Join a Wind Ensemble

WIND ENSEMBLES!

The Christchurch School of Music is one of New Zealand’s greatest musical treasures, and we’re always on the hunt for new members for our range of ensembles – no matter your age or experience! We are taking enrolments now.

Is it time to change yours or your child’s life with music?

A wind ensemble is a performing ensemble comprised of woodwind, brass and percussion instruments. The repertoire includes original wind compositions, transcriptions/arrangements of orchestral compositions, light music, and popular tunes. At CSM our conductors do a lot of arranging to suit the diverse instrumentation they find in front of them!

Windjammers

Saturday 10:30 – 12:00pm
Avonhead School (55 Avonhead Road)

Conductor: Josie Stanford/ Genevieve Long

Windjammers is made up of adult players who haven’t been learning for very long, or who used to learn an instrument and haven’t played for a while.

The members enjoy the challenges of playing in an ensemble, while improving their skills. This is a happy, supportive group aimed at playing music for enjoyment and making new friends. The music is tailored to everyone’s individual level. The Windjammers play regular concerts, often organised by the players for garden parties or rest homes. This group is highly recommended if you want to improve your skills and have some fun.

Windpower

Saturday 12:00-1:00pm
Avonhead School (55 Avonhead Road)

Conductor: Josie Stanford

Windpower is a wind only group offering wind players the chance to combine and play more challenging repertoire than is tackled by Windjammers. Students in the group are given an opportunity to expand their skills by performing on auxiliary instruments such as alto and bass flutes and bass clarinet. This group caters to secondary and adult students who are playing at grade 5 and above. A wide range of music is arranged specially for the group. It is a very social group which performs regularly in the community.

Saxophone Ensemble

Tuesday 5:45-7:00pm (fortnightly)
CSM

Conductor: Georgina Rees-Stevenson

Who doesn’t love the saxophone? If you’ve never heard a saxophone choir, you’re missing something very special. The CSM saxophone ensemble combines saxophones of all sizes (soprano, alto, tenor, baritone and even a bass) to produce a mighty sound. This ensemble plays a wonderful selection of music arranged to suit the different levels of players in the group. All ages and abilities of saxophone players are welcome to join this group, although it is recommended that students have been playing for a couple of years in order to cope with the sometimes difficult repertoire. This group meets 17 times per year (roughly fortnightly).

Term 1 Dates:

11th February

18th February

4th March

18th March

1st April

Clarinet Ensemble

Tuesday 7:15 -8:30pm (fortnightly)
CSM

Conductor: Georgina Rees-Stevenson

Like the saxophone ensemble, this group plays a varied selection of music arranged to cater for the individual levels of the players in the group. All ages and abilities of clarinet players are welcome to join this group, however, like the saxophone ensemble most players need to have been playing for a couple of years to cope with the demands of the music. This ensemble meets 17 times per year on the same dates as the Saxophone Ensemble.

Term 1 Dates

11th February

18th February

4th March

18th March

1st April

Flute Choir

Saturdays
Avonhead School (55 Avonhead Road)

Playing in a flute choir is a wonderful opportunity for flute players to develop their ensemble skills in a supportive and fun environment.

In the flute choir players have the opportunity to extend themselves playing the range of flutes with the addition of a piccolo, alto flute and bass flute to the standard flute.

Players at around a Grade 6 standard and above will find this group the most rewarding.

Terms & Conditions

Enrolment
It is usual practice for students to enrol for a minimum of one semester (1/2 a year) however we do offer Blocks of 5 or 10 lessons for adult students.
If you are under 18 years of age a parent or guardian will need to sign the enrolment form.

Fees & Payment
Fees for lessons and participation in performing groups can be paid in full before classes start, or in weekly, fortnightly, quarterly or semester installments. As fees are not optional at the Christchurch School of Music, we do require either all or a portion of the fee to be paid in advance of the start of lessons. It is expected that unless fees are paid before the start of the semester, an automatic payment will be set up to cover the remaining fees for the year.
If an agreement is made to pay fees in installments the CSM office will email invoices at the appropriate intervals.
Fees can be paid by internet banking, credit card or cash.
CSM does have some Financial Support available. These monies are reliant on a grant, so can not be guaranteed. If you would like to be considered for financial assistance and have a community services card please indicate this on your enrolment form. Financial Assistance in 2023 will only be available on lesson fees.
As CSM is a small not-for-profit organisation we do need to ensure that fees are paid regularly and promptly. Please contact the office immediately if you have any problems meeting commitments. We do use normal business methods to recover outstanding debt.

Refunds & Cancellations
CSM will refund fees paid in advance if you cancel your lessons before the beginning of a term or semester. However if you are unable to attend lessons part way through a term we will not be able to refund the remaining lessons because your teacher will have been contracted for that time.

Lessons
If you are unable to attend a lesson we cannot guarantee that the missed lessons will be able to be rescheduled. Tutors will endeavour to offer alternative lesson arrangements if they can. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide catch up lessons if you miss a group lesson.
If your teacher is unavailable for a lesson we will endeavour to make up the lesson at a mutually agreed time.

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