The Music programme at LEH Foshan provides a holistic vision of music-making where students are both nurtured and inspired to be the best of themselves. It allows students to express themselves in a unique way, which motivates their learning and helps build self-confidence, and helps students connect to other cultures and understand the world around them.
The Music Department here provides an unparalleled education that celebrates and promotes the fullest diversity of musical expression. From Chamber Choir to Symphony Orchestra, chamber ensembles to pop, rock, and jazz groups, and a traditional Chinese Orchestra, this is a place of unique opportunity where ALL talent finds a place and stage. At LEH Foshan, Music is a whole school endeavour, a bringing together of the school community, forming a pivotal expression of cultural diversity and the international language that is Music.
Students are given every opportunity to perform in concerts and recitals and are assessed in practical and theory Grade and Diploma exams, with the ABRSM, Trinity College London, and London College of Music, Classical and Rock and Pop. Students have access to the music department practice rooms during morning and lunch breaks, and for borders, before evening school and at weekends.
The Development of LEH Music Department
The Music Department here has grown substantially in its first two terms. During break times the buzz of music-making can be heard throughout the department, as students prepare for their next exam or concert performance. Students perform at all school assemblies, and the school has recently enjoyed its first evening concert which was stream lived to a very wide audience. Monthly informal lunchtime concerts are now part of the school calendar.
Spring Concert
LEH Foshan just held the first Spring Concert event on 31 March featuring piano, cello, violin, oboe, clarinet, trumpet, trombone, saxophone and group singing. It was delightful to see our young and talented musicians performed with such passion.
Upcoming Performance
On 12th June, the pianists from LEH Foshan will be performing at the Steinway Recital Hall in Guangzhou, a very exciting opportunity for our talented pianists.
There is real potential for growth in Music at LEH Foshan, the sound of enthusiastic singing is starting to permeate around the department, and we have a healthy number of students opting for IGCSE and A Level Music.
Future Plans
As from September 2022, academic music lessons in the Prep School will involve students playing orchestral instruments. Year 4 students will play string instruments (violin and cello), Year 5 students will enjoy learning a woodwind instrument (flute and clarinet), and brass instruments (trumpet and trombone) will be heard in Year 6 music lessons. This will quickly lead to more music ensembles being set up, and eventually the formation of the LEH Foshan symphony orchestra.
The long-term vision is that LEH Foshan Music should follow in the footsteps of its sister school in the UK, and be known locally, nationally, and globally for its musical diversity and excellent. Every single student, whatever stage of musical development he or she is in, should leave LEH Foshan with many happy memories of music from whatever the situation, context, or performance.
Meet Our Staff
Mr David Hobourn
Director of Music
Mr David Hobourn joins LEH Foshan as Director of Music with over 25 years’ experience in music education and performance. He is a Graduate of Trinity College of Music as well as Fellow of the Royal College of Organists. He has worked in schools in the UK, France, and Thailand, having started his career as a cathedral organist in Canterbury and Bristol, UK. As an organ soloist and choral director, Mr Hobourn has performed in many countries around the world. He has played live on BBC radio and television, and in the presence of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. He has also been on the music examining panel of Trinity College London since 1999, and has also worked as an adjudicator, including twice at the Hong Kong Schools Music Festival.
"Being the founding Director of Music will give me a wonderful opportunity to set the foundation of Music at LEH Foshan. I am equally enthusiastic and passionate sharing my love of music with students in the early years of school as I am with our A Level Music Scholars. The real love I have had throughout my career has been the joy and thrill of performing, shared not only with the students and musicians involved, but also with the audience, whether within the school or wider environment of Foshan, Hong Kong or further afield. I have always been motivated and inspired to share my passion and interest for Western Music, whether it be classical, jazz or rock and pop, yet I am equally fascinated by Chinese and World Music. "
LEH Music Curriculum
Year 4 - 6
Students develop a critical engagement with music, allowing them to compose, to listen with discrimination to a wide variety of musical styles, and to perform individually or as a class.
Year 7 - 9
Building on previous knowledge and skills through performing, composing and listening, students develop their vocal and/or instrumental fluency, accuracy and expressiveness; and understand musical structures, styles, genres and traditions, identifying the expressive use of musical dimensions. They will learn to listen with increasing discrimination and awareness to inform their practice as musicians. Students will learn to use technologies appropriately and appreciate and understand a wide range of musical contexts and styles.
Year 10 - 11(ICGSE)
The IGCSE Music course encourages students to listen to, perform and compose music, encouraging aesthetic and emotional development, self-discipline and, importantly, creativity. As a result, students enhance their appreciation and enjoyment of music, and achievement that forms an ideal foundation for future study and enhances lifelong musical enjoyment.
Students study music of all styles; each style is placed in its historical and cultural context, and learners are encouraged to be perceptive, sensitive and critical when listening. Although the majority of the course examines Western European music, the music of other cultures is also represented.
