The Scholars and Choirs concert is traditionally the first concert to mark the start of a new academic year. While the Year 9 Scholar pupils are introduced in the first Music and Munch of the year, this concert, held on Wednesday 25 September, showcases our older scholars, alongside the Chapel Choir and Schola Cantorum.

The programme for the evening included both solo and choral performances, featuring pieces that marked the anniversaries of great composers such as Stanford, Bruckner, Fauré, and Bairstow. From start to finish, the audience was treated to a series of exceptional performances. Our musicians are all high achieving in so many areas of the school; two performers even rushed back from an away rugby match to participate in the concert, highlighting their unwavering commitment to their craft.

Bravo to singers Olga B, Seb C, Ilana B, Reva S, Emily M, Rory R, Zinny B, Scarlett H and Milan H for riveting performances of classical and musical theatre pieces, and to Sophie L (clarinet), Jemima A (flute), Mia W (cello) and Naomi H-S (oboe) for their impressive instrumental playing.

Our Sixth Form Jazz musicians, Benny S (piano), Timo F (kit) and Ferdinand v-D (trumpet), just can’t resist playing when they spot a piano or drum kit in the room. As well as providing background music as the audience arrived, they entertained with toe-tapping renditions of Autumn Leaves and Comin ’Home Baby.

Early in the term, our Chapel Choir effortlessly tackled the tricky eight-part Ecce Sacerdos Magnus by Bruckner, among other pieces. Meanwhile, Schola Cantorum opened and closed the concert, ending on a high note with a playful rendition of Fats Waller’s classic, Ain’t Misbehavin’.