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Choral, Band, & Orchestra Concert

24 November

142 pupils ranging in age from 11 to 18 took part in a very well received concert in Big School on Tuesday 24 November.

The Symphonic Band opened the concert with two rousing pieces composed recently in the United States: Rossano Galante’s “Resplendent Glory” and Richard Saucedo’s Symphony No.1. These works also had their delicate moments, which were beautifully balanced amongst the different instrumental groups. The String Sinfonietta (made up of players in Years 7 to 11) continued with Three Dances from Purcell’s “The Fairy Queen”; these were stylishly performed, and the promise this group shows bodes well for the continued high standard of string playing at the school.

A new group for this term, the mixed-voice Chorale, sang an arrangement of Gershwin’s “I Got Rhythm” with great sensitivity and a fair bit of swing. The first half of the concert closed with the Chamber Orchestra playing Grieg’s Holberg Suite with great verve. The piece has many challenging moments which the pupils overcame with seeming ease, and the final Rigaudon provided a virtuoso conclusion to the performance.

After the interval, the Symphony Orchestra assembled to play Rossini’s Overture to “William Tell”. The five solo violoncellos opened the piece with a beautifully phrased introduction, and the pastoral later in the work showed off the talents of the cor anglais player and first flute to wonderful effect. The closing march was a great hit with the audience.

The final item in the concert was Bruckner’s Te Deum. A total of 95 pupils assembled to perform the piece, joined by four professional vocal soloists. The piece’s widely differing moods were carefully portrayed by the musicians, and the rousing conclusion gave the audience a chance to show great appreciation for the hard work that all the performers had put in throughout the term. It was an event enormously enjoyed by all.

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