Category: Music
Last Wednesday 18 GCSE and A level music students travelled to London’s West End with Mrs Kent and Miss Barnes, to see a matinee performance of Wicked the musical at the Apollo Victoria theatre. Perfect weather, a gentle stroll through St. James’ Park, excellent company, tunes on route and of course the extraordinary show helped make this an educational experience to remember.
Our Gala Concert took place last Sunday at the Corn Exchange in Ipswich, where the audience were treated to a full orchestral and choral concert, over 130 students and parents (in our parent choir) coming together to perform Faure’s Requiem. Our Director of Music who conducted the concert reported on the evening.
Emma Kent, Director of Music
We were hugely excited host this year’s Gala Concert here at the Corn Exchange in Ipswich on Sunday night. It has been a challenging few years for the music and the arts, and to able to organise a full orchestral and choral concert to which we could invite everyone was simply brilliant!
The Corn Exchange was the perfect venue and audience in attendance were given a treat of the senses with a varied programme designed to give snapshot of just some of our music making this year. From exuberant opening brass fanfare (written by Paul Shepherd) delivered by surprise from the hidden balcony, through to the final serene, quiet and gentle harmonies of ‘In Paradisum’ (Faure’s Requiem) the level of commitment and energy from all was hugely engaging.
To see students from Year 7 to 13 enjoying their music making and relishing that indefinable feeling, that frisson of nerves, excitement and joy that results from humans working together on something they love and want to share, was an honour to behold.
I’ve been delighted to receive a great many emails from parents and other guests saying what a special event it was – this has genuinely been the highlight of my two years here at School so far.
What a feast for the ears last week’s trip to Snape Maltings was! Students were treated to performances from the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, including Shostakovich’s best ever symphony, No.10 on a beautiful balmy night. Students loved listening out for the secret message hidden in the music which they’ve been learning about in lessons (even if they did lose count of how many times the brilliant D-S-C-H theme occurred). Alice adored hearing what the five superb French horns of the BBC Welsh sounded like – inspiring stuff! Hopefully she can channel their energy and gusto in this weekend’s Gala Concert!
Year 9’s Noah reports on the pieces played and the evening.
“We left by minibus at 6.15pm – an intrepid seven students from Years 9 to 12 and Mrs Kent in the driving seat. It was a warm evening but the concert hall was well air-conditioned.
The BBC National Orchestra of Wales had their blazers off, ready to play, not only to those of use lucky enough to be there, but to everyone listening to BBC Radio 3’s live concert. The first piece was the shortest – Elizabeth Maconchy’s ‘Proud Thames’, the overture to the Queen’s coronation in 1953. It was a graceful piece utilising the whole of the orchestral palette.
The next piece was William Walton’s Cello Concerto featuring Laura van der Heijden on cello. She was a former winner of BBC Young Musician of the Year. This was a romantic but rather turbulent rollercoaster of a piece and, as it was dedicated to Walton’s wife, we speculated on the relationship they had!
After the interval we were treated to Shostakovich’s Tenth Symphony, one of the most renowned pieces of the twentieth century. This was a fascinating piece as we discovered he had hidden his name within the tune and used it as a motif.
Overall, the performance was a delight to listen to and inspired all who went. Thanks to Mrs Kent for organising!”
With our Gala Concert taking place this weekend on Sunday 26 June, School is buzzing with rehearsals and nervous excitement for all of those taking part. Year 11’s Esme will be singing solo, Pie Jesu, and we met with her recently to ask how she’s feeling and preparing for the event.
“Pie Jesu is a solo I’ve sung before in a chorister competition, so I’m feeling confident that I know the piece well and am excited to sing it again. I sang a solo in last year’s concert, so although I always feel nervous before I perform, I know it’s a great opportunity that I’m going to really enjoy. Performing with an orchestra is definitely a challenge, but having rehearsed with them all, I feel it’s a wonderful opportunity to do something that I love.”
Esme takes lessons and exams in singing, percussion and LAMDA. Outside of school her musical passion continues as she learns and plays the guitar and piano. Esme loves Musical Theatre, having performed in many shows with Theatricool Performing Arts and the Colchester Operatics Society, at various local theatres including the Mercury Theatre in Colchester. She is currently rehearsing for their production of Fame.
130 performers (including our parent choir) will come together on Sunday at Ipswich Corn Exchange, promising to be a spectacular and very special event, our Director of Music Mrs Emma Kent will be conducting throughout. Tickets are now selling fast and we hope you can join us. Tickets are available directly from the Ipswich Corn Exchange by clicking here.
Rehearsals continue a pace for our annual Gala Concert, which takes place on Sunday 26 June at Ipswich Corn Exchange, with over 130 performers (including our parent choir) coming together to perform Faure’s sublime Requiem!
As we look ahead to this spectacular event, we met with Year 11’s Jasmine whose composition, ‘Ben Aan’, will be performed at the concert, it is a piece she was commissioned to compose especially for the occasion.
