Music
"Pupils participate enthusiastically in musical life, including contributing to house competitions and choirs that bring together pupils, staff and parents."
- ISI Inspection Report 2025
The College is fortunate to have several wonderful onsite performance spaces, such as the John Wood Chapel, Theatre, and Chapel. Pupils have access to top quality resources such as our Fazioli Concert Grand Piano, the Copley pipe organ, and our music technology suites.
- All students at Prior study music in Years 7 and 8, receiving a term of funded group instrumental lessons per year, as part of our "learn in a term" scheme. Students can then choose Music at GCSE or A-Level and Music Technology at A-Level.
- Private instrumental lessons are available on over 25 different instruments. We also host termly examination sessions for the ABRSM.
- We facilitate a huge range of ensembles including Orchestra, Chamber Music Groups, and Jazz Band.
- Singing plays an important part in College life, from singing each week in whole-school assemblies, to the four different school choirs. Large-scale choral works are also performed twice annually, with a choir of over 100 students, staff and families, alongside professional musicians.
- Performances number around 60 per academic year, ranging from Band Night to our more formal events. The Grand Summer Concert provides Upper Sixth Form students the opportunity to perform major works, including concerti with professional players.
- In the Lent Term, the music and drama departments combine talents for the School Musical, recent productions include, The Addams Family, Grease, and Beauty of the Beast.
- Recent performances outside of Prior have included Bath Abbey, Clifton and Salisbury Cathedrals and the Sangrada Familia during a tour of Barcelona.
Mr Matthew Nicholls, Director of Music
As an accompanist, he has worked with distinguished ensembles including the Choir of Canterbury Cathedral, Llandaff Cathedral Girls Choir, the Choir of Selwyn College, Cambridge, and the Choir of Clare Hall, Cambridge, contributing to regular chapel services and recordings. He also performs regularly with the choirs of Wells Cathedral and Bath Abbey.
Matthew is an experienced choral conductor, having led both sacred and secular ensembles for BBC Radio broadcasts and major performances across the South West of England in venues such as Wells Cathedral and Malmesbury Abbey. He has worked closely with contemporary composers including Paul Mealor, Cecilia McDowall and Howard Goodall, and has collaborated with leading vocal ensembles such as VOCES8 and Harmonia Sacra. He was previously Director of Music of Wells Cathedral Chamber Choir, one of the South West’s leading chamber ensembles.
As a composer and arranger, Matthew’s music has been performed by UK cathedral choirs and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. Alongside his performing career, he also maintains a busy freelance career as an accompanist, conductor and writer, with published articles on music education, choral music and community singing.
Talking about his work at Prior Park College, Matthew said:
“I love every single day at Prior. The students have a self-motivation and drive to create music, which makes our job as staff so much more enjoyable and rewarding. No two days are the same – it could be African Drumming, or accompanying a soloist for a competition in a 2,000-seat concert hall. Who would want to work anywhere else?”