the Year 7’s should be proud of […]

Just a few days to go and the Rose Garden Music Festival lineup is now complete . . . we are thrilled to announce Back in the Habit as the fourth act in our lineup.    What better act to close the Festival? Back in the Habit are a 9-piece function band bound to get you on your feet and dancing. The band got together originally when they were asked to provide the backing for Whitby Area […]

It’s now just two and a half weeks until Fyling Hall School’s Rose Garden Music Festival, and time to reveal our second act. The our second reveal is Ubunye! Ubunye are a vibrant seven piece Afro Jazz/dance band based in the UK, featuring three vocalists from Kwa Zulu Natal in South Africa and a four piece rhythm section. The music is an inspirational blend of jazz, Isigqi – traditional Zulu music – and Afro-pop. High […]

Fyling Hall pupils young and old did themselves proud last weekend when they performed in the Whitby Music Centre Spring Concert at Fylingthorpe Methodist Church. Alyssa Kelly sang with the choir, while Zachary Kelly played for the WOW band. Megan Hinds performed a wonderful violin solo and played for the Strings Group. Amelia Kelly, Damon Kelly and Tomas Richardson played for the Whitby Area Concert Band and Damon and Tomas also performed a duet. They […]

Miss Johnson reflects on last term’s Y7 & Y8 Music Lessons at Fyling Hall … The Year 7s had a busy term creating their first over single. The topic was nature, so the pupils started the term by setting off into the Rose Garden to see what they could see, hear and smell. Once we had spent some time gaining inspiration, we headed back to the music room to start writing some lyrical ideas. The […]