Music Update

It’s incredibly heartening that, in an era of restrictions and uncertainty, the music department at Norfolk House is thriving and the children are showing true resilience and going from strength to strength.

Senior Prep didn’t flinch when presented with a songwriting project in which they are not allowed to sing and threw themselves into their work, already producing original, creative and hugely entertaining results. You will hear more in our online Harvest Festival.

We are very pleased that children from Reception through to Form 6 are benefitting from weekly specialist music lessons. The results of this enrichment are already evident in the children’s enthusiasm and positivity; the ownership they are taking over their work and progress is astounding for such young students. In the first week of term before instrumental lessons started I had quite a few visitors to the music room politely and enthusiastically asking when their music lessons would start.

We have recently appointed a new member of staff Buffy Rowe to our peripatetic team. Buffy is teaching violin and piano both at Princes Avenue and Muswell Avenue. Buffy is already a member of the Norfolk House family as her two children were recently students, hugely involved in the music department. Buffy’s daughter Daisy started learning clarinet with me and I am incredibly proud that she is now a music scholar at Belmont. Georgia was an integral part of the music department and is still flourishing as a musician at Mill Hill. Buffy’s portfolio career is impressive and broad, including being a professional musician, an examiner for ABRSM grade exams and a nutritional therapist. We are hugely excited that she is working with our students and heralding a new era of string playing at Norfolk House.

I am delighted that Annabel is now our student Head of Music. With true Norfolk House resilience Annabel hasn’t let lockdown hold her back from gaining her Grade 5 Violin with distinction and is also an accomplished singer and pianist. I have no doubt she will be motivating and inspiring for the younger students.

As the children work hard and progress apace, we are enjoying the results in every music lesson and can’t wait to share the results with you soon in our online Harvest Festival. 

Thank you for your continuing support and for helping us to nurture these extraordinary children who are flourishing and good humoured despite everything; we can’t wait for the time when we can share our work with you in person again.