Another busy musical year began with a few of our choristers making the short trip to Lakeview Grange Care Home in Chichester, where they sang and performed a selection of instrumental solos, much to the delight of the gathered audience. It was incredibly heart-warming to see the power of music in action, with a number of the residents responding positively to the well-known tunes and congratulating the children for their efforts. There was only one negative comment from a gentleman who thought that the concert was 'too short' - feedback noted! We look forward to returning to sing carols in December.
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Later the same day, it was the turn of our music staff to take to the stage in 'Music for an Autumn Evening'. We are so lucky to have such a talented team of visiting music teachers and full time teachers at Westbourne House, many of whom regularly perform on the professional stage.
The parents and children who attended the ‘Music for an Autumn Evening’ concert were treated to some wonderful performances by the staff, including works for piano by Bach to jazz-inspired music for clarinet by Gershwin, plus a performance by our new harp teacher, Alex Rider and a Wind Quintet.
Director of Music, Alex Dichmont, said: “The children were mesmerised and amazed watching their teachers perform. We are very fortunate to have a fantastic team of musicians teaching the children every week, guiding and inspiring our musicians of the future.”
The next couple of weeks saw two workshops taking place at local schools. Firstly, our new Year 6 choristers made the journey to Lancing College for their annual Choral Day, where they were tasked with learning music for a service of Choral Evensong in the magnificent chapel, the largest school chapel in the world.
Then, a week later, it was the turn of our Swing Band to hop over to Dorset House school for an afternoon of jazz, culminating in a performance for parents in their beautiful barn. Both schools did a preliminary rehearsal before the day, which gave everyone a head start, so that they were able to work more on the performance aspects rather than just learning the notes.
Mr Cooke said: "We started off with everyone together, then broke into sectionals, then after a break for tea and fresh air we reassembled. Finally, we played through three numbers to an audience of parents and some of the Dorset House children.
"It was great to see the children tapping their feet with the music and really engaging with the soul, gospel and the swing styles of the 1930s. We played ‘In the midnight hour’, ‘Mercy mercy’ and the iconic ‘Take the A train’. The last of these is more challenging but the children’s ensemble skills will undoubtedly have improved as a result of the experience.
"Thanks to Mr Berkley, Mr Marconi and Mr Satchwell for agreeing to collaborate once again, and to Dorset House for their hospitality."
You can hear the Westbourne House Swing Band play live at the School concert on 24th November - don’t miss it!
The last event of this half term was the Autumn Performance Platform, which provided a supportive and informal setting for some lovely performances by, among others Alice (piano), Isaac (guitar) and Charlotte (voice).
Music dates for your diary
After half term, there are many more musical events to look forward to, including the School Concert (24th November), the Advent Carol Service (3rd December) and the much-anticipated performance of The Lion King by Year 6 (7th December). Please refer to the Music Diary for details of all forthcoming events and contact the Music School with any queries.