Arts and Creativity

Music

Twenty-one instrumental and vocal teachers deliver around 200 lessons weekly, guiding students through voice, strings, woodwind, brass, piano, guitar, organ, and even harpsichord before they sit exams with ABRSM, Trinity Guildhall, London College of Music, and LAMDA. The Schola Cantorum choir brings together roughly 70 singers who perform at special masses, Lenten concerts, and Christmas services, as well as touring to Canterbury and Westminster cathedrals. Alongside these choral groups, the college runs an orchestra, jazz band, and ensembles for flutes, saxophones, and guitars.

Instruments:

• Vocals
• Strings
• Woodwind and brass
• Guitar, piano, organ, harpsichord
• Violin, cello, recorder, ukulele (in Prep)
• Drums (Rock School)

Ensembles:

• Orchestra, jazz band, concert group
• Junior Strings
• Flute, saxophone, and guitar ensembles
• Chapel choir, chamber choir

Theatre at St Edmund’s College

The college stages ambitious musicals like Les Misérables, Side Show, and Starlight Express, giving students hands-on experience both onstage and behind the scenes. Theatre work extends beyond acting to include stage combat, makeup, costume design, lighting, and sound—all using professional equipment. Students prepare for LAMDA qualifications while competing in inter-house contests, and they analyze texts such as Blood Brothers, DNA, and Noughts and Crosses. Rehearsal techniques, ensemble devising, and physical theatre methods from Frantic Assembly round out the program.

Musical Theatre

Professionals who’ve worked in the West End, on television, and with the Royal Ballet lead the musical theatre program, teaching singing, acting with LAMDA preparation, plus jazz, tap, ballet, and contemporary dance through both individual and group sessions. Participants perform for families, friends, and theatre industry guests, as well as in the annual production. Some are preparing for professional careers, while others simply explore their creative potential along the way.

Visual Arts

Younger students explore drawing, painting, mixed media, and sculpture while studying artists from different cultures—from fauvist portraits to collagraphs. Year 7 pupils engage with line, tone, and color theory, while those in Year 8 create portraits and clay busts. By Year 9, students tackle Sugar Coated Art and attend specialized GCSE preparation workshops. Finished pieces appear in exhibitions around the college and at local art shows, and Art Club and Digital Art Club sessions help students build confidence while taking pride in what they create.