SDSS Ensembles
SDSS has a number of musical ensembles that students can join. If you are interested in being involved in our ensembles, you must be enrolled in a music course appropriate to your grade. These ensembles are a great way to put the skills you are learning in class into practise. Our ensembles perform at many occasions throughout the school year, and lots of unique opportunities are opened up by joining an ensemble. Many of our students are involved in multiple groups!
Symphonic Band (Gr. 10-12)
This is a half-credit performance class for senior-level music students. It runs on Wednesday and Friday mornings from 7:30am-8:30am for grade 10-12 students. There are seasonal band camps and several public performances. The course content consists of sight-reading and analysis of selected works of the repertoire, and includes both listening and performing. We explore some of the major works for band, including marches, show and movie tunes, pop music and festival repertoire. The Symphonic Band performs frequently at most school functions, in the Kiwanis Music Festival in Stratford and London, as well as in the annual Stratford Band-o-Rama.
Director: Ms. Paula Ortelli
Concert Band (Gr. 9)
Concert Band is an extra-curricular band for grade nine students who are enrolled in an instrumental music course (AMI1O). This beginning band performs at grade 1-2 band level and they rehearse on Monday mornings. They perform at the Christmas Concert, the grade eight parents' night open house, the Stratford Kiwanis Music Festival, Music Night and the Canada's Wonderland Music Festival. They also tour local feeder schools around Christmas time in December.