HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh GCVO officially opened Radley College’s new Music School on Sunday at a special concert featuring two new pieces jointly composed by leading contemporary composer Cecilia McDowall working with eight pupils from Radley College.
The multi-million-pound new building marks the completion of a ten-year programme linked to Radley College’s expansion to 770 pupils. The project involved:
· two and a half years of planning and design
· 18 months of construction
· 100,000 hours of labour
· the installation of 37 different types of acoustic panel, and
· the laying of 65,000 bricks.
Music has long been central to life at Radley, and the new Music School brings together a 300-seat Concert Hall, an additional Recital Hall, a dedicated Song Room for choral rehearsals, 26 music practice rooms, and state-of-the-art classrooms. A professional recording studio – home to Radley Records – enables pupils to record and produce their own work, while flexible rehearsal spaces support the College’s busy programme of ensembles and performances. Around 580 music lessons take place every week at Radley, with nearly half of the boys taking singing or instrumental lessons.
The new building will also serve the local Oxfordshire community. Radley College leads Music Flood, a unique partnership together with Abingdon Music Centre, Thames Vale Youth Orchestra and 17 local schools with the aim of putting music in every school, every day. The new Music School has already hosted two Music Flood Orchestra events and welcomed hundreds of children from across local primary schools today (23rd March) for the Big Sing.
The refurbished Silk Hall Concert Hall has also held two sell-out performances, the first featured acclaimed woodwind player Giacomo Smith, and the second renowned concert pianist Sir Stephen Hough.
The Warden (Headmaster) of Radley College, John Moule, said: “Music is about the people far more than the building they play in. But the time and resource we have dedicated to this stunning new Music School represents all that is good about education: to teach skills for life through music; creativity through composition; collaboration though ensemble; discipline through practice; confidence through performance. In a school which cares about beauty, emotion, collegiality and culture, music has to be at the centre of what we do. Emphatically, at Radley College it is.”
Radley’s Director of Music Sam Gladstone said: “It has been incredible to see the impact that such an inspiring building has already had on our young musicians, at all levels of ability. Aside from a series of thrilling performances, the building has been full of music every day from pupils excited to practise individually, rehearse in groups or explore our wonderful new recording facilities. Just as exciting has been to see hundreds of musicians from across our Music Flood partnership performing in the stunning new performance spaces, making music alongside Radley’s own pupils and some remarkable visiting professional performers.”
The Opening Concert launches a year-long season of solo competitions, concerto performances and informal concerts that will showcase the new building and the emphasis on music at Radley.
