Charterhouse Music Department

Charterhouse Music Department Welcome to the Charterhouse Music Department!

22/08/2026

A brilliant performance by our very own The Strangers, performing ‘When I Get Famous’ at Artifex Festival earlier this summer. A seriously good performance from start to finish 💥

✨ GCSE RESULTS DAY! ✨ A huge congratulations to all our Charterhouse students receiving their GCSE results today. We are...
20/08/2026

✨ GCSE RESULTS DAY! ✨

A huge congratulations to all our Charterhouse students receiving their GCSE results today. We are incredibly proud of the hard work, commitment and determination you have shown throughout the year.

A special mention to our brilliant Music pupils, who have achieved some phenomenal results this year. Alongside everything they contribute to the musical life of the School — rehearsals, concerts, ensembles and performances — they have worked incredibly hard academically too, and we couldn’t be prouder of them. 🎶

Congratulations to you all — a fantastic achievement and very well deserved!

11/08/2026

Throwing it back to Artifex Festival at the end of last term 🎸

Just one of the many incredible performances from our student bands — The Ballistics with ‘Dog Days Are Over’, recorded live on the night.

Turn it up 🔊

Introducing our Head of Contemporary music, Ian Kellett! 🎸 Ian leads Charterhouse’s thriving Rock Band society, offering...
05/08/2026

Introducing our Head of Contemporary music, Ian Kellett! 🎸

Ian leads Charterhouse’s thriving Rock Band society, offering one-to-one tuition in guitar, bass, drums and songwriting to students of all ages. He also records students’ original compositions, helping young musicians bring their creative ideas to life.

Throughout the year, Ian organises a packed calendar of live music events, including the Autumn Concert, The Sound of Drums, the Charterhouse Rocks Battle of the Bands, performances at the Artifex Festival, and appearances on the school music tour. He also takes Charterhouse’s top bands to the annual Priorsfield Battle of the Bands, where this year’s winners, Audacity, earned a coveted performance slot at GuilFest.

With over 30 years of professional performance and teaching experience, Ian is passionate about inspiring the next generation of musicians. A BA (Hons) Music Technology graduate from Rose Bruford College, he built his career in London’s vibrant live music scene before becoming an internationally touring session musician, performing on television and radio and appearing at some of the world’s most iconic venues.

Over the course of his career, Ian has shared the stage with an extraordinary range of artists, including James Dean Bradfield, Emilíana Torrini, Suggs, Guy Garvey, Cerys Matthews, Chas & Dave, Tim Burgess, Terry Hall, Sarah Cracknell, Lou Rhodes and the BBC Concert Orchestra, performing across Europe, Australia and the United States. This summer alone, Ian toured Germany with Emilíana Torrini supporting Counting Crows, performed on the main stage at Slovakia’s Pohoda Festival alongside The Prodigy, and appeared at Italy’s La Prima Estate Festival, sharing the bill with Sleaford Mods and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds.

Whether coaching bands, arranging songs or preparing students for their next performance, Ian loves helping young musicians develop their confidence, creativity and passion for live music. Outside school, he enjoys collecting vintage music equipment and vinyl records, spending time with his cats, and keeping active through running and cycling.

Meet our Head of Woodwind, Sam Corkin! 🎷 Sam is an internationally recognised saxophonist who has performed and recorded...
03/08/2026

Meet our Head of Woodwind, Sam Corkin! 🎷

Sam is an internationally recognised saxophonist who has performed and recorded as a soloist in concert halls, cathedrals and festivals across the UK and abroad. He has collaborated with leading choirs, including those of St John’s College, Cambridge, Canterbury Cathedral and the BBC Singers, and has commissioned and premiered more than thirty new works for saxophone and choir.

His acclaimed recordings include Drop Down, Ye Heavens and Palimpsest, an Arts Council England-supported collaboration with Canterbury Cathedral Choir featuring fifteen newly commissioned works.

After studying at King’s College London, Sam completed a Master’s degree and Artist Fellowship at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama. Alongside his solo career, he is a member of the Band of the Royal Air Force and sings as a Lay Clerk at Wi******er Cathedral.

At Charterhouse, Sam leads the Woodwind Department, directs the school’s wind ensembles and organises a wide-ranging programme of concerts and performance opportunities for our young musicians.

We are delighted to introduce Katie Harris, our Head of Strings at Charterhouse!Since joining Charterhouse as Head of St...
01/08/2026

We are delighted to introduce Katie Harris, our Head of Strings at Charterhouse!

