Music groups

Chatswood Public School offers its students many wonderful opportunities to experience the glorious world of music making, both inside the classroom and through our extra curricular music programs. Our extra curricular program offers both choral and instrumental music.

Instrument Lessons and Hire

Our school offers instrument lessons in school time, eliminating the after school taxi service for parents! Lessons are conducted by qualified instrument teachers, in the Cottage at the back of the school from midday on each weekday. Some violin lessons take place in the infants building and are sometimes held before school. Students miss thirty minutes of lesson time which they are ‘contracted’ to catch up. Lessons are available in violin, viola and cello, all brass, flute, clarinet, saxophone (alto, tenor and baritone), piano, recorder and percussion (mallet and kit).
CPS owns a large number of instruments which it hires to students for very reasonable rates.

Instrument Ensembles

When students are sufficiently proficient in their instruments, they join one of our many instrument ensembles. CPS students who learn an instrument outside our program are very welcome to join these ensembles as well. Our ensembles are directed by musicians with extensive experience in music education, and generally rehearse once a week.

We have string ensembles which cater for beginners, intermediate and experienced players, as well as a Chamber String Ensemble for the most experienced. There is a Training Band for beginners and a Concert band for more proficient players. We also have a Recorder Ensemble, and, for our most experienced players, an Orchestra.

The Instrument Program is run by a committee of parents, ensemble directors and teachers. All our ensembles perform regularly both at school and in the wider community.

Choral Program

Our school also operates four choirs. The Infants Choir rehearses weekly in school time during our Enrichment Groups time. The Y3 Choir also rehearses in school time and will participate in The Primary Proms concert at the Sydney Town Hall in September. The Y4 Choir meets once a week at lunchtime and will participate in the Festival of Children’s Music in October at Chatswood Civic Centre.

The Senior Choir meets at lunchtime and participates in several events: the Choral Concert Series at the Opera House, the Schools Spectacular, Carols in the City and many others. In past years, our Senior Choir has sung on a movie soundtrack, opened an international medical conference, as well as recording several CDs for national and international release with the ABC.

School Music Camp

Each year, around the beginning of December, our school offers its musicians a wonderful weekend Music Camp at nearby Naamaroo.

All ensemble members, as well as our pianists are invited to attend. At the Camp, our musicians rehearse for the Camp Concert and also have many opportunities to swim, bushwalk, play, participate in craft activities and generally just have fun! It is a wonderful celebration of a year’s fantastic music making!