Highlight of the Week

St Cecilia's Day Concert 2015

This year's flagship concert of the school year, A Concert for St Cecilia’s Day,was eagerly awaited and involved intense preparation and planning. The evening was a huge success and one which will surely be remembered fondly in years to come. This was almost certainly our largest concert to date, involving over 190 pupils – truly a defining occasion for the Music Faculty. Once again, we were privileged to enjoy the professional environment of the BBC Hoddinott Hall, which is always such an exciting and inspiring experience for both audience and musicians.

Senior Orchestra, numbering over 60 players, began with Ennio Morricone’s Chi Mai, used variously in film and TV and featuring substantial orchestral resources. Maurice Whitney’s Variations on a Theme of Handel demonstrated plenty of colourful instrumentation and energetic Baroque tunefulness.

Senior Percussion Ensemble delighted the audience with an inspired arrangement of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody, involving highly effective interaction of orchestral percussion, drum kit and electric guitars – fabulous! Senior Flute Choir, joined by Harp, played a lovely arrangement of Gabriel Fauré’s Sicilienne, whilst Sinfonia’s high-point (intermediate orchestra of nearly 50 players) was a spirited and well-designed arrangement of the Star Wars theme.

String Ensemble seemed stronger than ever, giving a very professional-sounding rendition of a Pirates of the Caribbean medley. Ensemble blend and tonal quality was particularly notable, as was the confident and spirited delivery. Concluding the first half, Brass Ensemble and Jazz Band lifted the roof in turn with The Great Escape; Themes from ‘Star Trek’; Take the ‘A’ Train; and Watermelon Man – the latter including stunning solo improvisations from Oliver J (tenor sax) and Mr Vaughan (electric guitar).

The second half featured Cathedral School choral music in all its glory. For the first time in one of our St Cecilia Concerts, the Choral Scholars and Boy Choristers joined forces. In the year of our Queen becoming the longest reigning monarch in 1,000 years of British history the Choristers gave a concert performance of Parry’s iconic anthem, I was Glad, and Will Todd’s The Call of Wisdom, specially commissioned for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012.

Cantemus (Junior Choir, boys & girls) were on superb form, balancing the programme with Humperdinck’s gently lyrical, Evening Prayer. Changing gear to ‘stage’ mode, Cantemus then gave a fantastically vibrant and engaging performance of Spread a Little Happiness, really showing off the full exuberance of the childrens’ voices.

Our major work this year, and the culmination of the concert, was The Sprig of Thyme, a beautiful collection of folksong arrangements by celebrated English composer, John Rutter. Senior Chamber Choir, numbering almost 110 voices – indeed a sight to behold! - really brought this beautiful music to life with the colour and blend of the young voices. Upper and lower voices were exhibited in turn, together with plenty of opportunity for SATB harmony. The children were sensitively supported by a chamber ensemble of professional players, including some of our own peripatetic staff. The performance had a profound beauty to it, bringing out the gentleness, lyricism and warmth of Rutter’s choral writing.