Since joining Charterhouse as Head of Strings in 2023, Katie Harris has inspired pupils to develop both their technical ability and their love of music. With more than 12 years’ teaching experience, she enjoys supporting young string players at every stage of their musical journey, from preparing for conservatoire study to building confidence in orchestral and chamber music.

Katie graduated from the Royal Academy of Music with a First Class BMus, an MA with Distinction and the LRAM Teaching Diploma. During her studies, she was appointed Sub-Principal Second Violin of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales before performing with leading ensembles including the Royal Opera House, the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, the London Symphony Orchestra, the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the Philharmonia Orchestra.

Drawing on her extensive professional performing career, Katie brings expertise, enthusiasm and high musical standards to her teaching. She particularly enjoys directing the Chamber Orchestra, coaching chamber ensembles and helping pupils grow as confident, expressive and collaborative musicians.

Outside the music department, Katie enjoys running—whether on her own, with colleagues, or trying to keep up with her children and energetic dog!

Introducing our Head of Academic Music, Dr Russell Millard! 🎶Russell is Head of Academic Music at Charterhouse, leading ...
30/07/2026

Introducing our Head of Academic Music, Dr Russell Millard! 🎶

Russell is Head of Academic Music at Charterhouse, leading classroom music teaching across the school. He is also the IB Theory of Knowledge Coordinator and a sixth-form tutor in one of our school houses, Chetwynd.

A Specialist Musician at Wells Cathedral School, Russell went on to study Music at St Catharine’s College, Cambridge, graduating with First Class honours before completing an MPhil in Musical Composition. He later earned a PhD from Royal Holloway, University of London, and has published research in leading music journals.

Alongside his academic commitments, Russell also helps out with the practical side of the Department, playing viola and bass guitar in various ensembles.

On Charterhouse: ‘There was one Thursday recently where I was supervising our students running an after-school music club in a local primary school, before rushing back to Charterhouse to play Iron Maiden with a student band. Once that rehearsal was done, I was straight into playing Vaughan Williams with Symphony Orchestra. I can’t think of any job that would offer such a variety of musical experiences; I’m never bored at work!’

Meet the Music Department 🎶 Next up in our spotlight is Jamal Sutton, our Assistant Director of Music and Organist at Ch...
28/07/2026

Meet the Music Department 🎶

Next up in our spotlight is Jamal Sutton, our Assistant Director of Music and Organist at Charterhouse!

Jamal helps to run our Music Department and teaches academic music, organ and composition. He is also Director of Music of Southern Voices Chamber Choir and continues to work as a freelance musician, recently performing with the Corinthian Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall.

Jamal has been an organist and harpsichordist for the St Endellion Easter Festival since 2011. Before joining Charterhouse, he spent seven years as Assistant Director of Chapel Music at Wi******er College, where he played for services, concerts and broadcasts, and helped to train and conduct the Quiristers and Chapel Choir.

He attended Magdalen College School, Oxford, before becoming Organ Scholar at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge. Away from music, Jamal enjoys cricket, tennis, countryside walks, Italy and Liverpool FC, although family life with his young son now keeps him especially busy!

Jamal’s favourite things about working at Charterhouse are the high calibre music making that goes on, the wonderful colleagues to work with but above all else, a super set of curious, interesting and keen pupils to make music with!

Meet the Music Department 🎶First up in our staff spotlight is David McKee, our Director of Music here at Charterhouse.Da...
26/07/2026

Meet the Music Department 🎶

First up in our staff spotlight is David McKee, our Director of Music here at Charterhouse.

David was educated at Oakham School and the University of Exeter, where he was both a Music Scholar and a University Choral Scholar. Singing and conducting lie at the heart of his musicianship, and throughout his career he has conducted much of the large scale choral repertoire while performing with some of the world’s finest choirs.

Alongside his work at Charterhouse, David is a Deputy Singer at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, St Paul’s Cathedral, London, and with the BBC Singers. He has also been a full-time member of the cathedral choirs of Truro, Exeter, Norwich and Gloucester.

One of the highlights of David’s career came last October, when he was invited to sing with the Choir of St George’s Chapel and the Chapel Royal at a joint service in the Vatican attended by King Charles III, Queen Camilla and Pope Francis.

We’re incredibly fortunate to have David’s wealth of experience, passion and expertise inspiring our musicians every day.

We’re looking forward to telling you a bit more about who we are and what we do! 🎻 🎹 🎺 🎸 🥁
24/07/2026

We’re looking forward to telling you a bit more about who we are and what we do! 🎻 🎹 🎺 🎸 🥁

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Charterhouse
Godalming
GU72DE

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+441483291696

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