Page 24 - Demo

2023-2024 was another successful year for the Music Department with a number of additional events on top of the regular annual performances. The Autumn term saw many enjoyable musical activities starting with Upper School performing their delightfully humorous and memory challenging song, %u2018I Went To The Shop%u2019, at the Harvest Festival. The Senior High March Voices (all of Year 6) were kept especially busy performing challenging two-part songs at Harvest, Remembrance, Barnardo%u2019s Choir of the Year Competition first round, in addition to performances at other key events over the course of the term. Another notable event of the Autumn term was the annual carol service, held in St Mary%u2019s and All Saints Church. This started with a delightful unaccompanied first verse solo of %u2018Once In Royal David%u2019s City%u2019, and was followed by each year group and the three Upper School choirs performing a variety of challenging carols. As well as some very accomplished readings by Year 6 girls, the whole of Upper School came together at the end to sing John Rutter%u2019s arrangement of the traditional Sans Day Carol. Lent term was, if anything, even busier than the previous term and the girls participated in a huge variety of musical events. The most notable of the events occurred on Tuesday, 5th March when the Senior High March Voices participated in the final of the Barnardo%u2019s National Competition at the prestigious Symphony Hall in Birmingham. The girls had previously recorded two challenging songs, %u2018J%u2019entends Le Moulin%u2019 by Emily Crocker and %u2018The Water Is Wide%u2019 by Rollo Dilworth, as their initial round entry for the competition. We were notified at the end of December that the Senior High March Voices were one of just fifteen junior choirs nationwide which had been selected for the final %u2013 a fantastic achievement! On the day of the final, I am delighted to say the girls gave maximum effort in attempting to fill the vast space of Symphony Hall with music. The first of the two songs was the flowing and harmonious song, %u2018Riversong%u2019, composed by Andy Beck whilst the final song was the humorous and memorable two-part song, %u2018Whisper!%u2019, composed by Greg Gilpin. Unfortunately, we were not the winning choir on the day, but the girls still experienced an unforgettable performing experience performing at such a venue in front of an audience of approximately two-thousand people! Thursday 14th March saw Year 5 performing a wonderful lunchtime recital at the United Reformed Church put together by one of our singing teachers, Mrs Tudor Williams. There was a mix of impressive choral and solo items giving the girls valuable performing experience in front of a captivated audience. Another highlight of both the Lent and Summer terms was the annual singing picture and shields for each year group from Year 2 up to Year 6. Each girl had to perform a set song as a solo in front of the Headmistress and Director of Music and we were once again delighted by the confidence and ability of the girls in coping so well with such a challenge. The final major musical events of the Summer term were the two Prize Giving ceremonies. The senior ceremony was the Year 6%u2019s final musical ensemble event as High March pupils and the girls (joined by Year 5) provided an emotional yet powerful performance of %u2018Light Of Grace%u2019 which was wonderfully received by the parents and staff. There were also very assured solo performances from the Music Scholars. Well done to all the girls who have taken part in the musical events over the course of the year and I look forward to an even more successful year in 2024-2025. Mr Hayes %u2013 Director of MusicMUSIC24