One of the busiest periods in the Music Department began with a short but sweet Performance Platform, featuring a number of items performed by groups of friends and family, along with some impressive solo items. If you missed the chance to perform something with your nearest and dearest this year, look out for information about this informal and supportive concert next year – it really is a special night.
The School Concert, whilst smaller in scale than it’s summer term counterpart, was a wonderful celebration of the group music-making that has taken place since the start of the year. There were performances from the Orchestra (Autumn and Winter, from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons), the Swing Band (The Midnight Hour – Wilson Pickett), the Shopwyke String Quartet (Fast Lane – Peter Martin), the Senior and Junior brass groups (Clifford’s Festive Fanfare and Twinkle Twinkle respectively), and there were spirited performances from both the 70-strong Junior Choir (Four Nautical Songs – Lin Marsh) and the Chapel Choir (including Bob Merrill’s Mambo Italiano), not to mention the Rock Band and a number of accomplished solo performances. A new venture for this year was to do a dress rehearsal of the concert in front of the school community, which not only gave the performers a chance to practice, but also gave those who might not otherwise see their friends performing a chance to watch and encourage them.
The Chapel Choir’s busy Christmas schedule began with the atmospheric Advent Carol Service at Boxgrove Priory, which is always a highlight of the musical calendar. If you have not yet made it to this service, we encourage you to look out for next year’s date and mark it in your diaries. The choir also managed to fit in visits to two local care homes and made their annual pilgrimage to The Cross in Chichester to entertain shoppers in aid of Rotary charities (a trip also undertaken by our Senior brass players a week earlier).
Before the end of term carol services, it was the turn of Year 6 to take to the stage in their stupendous performance of The Lion King, directed by Ed Cousens and Richard Allum. This all-singing, all-dancing show was a huge success, with some stellar solo performances. As Mr Dichmont commented: “It was one of the best musicals that have been put on in my thirty years of teaching at the school”. High praise indeed! Many congratulations to all of the children.
And so to the final two events of the term – the Junior and Senior carol services. The first service, featuring all pupils in Y3-6 was a lovely event, featuring year group performances, poetry readings from Y5 and a touching performance of Chilcott’s O Little Town, with Xander (flute) and Jay (cello). With over 170 children and a full hall of friends and family, this was an event to remember. The following day it was the turn of Y7&8 and the Chapel Choir to once again make the short trip to Boxgrove Priory for the Senior Carol Service. Again, a full Priory enjoyed singing traditional carols and hearing touching performances of music including Michael Head’s Little Road to Bethlehem, Chilcott’s Midwinter and Rutter’s Shepherd’s Pipe Carol, bringing to a close a very full calendar of Christmas Term events.
