Inside and Outside the Classroom
Music
Kearsney Music Programme
The music programme at Kearsney has something for every boy – including a range of ensembles, groups and musical styles. We encourage all our boys to participate in music as part of a balanced education. Kearsney is one of the top music education hubs among private boys’ high schools in South Africa, with a well-recognised subject music programme and a rich co-curricular offering.
Gold medals won by the Kearsney College Choir at the World Choir Games.
Kearsney Choir
The Kearsney College Choir has become synonymous with vibrant, energetic performances and slick, professional productions. With its signature blend of classical, pop and indigenous music, the choir has built up a large international following of appreciative supporters.
For bookings or information, contact the Music Department at 031 765 9659 or email music@kearsney.com.
The choir is an important ambassador for our school, but also for the Zulu Kingdom and South Africa, being a multi-faceted and multi-cultural entity within our College. Our commitment to perform and promote the indigenous music of our country and the rest of the continent is a clear indication of the passion and pride we have for our African heritage.
We are constantly trying to improve our ability to sustain the on-going development of choristers, choral music and performance art and need to offer scholarships and financial aid to talented musicians from all over Africa to take part in our music programme.
We believe boys who embrace music and cultural activities during their school careers become balanced, responsible citizens who are tolerant of other ideas and cultures, with a sensitivity towards and appreciation of art and performance for the rest of their lives. The skills developed in a choir (teamwork, self-discipline, tenacity, co-ordination, linguistic skills, abstract thought) give boys a huge advantage as they tackle the challenges of university and professional life after school.
For bookings or information, contact the Music Department at 031 765 9659 or email music@kearsney.com.
Kearsney College enjoys a special relationship with Drakensberg Boys Choir School, sharing a passion for music and performance and a belief in the importance of music to boys’ holistic education and cognitive and social development. Choristers and musicians receive the best possible foundation at Drakensberg Boys’ and their training and performance experience in their senior years at the school are hugely beneficial to their development.
A large number of Drakies boys join Kearsney in Grade 10, as they want to be part of our world-class choir and have the opportunity to continue to pursue their passion at a top level and display their talent on the world stage. The Drakies boys tend to thrive in the Kearsney environment and the College benefits tremendously from their influence and input.
Kearsney believes that the grounding offered at Drakensberg Boys Choir School up to and including Grade 9 provides an ideal foundation for their pupils to join Kearsney at the start of Grade 10.
Kearsney Choir International Awards and Experience
Orchestra
The Kearsney orchestra consists of approximately 45 pupils. Their repertoire varies from light classical pieces to jazz and instrumental pop. They also accompany certain choir performances. Occasionally, singers from the music department perform with the ensemble to increase the versatility and variety of styles capable by the group.
The orchestra traditionally performs at Supper Theatre productions, Speech Day and other school functions, but are also available for private and corporate functions.
For enquiries or more information, please email the Music Department at music@kearsney.com.
Gumboot Dancing
Our gumboot troupe consists of approximately 20 choir members. They specialise in all aspects of African dancing and drumming, with new routines being added constantly. They have captivated audiences around the world with their skill, pace and unison. Being a member of the College Choir is a prerequisite to joining the gumboot troupe.
This group is available for corporate functions and sporting events. They also perform regularly on choir tours and at Supper Theatre productions.
For enquiries or more information, please email Bernard Kruger at music@kearsney.com.
Subject Music
Formal music education starts in Grade 8 with an introductory course, which is taken by all boys. They are taught the basics of music notation and implement their knowledge by using music notation software to compose their first masterpiece.
In Grade 9, our class is refined into the strongest group of budding musicians from the previous year. This forms a music elective class in which music performance is the main focus, with peripherals such as music theory and history being covered in a rudimentary way. The use of music software to compose, record and sequence music is further developed.
Full subject music is only offered in the FET phase (Grade 10 – 12), but our students are generally well-equipped to handle the subject after the Grade 9 music elective year. The IEB music curriculum is significantly different to that of the Department of Education, with more emphasis on holistic music knowledge, appreciation and performance, which encourage critical thinking and a better understanding of abstract musical concepts.
Entry requirements for subject music (FET) involve an interview with the music staff to determine the candidate’s suitability to take the subject. Minimum requirements (loosely followed) are completion of Theory Grade 2 and Practical Grade 3 before entering the FET phase. In the final year (Grade 12), we encourage all students to perform at Grade 7 level (with theory at Grade 6 level) or higher.
Various subject outings are undertaken each year. Previous events include a visit to East Coast Radio to discuss music playlist policies, artist airtime, royalties, music industry and careers in radio; visits to the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra dress rehearsals, the Barnyard Theatre and the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre and attending various masterclasses.
Our department prides itself in providing the best in additional instruction through regular masterclasses from local and international artists and educators.
Music@Kearsney
Music is intrinsic to our high school’s philosophy of producing balanced individuals. The Kearsney College Music Department is one of the country’s most cutting-edge music education hubs, with our students performing exceptionally – on stage, in examinations, in tertiary music studies, locally and internationally. Music extends to all boys in the College, from a weekly hymn practice for the entire school to a bi-weekly mass singing lesson for all Grade 8 boys – or enjoying a performance of the Kearsney College Choir.
Here, we cultivate the art of musicianship in all its different forms and celebrate the talents of the country’s future entertainers.
Our music department is nestled into the ArtZone (Art, Music, Drama) on the eastern perimeter of the estate, and our music facilities include:
- 7 sound-proof practice rooms doubling as lesson studios for part-time music teachers
- a music studio
- a theory room
- a rehearsal room (orchestra, marimbas, bands)
- an auditorium (115 seats)
- an amphitheatre
