Woodbridge School’s Chamber Concert Review, May 2026 

Our talented musicians gathered at St Mary’s Church for an evening of exceptional chamber music last week.  We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who attended and supported our students, and to the music teachers and staff whose dedication made this wonderful event possible.  Our Director of Music, Mr Woodley shared his review of this delightful evening. 

“What a truly beautiful evening!  The atmosphere at St Mary’s was stunning, with the spring sunshine streaming through the church windows as we enjoyed a diverse and sophisticated programme that highlighted the immense talent of our students. 

The success of the evening was a testament to the students’ hard work in preparation; from the intricate lines of the Baroque era to modern arrangements, every performance was met with warm appreciation from the audience. 

Seckford Strings opened the concert vibrantly with Purcell’s Rondeau from Abdelazer.  Our thanks go to Mrs Brennan for her expert coaching of this ensemble and our two string quartets, whose performances throughout the night were a credit to her guidance. Following the opening, we enjoyed a masterful performance of Lili Boulanger’s D’un matin de printemps by our soloist Georgia on the violin. 

Vocalist Year 13’s Emily provided a moment of grace with her performance of the Recitative Behold, a virgin shall conceive from Handel’s Messiah, demonstrating great vocal maturity.  The Mozart Quintet then brought classical elegance to the church with the Minuet and Trio from Divertimento. 

The second half of the programme offered wonderful variety.  The Senior String Quartet showcased their versatility with a fun arrangement of Food Glorious Food, followed by the cello ensemble, Cellisti.  They performed Cellango!, a piece of particular significance as it was composed for GCSE music coursework by an Old Woodbridgian.  A further highlight was the collaboration between Year 7’s Anasuya and her sister on violin and piano, who performed Tchaikovsky’s Chanson Triste with great sensitivity. 

The evening reached a grand conclusion with the Chamber Orchestra, under the superb conducting of Mrs Alzapiedi.  They were joined by Old Woodbridgian Abigail returning to play with the ensemble.  Their performance of movements from Peter Warlock’s Capriol Suite—including the Basse Danse, Pavane, Pieds-en-L’air, and Mattachins—was a resounding success and a fitting end to a sophisticated night of music. 

It was a joy to see our community come together to celebrate these young musicians in such a vibrant and encouraging environment!”