“The brief was to compose a piece of music that could be performed at the Gala Concert; to be played with a full orchestra and with a Scottish theme to compliment Hamish McCunn’s ‘Land of Mountain and Flood’ which will open proceedings at next Sunday’s concert. It was a huge challenge, but one I’ve been excited to take on. I will be also be performing in the piece on cello, it begins one might say with a rather sinister and dark feeling, but develops into a fun jig that then culminates in a combination of the two. Although I’m a little nervous, I can’t wait to play it.”
Jasmine plays cello, piano and sings at School as well as being a cellist in the Suffolk Youth Orchestra. She will be playing cello throughout the Gala Concert, and is excited to be playing to such a big audience in such a beautiful space.
The Gala Concert is certain to be a wonderful night, and our Director of Music Mrs Emma Kent will be conducting throughout. Tickets are now selling fast and we hope you can join us. Tickets are available directly from the Corn Exchange Ipswich by clicking here.
Our annual Gala Concert takes place on Sunday 26 June at Ipswich Corn Exchange, with over 130 performers (including our parent choir) coming together to perform Faure’s sublime Requiem!
Rehearsals are in full swing and as part of our lead up to the event we recently met with our piano soloist Etiane (Y13), who talked about being part of this wonderful musical delight.
“Mrs Kent approached me last year and invited me to take part in the Gala Concert, offering me the piano solo for the event. I’m going to be playing the Piano Concerto No. 23, KV488 by Mozart; the second and third movements. I knew that I’d probably never get another opportunity like this in my life, to play at the wonderful Corn Exchange with the orchestra – there was absolutely no chance of me not taking this opportunity. I’m incredibly excited to be part of this.”
Etiane has been playing piano since she was four years old, achieving her Grade 8 at the age of 14 and is now playing to Diploma standard. Etiane also plays the cello and will be leading the cello section of the school’s Symphony Orchestra for the rest of the programme.
The Gala Concert is certain to be a night of splendor, and all conducted by our Director of Music, Mrs Emma Kent. Do join us, you can get your tickets directly from the Corn Exchange Ipswich at www.ipswichtheatres.co.uk.
Last week the Music department was buzzing as staff and students prepared for the Woodwind Workshop. Students from all year groups took part in what was the first workshop of its kind – and it was an incredible turnout from Senior as well as Prep School students.
It’s fair to say it challenged a few students in terms of keeping up, but the overall experience was positive and the collaboration a great success.
Quite an achievement overall as the range of abilities varied from some very new starters to those musicians now post Grade 8.
Looking forward, staff and students are excited to showcase what was learned and practiced during the workshop, at our upcoming Evening of Woodwind which takes place Thursday 19 May from 6.30pm in our School Hall.
With everyone welcome to come along it’s sure to be a super event and it looks certain that the workshop will continue throughout the School years ahead.
Head of Music Mrs Kent described this year’s inaugural Music residential trip to Bawdsey Manor as, “an extraordinary weekend!” Here she reports on the weekend’s events.
75 students from Years 7 to Year 12, and 9 members of staff, spent three days making music, bonding and taking part in outdoor activities – but mostly having an enormous amount of fun!
Spending three to four hours each day performing music, climbing Jacob’s Ladders, scrambling through courses, swinging on a giant swing, zooming down zip wires and competing in wacky races and sung (or rather shouted!) themselves hoarse around camp fires for 55 hours straight.
Bawdsey Manor is an idyllic setting with beautiful sea views, immaculate grounds, a Great Hall much like something out of Harry Potter, with excellent food and the most incredible support on-site staff – huge thanks to PGL Bawdsey for their warm welcome and energy throughout.
The cherry on the cake was the ‘Prom’ concert held in School Hall and the Tuckwell to an appreciative audience of 200 plus friends and family who were treated to a concert band, string orchestra, rock band, freeform guitar/singing/ukulele ensembles, a ‘Happy’ choir and of course the combined symphony orchestra and symphony choir version of ‘Dry Your Tears Afrika’ by John Williams from the film Amistad.
Thanks to all the students for working so hard, making us laugh and feel proud of them all weekend.
Join us next year for BAND CAMP 2023 – Around the World in 80 hours.
With performances from one of our Pro Corda finalists Tono Trio, guitar ensemble and Seckford Strings, to name but a few, our Lunchtime Live #4 took place this week. It was an exciting and much anticipated event, as for the first time in over two years parents were invited to attend. It was a superb event and we will share the recording on our social channels very soon for those of you that didn’t manage to come along.
Spring heralds new shoots of growth and so it was an apt time for us share our musical new shoots of growth with the wider community at St. John’s Church in Woodbridge last Friday evening. A packed church was treated to upbeat band based numbers from the Concert Band, Training Band, Samba Band, Percussion, Single-reed Ensemble and Swing band – all of which got our toes tapping and the students dancing and whooping in the gallery. But it wasn’t all funk, soul and tangos, there were more tender moments provided by Cellisti and a fun little duet on the Marimba of the Mario theme tune from our faithful Y13 percussionists Will and Tom. If you weren’t one of 120+ audience do not fear because you can catch up here.