It is evident as soon as you enter St Margaret’s that music is at its heart and under the expert, enthusiastic leadership of the Director of Music, Mrs Mary Lowles, the Music department performs throughout the year and in a wide variety of venues. From informal busking at school open days, to the impressive grandeur of an invitation to play for the Lord Mayor at the Guildhall, or a concert at the Barnfield Theatre, students of all ages and with a vast array of talents embrace opportunities to develop and showcase their performance skills.

St Margaret’s is renowned for the quality of the singing: there are five choirs which provide opportunities for all ages. Becoming a member of Chapel Choir is the aspiration for all St Margaret’s most talented singers and it is from this highly trained group, that Mrs Lowles selects and nurtures even further the girls who perform in Chamber Choir. The range of the repertoire of both these groups challenges and enhances their skills, leading them to be much in demand in the area. The Middle School choir for girls in Key Stage 3, and the Prep Choir, develop the future members of these prestigious groups. There is also a Celebration Choir, which is not auditioned, which girls attend if they are simply keen to sing! There are also opportunities for girls to form their own small vocal ensembles, which are coached by one of the singing specialists.

Music makes a wonderful contribution to the spiritual life of the school, and the choirs sing at all school services, many of which take place in Exeter Cathedral.

Each term has had its own specific concerts and there are frequent performances given at public venues in and around Exeter. Pre-Prep and Prep also show their energy and early musical talent with their own concerts. St Margaret’s musicians participate in The Devon Performing Arts Festival.

There are numerous instrumental ensembles in which St Margaret’s musicians may choose to participate.  There are several chamber groups, including a piano trio and string, flute, clarinet and saxophone quartets/quintets, a training orchestra, which gives experience in ensemble playing to the students as they become more advanced, and larger, more senior ensembles such as the Wind Band, Sinfonia (Chamber Orchestra) and a String Orchestra.

Nurturing and showcasing developing talent is central to Mrs Lowles’ vision for the school; the specialist teaching of Music from Years 1-13 encourages all students to participate, but the breadth of the tuition available by the team of Visiting Music Teachers is evident in the termly informal soloists’ concerts which enable all students to experience performing live, thereby building up their confidence in preparation for the Associated Board and Trinity exams which are undertaken at all levels, and performance assemblies led by the Music department, which also enable the school to see the range of instruments and students who are learning in school.