It has been a wonderfully busy time in the Music School this half term, with preparations for the Inter-Patrol Music Competition filling every spare moment. More on that later.
The term began with Year 4’s colourful production of Jonah and the Whale. This toe-tapping show featured mesmerising costumes, catchy songs and impressive dance routines, all thrown together by a hugely enthusiastic cast led by Ned in the title role.
A few weeks later and it was the turn of Year 3 to take to the stage in three short plays all based around the theme of ‘giants’ – The BFG, The Selfish Giant and Jack and the Beanstalk. The energy in the room was palpable as these youngsters brought the stories to life, beginning and ending the show with two uplifting songs. Congratulations to all involved in these two productions.
The May Performance Platform was a small but delightful affair, with some really lovely performances from, among others, Lucas (violin) playing Willow Water by Sheila Nelson, Xander (flute) with Gounod’s Meditation and Jamie (trombone) playing Mowat’s energetic Parson’s Nose. Well done to all. Mr Callow’s guitar pupils also put together a lovely concert featuring performances on both acoustic and electric guitar.
The Inter-Patrol Music Competition returned this term after a two-year hiatus and it was wonderful to have the whole school and many parents filling the Millennium Hall to the rafters once again. This year’s adjudicator was Jonathon Brown, a former Assistant Director of Music at Westbourne House who is currently Director of Music at Malvern College, who kindly commented on the very special musical ethos of the school in his closing remarks.
The evening began with the ensemble competition. Each patrol was represented by a Junior, Intermediate and Senior ensemble featuring pupils from Years 3-8. They performed a wide range of music, arranged for the various instrumental combinations by the music team, from a traditional Norwegian folk song to Elton John’s Hakuna Matata, Radioactive by Imagine Dragons to a Polka by Sheila Nelson. All ensembles performed with confidence but it was the Tigers who triumphed in all three categories this year – congratulations to them!
The second part of the evening was dedicated to the patrol song competition. This year’s songs proved popular – A Whole New World and Friend Like Me – both from Disney’s Aladdin, with all of the patrols putting their own creative spin on proceedings. The Year 8 conductors, decked out in elaborate costumes, brought energy and enthusiasm to the roles, with Ollie from Tigers being named Best Conductor for his skilful communication. The Best Drummer accolade went to Will from Owls, whose natural affinity with the instrument caught the adjudicator’s eye. It was a close competition, but it was to be Tigers night as they took the prize for ‘A Whole New World’ whilst Otters were victorious in ‘Friend Like Me’. Congratulations to the winning patrols, and of course to everyone who sang or took part in an ensemble. The next inter-patrol competition takes place on Monday 4 July, where individual instrumentalists and singers will compete for patrol points.
We also look forward to Year 8’s production of Matilda on Friday 1 July, not to mention the highlight of the school’s musical year, the Summer Concert on Thursday 7 July. Everyone is welcome to all of these events and we look forward to seeing you there.
