Evensong 

On Thursday 2nd November, we had our second Evensong of the year which celebrated All Souls Day. Despite the weather, this was well attended, with music from Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem. This was performed beautifully by Schola Cantorum, with solos performed by Rory, Jimmy and Tamsin. 

Binham  

On the 5th of November Schola Cantorum gave their annual performance of Fauré’s requiem in Binham Abbey alongside a professional orchestra. A packed church was treated to a first half that included a composition by Jimmy and Tamsin’s stunning interpretation of Medelssohn’s ‘O for the wings of a dove’. The atmosphere of high-quality music making in the second half’s requiem was palpable, a special mention for soloists Ruby, Jimmy and Rory.  

Music & Munch 

Music & Munch, our community informal concert series, welcomed record numbers in the audience on Friday 10th November, with pupils performing to a packed Tig’s Café. Opening with Percussion Ensemble, followed by the newly formed Guitar Ensemble, this was a concert of firsts. David R sang for the first time, Ruby S and Tamsin S performed songs from their recent conservatoire auditions and a wonderful performance from Peter R on piano, and Heidi W on voice and piano.  

Vocal Masterclass 

As part of the Sir John Hurt vocal masterclass series kindly supported by Lady Hurt, on 14th November we welcomed Kitty Whately back to Gresham’s. She is currently taking the English song class at the Royal College of Music so this was a step up for many of the singers. The first half of the day was spent working in detail with the most advanced singers in the school on pieces from German Lieder, French Melodie, English song, Oratorio, musical theatre Pop and Opera. In the latter part of the day some of the newer singers in the school took part in a group session working together with Kitty on their various pieces, exploring the nuances that can be found within a high level of vocal performance. 

Vocal Recital 

17 of our most able singers took to the stage to sing in the Vocal Recital, showcasing the wide variety of music learnt by our musicians from Year 9 to Year 13, culminating in a rousing collective performance showcasing highlights from the upcoming school musical, ‘Amelie’.