Music Round-Up - December 2021

We began this half term in style with the Family and Friends Concert, featuring a small but enthusiastic group of performers and a wonderfully appreciative audience. Items included two songs by Adele and a beautiful Bach Minuet arranged for two violins.

The following week saw the School Concert take place, our first live whole-school event in two years! The orchestra, which had once again battled with having to rehearse in bubbles through the term, kicked things off with a fine performance of Mars and Jupiter from Holst’s The Planets. The rather depleted Junior and Senior Choirs (again, Covid-related) gave uplifting performances of songs from Oliver! and Gary Barlow respectively, whilst the Senior Brass Group partnered with the Drum Group for Charlie Parker’s Tico Tico. Rock Band opened the second half with Times Like These by The Foo Fighters, with other solos by Nicholas (piano), Ben (trumpet), Alice (oboe) and William (violin) accompanied by OW brother James! Chapel Choir rounded things off with a preview of their Edinburgh tour programme, with works by Rutter, Archer and Chilcott. In a grand finale, we were treated to a world premiere performance of Gerry-Go-Round. Our percussion teacher, Gerry Berkley, who has taught at Westbourne House for nearly 30 years, has also been a regular percussionist at theatres in the West End. His career encompasses almost 30 shows, including Les Miserables, Cats, We Will Rock You, Chicago and Beauty and the Beast. In celebration of this, musical arranger Miles Russell composed an 11-minute percussion spectacular featuring themes from Mr Berkley’s many shows. We were privileged to hear its first performance at the School Concert, featuring Mr Allum on piano. The rapturous applause at the end says it all!

The November Performance Platform featured numerous outstanding performances, including Xander (flute) with Dance of the Suger Plum Fairy, Max (cello) with Pizzicato Polka, and Alice (piano) with an incredibly mature performance of Bach’s C-major Prelude.

The school’s moment of Remembrance on 11th November was a moving occasion, with a particularly impressive ‘Last Post’ performed by Sonny. Mrs Rowe’s Piano Concert is always a delight - congratulations to all who took part!

It was lovely to be back at Boxgrove Priory for our Advent Carol Service at the end of November. This magical service, featuring a depleted Chapel Choir, is always a very moving event as the church is transformed from darkness to light accompanied by music and readings. Three weeks later and we were back at the Priory, this time with a full Chapel Choir, for the Senior Carol Service which was live-streamed on Facebook.

The choir also enjoyed outings to Chichester to sing carols for shoppers and to a local care home, where the residents were delighted with the choir’s performance, even if it was from through a window! The choir now turns its attention to the tour to Edinburgh in March, where they will be singing at both of the city’s cathedrals. 

Sadly, the Year 3-6 Carol Service had to be cancelled due to Covid, but the pupils worked hard to record all of the items and instead produced a wonderful virtual Carol Service, featuring performances from each year group, Bible readings, poems and lovely performances from the Junior Choir and the Year 6 Choristers. 

However, for many the undoubted highlight was Year 7’s long-awaited production of Hairspray! Postponed twice due to the pandemic, it was wonderful to finally stage this toe-tapping musical, even if the audience number was necessarily restricted. The year group worked brilliantly together to produce a fantastically colourful production, full of uplifting songs and magnificent dance routines, accompanied by a hugely impressive professional band. A real triumph – congratulations to all involved. 

Lastly, congratulations to all those who took music exams this term and a hearty ‘well done’ to those achieving distinctions. See table below.

 

Friends and Family Concert

School Concert

Chapel Choir at The Cross, Chichester

Performance Platform

Music Exam Results

Pupil Instrument Grade
Jamie Trombone 2
Jasmin Violin 4
Alexis Violin 4
William Viola 3
Fleur Euphonium 3
Tymek Trumpet Initial
Atty Trumpet Initial
Xander Trumpet 3
George Trumpet 1
Izzy Singing 4
Shruti Piano 2
Saskia Singing 3
Anoushka Singing 4
Penny Piano 3
Esme Singing 3
James Piano Initial
Cyrus Singing 1
Bianca Piano 1
Zazzy Singing 3
Cynthia Piano 1
Bea Singing 2
Freia Singing 3
Florence Piano Initial
Meme Piano 3
Finn Piano 1
Ned Singing 1
Bea Piano 4
Jasmin Piano 5
Caitlin Piano 4
Xander Singing 3
Sienna Singing 2
James Piano 2
Lucy Piano Initial
Willow Piano 2
Rocco Piano 2
Fleur Piano 2
Meme Flute 5
Penny Flute 4
Rafferty Piano 3