During the last academic year 2019-20, the Community & Partnerships Department and the Music Department had planned to provide music lessons for Year 4 students in local schools, culminating in a joint performance of all students at Freemen's School in July.  Sadly this was not able to go ahead.  Undeterred, the two departments organised a music collaboration with two local schools in the summer term, resulting in a wonderful performance of 'Even Apart We're Together', a piece written and composed by Old-Free Timothy Peters.

This academic year 2020-21, has seen the launch of the new Freemen’s Music Partnership Programme.   

A series of six pre-recorded lessons are shared with our local and City partner schools on a termly basis, finishing each term with a collaborative performance involving all students. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Autumn term

The six lessons focussed on a variety of music techniques and activities, including demonstrations of Indian rhythm patterns by a tabla player, and African rhythms by a musician and dancers in northern Uganda. 

Over 200 students from five schools (Freemen’s, Walton on the Hill Primary, Epsom Primary, Galleywall Primary, and Woodlands Special School) joined together for an end of term performance of 'Bring Back The Snow' – an original piece about the impact of climate change on snowy weather, specially written and composed for the Programme by Timothy Peters.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spring term

This term’s lessons looked at the different elements that make up music around the world, and the role played by music in society.  The final collaborative piece of music incorporated percussion-only performances from students at Freemen’s, Walton-on-the-Hill Primary, Epsom Primary, Galleywall Primary and West Ashtead Primary, focussed mainly on rhythm, tempo and timbre. Watch Heliospring, written and produced by Timothy Peters below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summer term

As part of Freemen’s activities to highlight Refugee Week (14 - 20 June 2021), students across the five schools will be learning a song written by a refugee.