Sixth Form Concert – Wednesday 30th April

Wednesday, the 30th of April, was a special evening for our music department in the annual Sixth Form Concert. This was a chance for our tremendously talented sixth form students to perform—and our Year 13s’ final concert as Channing Students—and it’s fair to say they rose to and surpassed the occasion. We started with Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s Impromptu in B minor, played with gusto by Mei-Xing L. Her control over the long romantic phrases was impressive, bringing a lush tone out of the AC piano and starting the evening beautifully. Next, we heard a personal favourite: “If I Loved You” from Carousel, sung by Eve C., who exemplified a theme across the entire evening of characterful and expressive singing and playing on stage. Eve showcased a lovely warm tone across the whole ballad and some especially well-controlled dynamic contrast. Maya H. B.’s performance of J. Smith’s “Don’t Watch Me Cry” was actually a tear-jerker, as she sang with deep feeling and showed off her vocal agility in some wonderful riffs. Elizabeth S. broke this spell with a fiery performance of Paganini’s Caprice No. 24, where her dazzling technique was on full display. Her negotiation of string crossing and right-hand pizzicato passages in particular was spectacular and was yet another reminder that she is going places.

After a brief lesson on tuning from Mr Boxall, Kezia C. highlighted a relatively unknown composer in Fernande Decruck, playing the first movement of her Sonata in C-sharp minor with stunning virtuosity, bringing out a variety of different colours throughout the piece and playing through flourishes with effortless ease. Moving towards a more well-known composer, Catrin Cox’s performance of the first movement of Vivaldi’s “Il Gardellino” Concerto brought out a buoyant and light flute sound, especially in her ornamentation, and certainly captured the Baroque style of the piece. Zoe Q.’s performance of Chopin’s Ballade in G minor was awe-inspiring and deeply moving: her playing was full of beautifully expressive rubato, along with some fantastic power in the many climaxes, all played with an emotional commitment that radiated off the stage.

Next came the first duet of the evening, played by Georgie G. and Beatrix D. in their performance of Serenity for clarinet duet. The piece exhibited both their beautiful tone on the clarinet and wonderful dialogue between them, and was a joy to listen to. Simran T.’s performance of Remembrances from Schindler’s List was another deeply moving moment, particularly in the unaccompanied statement of the main theme, where her vibrato and tone quality were on full display. Evie M.’s performance of “Hallelujah” (a reprisal from her Year 7 performance) was an exemplary way of showing how simplicity in music can give birth to some of its most poignant parts. Every word seemed to have a choice behind it, including words like “minor” and “major” being given an emotive meaning, all sung with a velvet-smooth tone or a stunning high belt that filled the whole theatre. Scarlett D.’s performance of “Slipping Through My Fingers” was profoundly affecting, the whole song filled with a melancholy feeling of goodbye “with an absent-minded smile,” and took ABBA’s lyrics and music to a whole new level.

With a much-needed injection of humour, Georgie G.’s performance of “Adelaide’s Lament” from Guys and Dolls brought out the humour and charm of her character’s situation, all through her crystal-clear diction and some subtle but effective character choices. Bea D. and Lauren S. were the first of several vocal duets during the evening, with a mellow and heartwarming performance of “City of Stars” from La La Land. Their vocal harmony was beautifully sung, and the communication between them vividly showed two characters yearning for success. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “Breathe” was sung next by Hannah D., in a soaring emotional roller-coaster of a performance—not just in her massive vocal range and piercing high belt, but also in her effective character work, bringing Nina to life on stage. Eliza C.’s “Gimme Gimme” was a masterclass in pacing and storytelling through song, with a jazzy bounce and energy, giving us a show-stopper finish in a performance to remember.

Natalia B. was the last instrumental performer, fittingly choosing a masterpiece of the violin repertoire: César Franck’s Sonata in A minor, performed with an incredibly consistent and sweet string tone, especially on the E string. Natalia encapsulated the mysteriously silky French quality of the piece and played with a deeply soulful musicality in her phrasing, which was a joy to listen to. Our final two vocal duets brought our Year 13 A-level music singers together, and it was at this point that there were some tears, with “For Good” and “It Takes Two” capturing a sense of all our Sixth Formers’ journeys up to this point and how far they will all go after they leave Channing. All the performances were filled with an inspiring passion for music and a joy in their music-making, and on behalf of the music department, it has been an honour to teach such a talented and hard-working group of young musicians. The standard of music-making in this cohort is nothing short of exceptional, and this concert will be a night to remember for a long time. BRAVA.

Reviewed by Mr Max Wedmore