As we head towards the end of term, activity in the Music Department has very much kept apace and we’ve had some truly outstanding events over the past few weeks
Lots of pupils have been involved in concerts, recordings, rehearsals as well as the weekly instrumental lessons, all alongside their academic and sporting commitments.
Just before half term, Evening Recital II showcased the outstanding vocal talent in the School with a concert to be remembered. 2021 leavers, Eva, Charlene, Katharina, Nyx and Sam all took to the stage and gave us a wonderful recital. In the first item, the four girls sang as a quartet in Ben Ponniah’s Litany to the Holy Spirit, a short yet modern setting of this beautiful text. Following this, each of them performed one of Vaughan Williams’ Four Last Songs. Each of the performers gave their own spin on the performance, collectively combining to present these four songs to a captive (and capacity!) audience in the spacious acoustics of the Hall. Expertly accompanied by Mr Shepherd, this was a wonderful start to the concert. Next, the Year 12 string quartet of Sophie, David, Michael and Mr Bolivar performed Arvo Part’s achingly serene Summa, totally entrancing the audience. The final item was Bach Cantata no.82, Ich habe genug, performed by Sam, accompanied by string ensemble and solo flute. Jonathan, in his first year at Charterhouse, joined the quartet this time, offering poise and maturity on the cello line. Sam’s performance of this substantial and challenging repertoire was outstanding; he showed understanding, musicality and real enjoyment in his performance, showing the time and effort he had put into learning this work. It’s no easy feat to perform such repertoire, particularly at Sam’s tender age, but this was a performance and concert to be remembered.
Composition Prizes came around once more and entries from our Year 11's and Year 13's, including a handful of Year 10's, made up the competition. Judged by Head of Composition at Winchester College, Mr Oliver Tarney, we heard a wonderful array of pieces from pupils across the school, showing their talents and abilities in this most difficult of art-forms. Elvin and Jago were judged Senior and Junior winners with the Intermediate prize going to Eddie; Lancelot was rightly Highly Commended for his astonishing piece for solo piano.
Chapel Choir have continued on, singing their weekly Evensong in Chapel, and Lunchtime Recitals have continued to be very popular. Henry and Aaryan most recently took to the stage, both in preparation for their singing exams, but performing excellently to very supportive audiences. Rehearsals for the School musical Les Miserables (School Edition) have been ramped up of late, and the company enjoyed a trip to London to see a semi-staged (as part of the COVID return) version of the West End show, complete with Actor in Residence, Mr Dean Chisnall on stage. This was a wonderful and inspiring opportunity for the pupils, particularly with the show opening next week. Artifex is soon to hit the School too, with daily musical performances being showcased. The end of term is in sight, but there’s much to keep us busy!
