Music and Drama Summer Highlights
Pupils from the Junior to the Senior School have enlivened the busy summer term with a terrific array of music and theatre performances.
Years 1 and 2 got the term off to a strong start with the Mini Maestros concert, with the young musicians playing a range of instruments including the piano, guitar, violin and even the harp. Sheila Smith, Head of Music in the Junior School, said, “it was a fabulous concert and all the children showed great love of learning and resilience”.
Year 2 continued to provide lively entertainment with their summer show, ‘Fit for a King’. Much of the music performed was written by the classes, who were inspired by their trip to Leeds Castle, and they collaborated on lyrics, rhythms and writing a melody using a pentatonic scale. The performance itself included accompaniment on chime bars and even audience participation, making a very enjoyable event that showcased pupils’ enthusiasm for music.
The Year 6 leavers’ play, always an eagerly anticipated event, did not disappoint, as the pupils ended their time in the Junior School with an ambitious and dynamic production of Macbeth complete with musical numbers, much to the enjoyment of parents and teachers watching.
The Senior School has had an equally eventful term for performance, kicking off with the annual House Dance competition. The Beardwood was packed with around 130 in the audience who were treated to a series of performances choreographed entirely by students. The overall winners were Bramley with Beardwood winning in the group dance category and a Special Mention to Year 10 Amelia’s solo Irish dance.
In matters musical, the Summer Concert programme saw a meticulously chosen and versatile range of music, with film scores from Jurassic Park, Star Wars, Indiana Jones and The Pirates of the Caribbean, as well as more classical pieces by Brahms and Mozart. Various music groups took part, including the Jazz Quartet, Chamber Singers and Singing and Signing, who sing and use BSL to sign the lyrics. Teacher of Music Ellen Bryden said: ‘The Summer Concert was a huge success, particularly with the addition of the Year 7 band who entertained the audience with Uptown Funk. It was a brilliant opportunity for talented musicians from Years 7 to 12 to present the work of a term and equally brilliant for the audience listening.”
