Ensembles

Ensembles

A wide-angle view of a grand concert hall filled with a large orchestra and the Merton Music Foundation choir, arranged in colorful sections on tiered seats, while dramatic purple stage lighting illuminates the scene.

Nurturing your child’s singing or instrumental talents by encouraging them to join a choir, band or ensemble at our South Wimbledon Music Centre can open up a whole new world of opportunities and experiences for them.

  • It’s fun and rewarding to play music with others to bring a piece of music to life

  • They’ll develop their skills and learn new techniques

  • It can help motivate them to practise more

  • They’ll make new friends and build their confidence

  • They’ll get exciting performance opportunities (including the Royal Albert Hall)

If your child is new to our ensembles, scroll down to find the range of opportunities based on their instrument and ability. For the timetable, sheet music and other key info, visit the rehearsal timetable & info page via the button below.

Make your selection from the dropdowns below to find out which ensembles will suit your child’s age, instrument and ability

Merton Jazz Vocal Collective (advanced)
A blue laptop covered in stickers sits on a white table, surrounded by various electronic music equipment—including cables, a tape recorder, an audio controller.
Resonance Ensemble (SEND-inclusive Group)
Young musician sittting at a drum kit wearing sunglasses
Amplify Rock & Pop Groups - South Wimbledon
A boy playing the keyboard.
Amplify Rock & Pop Groups - Mitcham
A young woman wearing a black polo shirt plays an alto saxophone in front of a microphone, with sheet music in front of her and another person blurred in the background.
Merton Youth Jazz Orchestra
Junior Percussion Ensemble
String Sinfonia
(Senior String Ensemble)
A young person with glasses smiles while playing an acoustic guitar, seated indoors in a casual setting, practicing for the Senior Guitar Ensemble.
Senior Guitar Ensemble
Merton Youth Concert Band
A young man in a black polo shirt plays a silver trumpet indoors. Focused on the instrument, he wears a lanyard round his neck, possibly performing as part of the Merton Messengers. The background is blurred.
Merton Messengers
VoiceBox Senior Choir
Four boys stand around xylophones and marimbas in a dimly lit music room, performing as the Merton Mallets. An adult observes while music stands and percussion instruments are visible in the background.
Merton Mallets
(percussion ensemble)
JazzWorks
(intermediate jazz ensemble)
Intermediate String Ensemble
A teenage boy in a blue shirt plays an acoustic guitar in an Intermediate Guitar Ensemble, focusing intently. Other students with guitars are nearby, suggesting a music class or practice session.
Intermediate Guitar Ensemble
A young person with glasses and red hair, wearing an orange shirt, is playing a brass trumpet against a blue background, perfect for an Intermediate Concert Band performance.
Intermediate Concert Band
A person in glasses and a black outfit plays three white marching drums outdoors, channeling Drum Line energy. Drumsticks in hand, they perform as people and a food stall blur in the background.
Drum Line
(percussion ensemble)
A young boy with short black hair, part of the String Busters, plays the violin with focus on the strings. He wears a yellow shirt, a gray jacket, and has a hearing aid behind his ear.
String Busters
(Junior String Ensemble)
Merton Young Voices Choir
A young boy with blond hair and glasses, wearing a blue polo shirt, plays an acoustic guitar and reads music as part of the Junior Guitar Ensemble. Two other children with guitars are blurred in the background.
Junior Guitar Ensemble
A young boy with curly hair plays a silver trumpet in a Junior Concert Band classroom, focusing intently. Other students and musical instruments are visible in the blurred background.
Junior Concert Band
A young Jazz Jumpers boy in a blue Merton Music Foundation shirt plays a drum set, holding drumsticks and looking focused. The dark background draws attention to the boy and his drums.
Jazz Jumpers

FAQs

Our ensembles are open to 7-19 year olds from Merton (and the surrounding areas) who sing or play an instrument.

With the exception of our choirs (which don’t require any prior experience to join), your child’s instrument, age and ability will help determine which ensembles they can play with. Even if your child has only been having instrumental lessons for a term, it’s likely that there are groups they could join; and they don’t even need to be taught by an MMF tutor to get involved.

Our termly Music Centre membership fee covers multiple ensembles; for example a beginner trumpet player could join Young Voices Choir, Junior Concert Band and Jazz Jumpers giving them maximum musical fun.

If your child doesn’t play an instrument yet, we’ve got that covered too. We offer instrumental lessons in many of Merton’s schools and at our four Music Centres across the borough. Click here for information about lessons.

Progression has been the cornerstone of our approach to music education for over 30 years. While some of our groups are mixed ability, we have beginner, intermediate and advanced ensembles for Guitars and Strings as well as our Concert and Jazz bands. Students who start their musical journey in our beginner ensembles steadily work their way up through the ranks, progressing to our advanced ones.

We firmly believe that Music is for life and for many of our alumni, music will continue to be a meaningful part of their lives beyond MMF; whether they pursue music studies at university, create a band with their friends, join community orchestras, pursue a career as a professional musician or simply play for their own enjoyment.

Please arrive 5-10 minutes before your rehearsal is about to start.

At the end, you may be expected to help pack away instruments, music stands and chairs.

Those who use sheet music should always bring a pencil to rehearsals.

If your child can’t make a rehearsal please contact the office to let them know.

Before each concert, you will be informed of your expected arrival time and whether you need to bring anything in addition to your instrument (for example, a music stand). Please wear concert dress: black trousers or skirt and your MMF polo shirt (which can be purchased from the office).

At the end of the concert, you may be asked to help pack away instruments, music stands, and chairs.

If your child is scheduled to perform but is unwell or an emergency arises, please contact the office as soon as possible to let us know.

Black trousers/skirt, black shoes.

Junior and Intermediate ensembles wear blue MMF polo shirts. Senior ensembles wear black MMF polo shirts except Senior Guitar Ensemble who wear their own plain, black long sleeved shirts.

Polo shirts are available from the MMF office. Blue (Junior / Intermediate) = £10 / Black (Senior) = £12

Come & Play

Free Trial Rehearsals

Keep an eye out for our free Come & Play taster sessions, typically scheduled at the start of each term. During these sessions, your child will have the opportunity to join a choir, band, or ensemble rehearsal to see what it’s like. Which group(s) they get to try will depend on their instrument, age and ability.