Year12 - 13, (A Level)
A-Level Music encourages students to study a variety of music and build on their individual interests. Students develop the ability to make connections between the musical activities of listening, composing and performing and the variety of music around the world. Throughout the course, students are encouraged to analyse and evaluate and to present work which is underpinned by practical and theoretical understanding.
By learning to listen attentively and with purpose, to create and perform, and present understanding of music through academic writing, students are developing transferable skills. These will help equip them for higher education or employment.
Music Themes
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Y4: Water Music, Weather and Seasons, Music inspired by Animals
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Y5: Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, the Victorians
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Y6: Britain since 1930, The Tudors, Space
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Y7: The Elements of Music, Keyboard skills, Form & Structure
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Y8: Hooks and Riffs, Reggae, African Drumming
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Y9: Dance music, Film Music, Composing a Pop Song, Samba
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IGCSE & A Level: Listening, Composing and Performing
Instrumental Learning
The development of students’ musical abilities relies heavily on the quality and dedication of an excellent team of instrumental tutors and daily practise.
LEH Foshan boasts six fine brand-new Kawai and Ritmuller pianos, and also has instruments that students can hire when first learning, such as violin, viola, flute, clarinet, trombone, trumpet, guitar and cello.
Every student at LEH has the opportunity to learn a new instrument from the large number of individual instrumental lessons that are offered every week: Piano, orchestral String, Woodwind, Brass and Percussion instruments, Guitar and Drum Kit are amongst the lessons available. Singing is also an option.
Music ECA Programme
At present, the school offers the following ECAs: Music Practice, Choir, Music Theory, and String Ensemble.
01 Individual Music Lessons
Provided by an outstanding team of visiting music teachers.
02 Music Ensembles
As LEH Foshan expands and develops, there will be many opportunities for students to take part in music ensembles such as:
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Choirs, chamber ensembles, rock group, jazz group, symphony orchestra, string orchestra, and Chinese music ensembles.
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There will be many opportunities for students to take part in a wide range of concerts, as well as Musical Productions.
Music Events at LEH
LEH Foshan has recently started its series of monthly Informal Lunchtime concerts. These are open to all musicians of all levels, and usually take place on the first Friday of each month. There are also evening concerts showcasing the rich array of musical talent that exists at the school.
The regular music rehearsals culminate in dazzling concerts throughout the year.
Celebrations
Music has always been integral to any celebrations. Christmas and Chinese New Year Celebrations are two of the key events in the school calendar and provide an exciting and diverse range of musical activities giving students of all abilities the opportunities to perform.
Hot Questions for Mr Hobourn
Q1 ：Why attracts you to LEH Foshan?
It has long been my wish to return to Asia, having worked as Director of Choral Music at a top UK school in Bangkok, and having toured many countries in S.E. Asia as a Trinity College London music examiner. It has always been a dream of mine to work in an international school in its early stages, and in LEH Foshan, I feel I have found a School which has the aspirations and ability to promote a breadth, depth and quality of world class music making, whilst achieving a music-for-all philosophy.
Lady Eleanor Holles School in the UK, with its 300-year history, has produced many remarkable musicians. The challenges that lie ahead for me, as founding Director of Music at LEH Foshan, are both exciting and inspiring. LEH in the UK has the most thrilling and enrichening musical scene, and it is this, coupled with the working ethos and excellence of so many young musicians I have had the pleasure of examining and adjudicating in Hong Kong, that really attracted me to LEH Foshan. It is my sincere vision that the school will soon become a pioneering and enterprising centre of music education and performance, nurturing the idea that each and every student is given a taste of music in a stimulating and joyful environment, encompassing orchestras, ensembles, choirs, jazz bands, chamber music and rock bands. The groups are designed to inspire musicians from absolute beginners right up to the post-diploma whizzes and produce performances of the highest quality.
Q2 ：What do you enjoy most about your job
Music is an international language and I count myself very fortunate to have been able to share my passion and love of music with students, candidates, and Festival competitors in many countries around the world. To hear the same Mozart ‘Minuet’ or Iron Maiden song performed in different ways in Sydney, Bangkok, Cape Town, Vancouver, or London, with the goal of each candidate being exactly the same, has brought me much joy. Twenty-five years’ experience in music education and performing in many different countries has given me a thorough understanding of cultural diversity and of working with musicians of all levels and backgrounds.
Q3 ：How can we best develop the musical abilities of all students?
In all my teaching and choir directing posts, I have always nurtured and enjoyed a broad range of music-making, brought about with enthusiasm, energy, passion, and dynamism. At LEH Foshan, I would hope to achieve this through a wide range of musical activities: choirs, orchestras, chamber ensembles, musical productions, rock groups, and wind bands, masterclasses given by leading and acclaimed international musicians, and the development of a Music Scholar Programme.
To help promote music making through the various instrumental groups, special weeks dedicated to Piano (Classical, Jazz), Singing, Woodwind and Brass, and Contemporary Music (Jazz, Rock and Pop) are organised. During each of these weeks, there are several different concerts, of different scales and in different venues. A real opportunity for many students to take part.