The purpose-built Music School on the edge of the College Campus contains teaching and practice rooms, computers running music software, a digital recording studio, a band room, and instrumental lockers. The department is well resourced with a wide range of instruments available to pupils, including an extensive selection of percussion. Aside from a range of pianos, keyboard players have the opportunity to study the harpsichord or the organ, with an impressive new four manual Copeman Hart organ recently installed in Chapel.

Large ensembles rehearse in Big School, which was re-opened in Summer 2007 having been acoustically redesigned as a Concert Hall, providing an exceptional venue for most of the department's events. 

Over 50% of pupils currently take singing or instrumental lessons in school and the proportional breakdown of these is:

Standard orchestra/band instruments (26%)

Singing (24%)

Piano (22%)

Electric guitar (14%)

Percussion (12%)

Organ (2%)

These lessons are taught by a highly experienced and inspiring team of over 30 visiting teachers, most of whom also maintain thriving performing careers. Lessons can be arranged for any instrument, including specific Music Technology or Composition lessons. Instrumental lessons are taught during Activity times so pupils never miss an academic lesson to attend an instrumental lesson.

Instrumental lessons are supported by separate classes in Music Theory and Aural Training when required.

Practical examinations for the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, Trinity Guildhall and Rockschool are held in the department twice a year and a few students each year also take the Musical Theatre examinations run by the London College of Music.

The Chapel Choir is the school's foremost vocal group, leading the music in Chapel each week and for special services. This large choir covers an enormous repertoire of sacred music during an academic year and is also given opportunities to perform outside school, most recently in Westminster Abbey, Canterbury Cathedral and Southwark Cathedral. Recent tours have seen members of Chapel Choir performing concerts in Prague and Kraków, and further tours are planned biennially. A tour to Spain is planned for April 2010. The Chapel Choir has recently commissioned and premiered anthems from Andrew Carter, Ronald Corp and Sir Peter Maxwell Davies. Membership of Chapel Choir is by audition.

The Choral Society rehearses on Tuesday evenings from September until the concert in early February. With around 100 members, made up of pupils, staff, and friends of the school, this choir performs a major choral work. Recent works have been Hayden's Nelson Mass, Mendelssohn's Elijah and Britten's War Requiem and in 2010 they performed Mozart's Requiem. For the concert, the Choral Society is joined by a professionnal orchestra and superb soloists. Where appropopriate, pupils are invited to gain valuable experience as part of this orchestra.

The Downs Singers is a 6th Form choir and membership is by audition and limited to 15 pupils. Singing a range of light popular music, this choir achieves high standards and has won the Youth Choir category of the Leith Hill Music Festival for the last three years. In addition to concerts in school, The Downs Singers perform annually at Westminster Central Hall. 

A new choir, EC Voices, open to all pupils, and without audition, started in September 2009 to meet the demand for choral singing.

The school Symphony Orchestra gives two concerts each academic year, often involving pupils in concerto performances. Recent outstanding performances have included Bruch's Kol Nidrei, Haydn's Symphony No.98 and a celebration of the music of Elgar and Grieg.

The Big Band also gives two concerts each academic year and specialises in swing, jazz and blues repertoire, with excellent opportunities for the top brass and sax players.

Other regular ensembles include the Clarinet Ensemble, Flute Ensemble, and Sax Ensemble, all performing regularly, resourced with more unusual instruments (alto flutes, baritone saxes, etc) and led by specialist teachers.

The percussion department is particularly strong and many of the school's percussionists join together to form the Latin Samba Band or the Percussion Ensemble.

Specialist facilities are available for pupils whose interests lie in the area of contemporary popular music. A fully equipped band room is available to pupils at all times and they are trained with the equipment during Band Workshops. The digital studio is equipped with sequencing software.

Rock and pop performances are integrated into our general concert schedule and can be showcased in the Charity Show and the Big Gig each year.

In collaboration with the Drama Department, a work of musical theatre is staged annually. Recent works have included the best of Broadway musicals (Sondheim's Into the Woods and Sweeney Todd, Bernstein's West Side Story and Cole Porter's Kiss Me Kate) alongside classic operas (Purcell's Dido and Aeneas, Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro, Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel and Monteverdi's The Coronation of Poppea).

The Music Department stages two major competitions each academic year.

The Instrumental Competition is run as a music festival, with classes for all instruments, and all pupils who learn an instrument or voice in school, or outside, are entered.

The Choral Competition in October each year involves performances by every pupil in the school. Each House provides a programme including a soloist, an unaccompanied partsong and a unison song.

Music scholarships are available for entry into the M4 and L6th years. Potential 6th form scholars are auditioned in the November prior to entry, whilst potential M4 scholars are auditioned in late January/early February. Details of entry for scholarships can be obtained from the Admissions Registrar. The Director of Music is always happy to meet potential scholars in advance of the auditions and can be contacted on 01372 821243 or music@epsomcollege.org.uk

Whilst not all go on to study music, a number of pupils each year manage to achieve music scholarships at their chosen universities. In recent years, pupils have achieved Choral, Organ or Instrumental Awards at Warwick, King's London, Edinburgh, as well as Oxford and Cambridge.

A growing number of Old Epsomians are now working in the world of music as agents, administrators, composers, teachers, and performers.