Llandaff Cathedral School hits the right notes with Yamaha

2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 10/6/2015 [Musical Instruments] Llandaff Cathedral School has become the latest addition to Yamaha’s Education Partner Programme, equipping its music department with a magnificent fleet of 11 new pianos. This partnership offers a performance, teaching and practice environment of the very highest musical calibre – unparalleled by any other school in South Wales.

The delivery of the 11 new pianos to the school – nine professional uprights, two grand pianos and one ‘SH Silent’ upright piano – represents an exciting turning point for the music department, further embedding and strengthening the Cathedral School’s outstanding reputation for music.

Philip Aspden, Director of Music at the Cathedral School explains: "With over 400 individual music lessons given each week, and with a team of 20 visiting music specialists, provision of professional quality pianos - in every teaching room of the department - is a pre-requisite for success. Our new Yamaha pianos are simply stunning, and we know that our pupils now have instruments which will stimulate and inspire outstanding musical results. Our new partnership with Yamaha is an investment in quality, musical opportunity and professional support of huge significance to our pupils and school community."

Music at the Cathedral School is outstanding; boy and girl choristers lead choral worship in Llandaff Cathedral; two thirds of pupils overall learn an instrument, whilst over 70% of Junior pupils have instrumental lessons. All conventional orchestral instruments are taught, with over 200 pupils learning the piano. Enriching our instrumental and vocal tuition, we have over 30 different instrumental and choral ensembles rehearsing weekly, culminating with our Senior Chamber Choir of 90 voices.

In addition to the new pianos, musicians enjoy other superb facilities, including a choice of cloud-based or traditional music software, a suite of purpose-built practice rooms, a chapel organ, instrument hire options, and an outstanding provision for orchestral percussion. Their learning is stimulated by an impressive programme of termly performances at school, and venues such as Llandaff and other cathedrals, the Wales Millennium Centre and the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.

David Halford, Yamaha Europe’s Business Development Manager for the Music Education Programme added: "We are delighted that the Cathedral School has joined our Partnership Programme. We hope to add to the already excellent music provision at the school by providing the pupils with access to an exceptional range of varied activities and experiences that will significantly enhance not only their individual experiences but also the musical life of the school."

Upper Sixth Form student, Lorna Price, who has been offered a choral scholarship to Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge said: "There was a real sense of excitement at school when the pianos arrived and I was lucky enough to be one of the first to try them out! The opportunity to play such top of the range instruments on a daily basis is a fantastic one and I’m sure that everyone will be really looking forward to their next music lesson."