Half term Music roundup

The musical term got underway with an excellent recital in Winchester Cathedral which has become a regular feature for our top musicians. Imogen (6.2/Year 13), Emmy (6.2/Year 13), Lolo (6.1/Year 12), Anna (6.1/Year 12), Charlotte (6.1/Year 12) and Bea (6.1/Year 12), performed an impressive programme of music for harp, voice and solo piano to a full and appreciative audience and which included Welsh music for the harp, Ukranian music for the piano, demanding French and German vocal music and some well-known piano classics by Mozart and Ravel. Thanks to our students for being such great ambassadors for the school.

 

 

Next, Bedales hosted its first (in recent memory) Jazz Café in the Quad and our wonderful Jazz Band treated the audience to a fine array of music whilst they also enjoyed drinks and refreshments. Thanks go to all of the students who performed and to the band which has made such great progress this year.  The excitement and enthusiasm around this group is palpable and thanks also go to staff members Sam Corkin and Kevin Walker who have done so much to support our jazz musicians and, in particular, to Simon Whittaker for leading the ensemble and masterminding this most welcome new event.

 

 

Junior Band Night caused more excitement in the last few days before the half term but rain scuppered the usual plan to perform at the Sam Banks Pavillion. However, performers and audience fitted nicely into our new Assembly Hall and over 50 performers gave us an idea of the musical potential and great things to come over the next few years. There was some really great music but it was particularly nice to see how well all the students supported each other either by playing for each other or by supporting in the audience. 

This support was evident at both the Jazz Café and the Junior Band Night by the excellent skill and dedication of Elliot (6.1/Year 12) in devising the sound system setup and engineering the sound for the performances.  Elliot has also spent a huge amount of time mixing a recording of the Jazz Café set and a video will soon be available to watch thanks to Elliot’s work with OB Jamie Bland and JP Bland.

 

 

It has also been encouraging to hear of musical success beyond Bedales and Wynnie (Block 3/Year 9) successfully auditioned for the National Youth Music Theatre and will join them for a challenging musical project in the summer alongside Raffy (Block 5/Year 11) who returns to join this amazing company in a leading role. Wynnie also successfully auditioned for the Junior National Youth Choir and so will have a (vocally) very busy summer! Oscar (Block 4/Year 10) will be attending the Jazz Rock Summer School at London’s Guildhall and Felix (Block 4/Year 10) successfully auditioned to join the National Youth Jazz Collective which is the first step on the road to becoming a member of the National Youth Jazz Orchestra with whom Bedales has developed a relationship over the last six years. 

 

Two of our students will be heading even further afield this summer having won significant scholarships to attend the Berklee Summer School of Music in Boston, USA. Seb (6.1/Year 12) spent some time there last year and was awarded his scholarship after impressing the music staff there. Tommy (Block 5/Year 11) won his scholarship earlier this term by sending some impressive recordings and both of our students have achieved great things already by winning these highly coveted scholarships and we wish them well in this exciting endeavour.  In addition, Tommy has also won a place to study on the Junior Jazz course at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. Again, these places are highly sought after and Tommy joins a long tradition of Bedales musicians taking part in the London conservatoire junior music courses which do so much to stretch our hard-working musicians.

 

Thanks to all of our students who have contributed to music again this term, to the staff who have helped them and to all parents and friends who have supported them.