News Senior House Music Competition: A Triumph of Talent and Participation 16.10.2026

This week, we enjoyed a superb Senior House Music Competition, with 89 pupils giving a total of 107 performances on Tuesday – a new record, and the first time that the Senior House Music Competition has attracted over 100 entries. Pupils entered a range of categories (keyboard, woodwind, strings etc.) and classes (Class 1 = Grades 3-5, Class 2 = Grades 6-7, Class 3 = Grade 8+), alongside a number of duet and ensemble categories. Our adjudicators were esteemed cellist Ariane Zandi and singer and actor Wendy Carr.

On Thursday, all of the Class 3, duet and ensemble winners came together to compete in the Senior House Music Competition Final. We were very fortunate indeed to have Sally Burgess, soprano and professor at the Royal College of Music, as our adjudicator. Many congratulations to Maya, our Class 3 Winner, and our Upper Sixth String Quartet, who were our Duet and Ensemble winners.

Our overall House Winners were Sheppard, with Lovelace as close runners-up.

Some of Mr Langworthy’s, Director of Music, programme notes for the evening are printed below:

‘Every year, but particularly this year, I have been struck by the enormous breadth of quality across our competition. A huge number of our pupils have played immensely challenging works with real musicality, lyricism, shape and technical understanding. At the same time, the warmth of feeling between competitors has been absolutely wonderful to see and, in the best possible way, this has felt like a competition in name only.

‘This year, I have reflected, in particular, on the resilience that our performers have demonstrated, and the lightness and humility with which they wear their musical expertise. Whatever their future endeavours, musical or otherwise, the skills that our pupils develop through performance (time management, self-evaluation, communication, problem-solving, creativity, adaptability, co-operation, and a host of others) will stand them in wonderful stead for everything that they go on to do.

‘As ever, this competition could not have run without the help and expertise of a huge number of colleagues involved in planning, organisation, adjudicating, logistical work, and more besides. In particular, I’d like to thank our fantastic team of peripatetic teachers, who have prepared our pupils for their performances with such dedication, encouragement and good humour. A very special thank you, too, to Ms Lim and Ms Koh for all of their superb accompanying on Day 1 of the competition – we are so fortunate to have them here.’