Autumn Concert – Thursday 17th November 2022

We welcomed a capacity audience to St Joseph’s Church last Thursday for the Autumn Concert performed by some 250 students from years 7 to 13. The evening got off to an arresting start with a brass fanfare performed with organ and played from the organ gallery in the west end of the church. It was then the turn of the 60-string Concert Orchestra with a superb performance of ‘Time’ from the film ‘Inception’.The whole of Year 7, performing as The Year Seven Chorus, followed, to perform Rutter’s beautiful ‘For the beauty of the earth’ – certainly an environmental message there!

Ms Clifton-Everest’s Cremona Strings then delighted us with two famous pieces, the William Tell Overture (Rossini) and Pachelbel’s Canon in D.TheYear 7 & 8 Conabor Choir were in fine voice singing a beautiful song, ‘The Moon’, by Andy Beck, followed by a rhythmic and exciting traditional African song, ‘Singabahambayo’. It was then the turn of our Senior Strings and we were transported to Italy in the late 1600s for Handel’s Concerto Grosso (Op6 No1) – a truly magical performance. The impressive Cantemus Chorus (Years 9-13) sang ‘I will sing you the stars’ and they certainly did, followed by a lively Latin piece,‘Cantar’.

Mr Dodds’ Brass Ensemble then returned, this time in front of the audience, to perform Neil Diamond’s classic hit ‘Sweet Caroline’ – and it was! Miss Zanardo’s inimitable Brunner Show Choir delighted us with highlights from the film ‘Encanto’ – this really inspired those Year 7 students watching them intently in the front rows. Our final choral item of the evening was given by Miss Bacon’s Chamber Choir as they sang beautifully ‘Send me a song’ by Downes. To close the evening the Symphony Orchestra gave a fizzing rendition of the first movement of Haydn’s 104th Symphony, followed by a Symphonic Suite of music from Howard Shore’s score for the ‘Lord of the Rings’ film trilogy.

A huge thank you to the whole music team for their efforts and well done to our talented musicians for giving us such a great evening of music making.

Mr Boxall