On Sunday, the Music department took 180 pupils to the Royal College of Music in London for a performance with members of the RCM at the Amaryllis Fleming Concert Hall.
Five coaches departed for London in the morning to allow time for afternoon rehearsals in a tightly choreographed schedule involving six different music groups.
The evening concert began with a flourish with Max (Ldr) conducting the Chamber Orchestra in the 1st movement of Beethoven 1st Symphony.
Following Pavel Fischer’s Moravian Folk Dance with RCM’s Emma Purslow, and Britten’s Frolicsome Finale, Marcus (StA) was the soloist in the saxophone concerto, “The Celtic”: The Cooper Of Clapham.
To close the first half, the Chapel Choir joined the orchestra for Sir Hubert Parry’s Blest Pair of Sirens.
The Symphony Orchestra took to the stage in the second half, opening with Symphony No. 9 “From the New World”. Saint-Saens’ Organ Symphony was an opportunity to feature keyboards, with Max (Ldr) on organ and Noah (Ldr) and Thomas (B) on pianos.
The programme shifted gears as the Drumming Corps and the Wind Orchestra moved on stage to perform The Lord of the Dance and Bandology.
And the evening was rounded off with OSJO1 performing jazz classics that sent the audience home humming.
The opportunity to perform music on a world class stage was an experience that will linger long in the memories of all the pupils.
The Music department has developed their partnership with the Royal College of Music this year to focus on five strands: the appointment of an RCM Fellow to develop outreach with local schools; hosting an annual concert at the RCM in the Amaryllis Fleming Concert Hall; three visits over the year from RCM professors across differing music specialisms; professional development opportunities with RCM professors, including shadowing professors and world-class performers; the development and hosting of music opportunities outside term-time, acting as a northern hub for the RCM in conjunction with local music services.
