Charterhouse Music
Music has a long and fine tradition at Charterhouse, and Ralph Vaughan Williams was a pupil in the early days in Godalming. About half the pupils have music lessons, and many participate in other musical activities, like the House Music Festival or the Oratorio Choir.
Pupils regularly perform in ten minute recitals during quarter (the morning break), and there is a host of choirs and ensembles: Chapel Choir, Chamber Choir, Symphony Orchestra, String Orchestra, Jazz Band and Brass Band. Music is a respected academic subject, and Carthusians are regularly awarded Organ and Choral Scholarships at Oxford and Cambridge Colleges.
The links on this page provide short excerpts of some of the pupils' outstanding performances. There are full music CDs of these performances available to purchase.
- Music at Charterhouse - CD Order Form (PDF file, 510Kb)
Chamber Music at Charterhouse
Chamber music has always been an important part of the Charterhouse musical scene, and many Carthusians pursue it later on in life, as amateurs or professionals. Over the last few years many Charterhouse ensembles have taken part in the National Chamber Music Competition for Schools, and a good number have reached the final concert, which is the platform for the winners of the competition. These samples are taken from a CD comprising recordings of some great chamber works, and represents some recent highlights of Carthusian chamber music-making.
Vaughan Williams - Four movements from Wenlock Edge:
- On Wenlock Edge (.wma file, 1.22Mb)
- From Far, From Eve and Morning (.wma file, 629Kb)
- Oh, When I was in Love with you (.wma file, 605Kb)
- Bredon Hill (.wma file, 938Kb)
Brahms - Piano Quartet in G minor, 4th Movt.
- Piano Quartet in G minor (.wma file, 897Kb)
John Ireland - Concertino Pastorale
- Concertino Pastorale - 3 Toccata (.wma file, 985Kb)
Ralph Vaughan Williams - Music for String Orchestra
The Complete music for String Orchestra of Vaughan Williams was recorded in Charterhouse Chapel.
- Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis (.wma file, 1.19Mb)
- Charterhouse Suite - Pezzo ostinato (.wma file, 786Kb)
String Music from Charterhouse
The String Orchestra has been for many years at the centre of a long tradition of string playing at Charterhouse. Concerts include regular appearances at both the School and at St Martin-In-The-Fields in London.
- Pie Jesu, from the Requiem Mass (.wma file, 541Kb)
- Variations on a Theme by Tchaikovsky, Op. 35 (.wma file, 1.07Mb)
Special thanks to John Parsons for permission to publish these samples. All works are Copyrighted.