News Chamber Music Concert 2024 03.05.2024

This year’s Chamber Music Concert contained a really delightful array of music, from duets to instrumental ensembles.

The concert began with the Year 10 Vocal Consort singing Bach’s timeless Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring and Moeran’s beautifully lyrical setting of Green Fire, followed by a wonderfully nostalgic rendering of the traditional Shenandoah performed by the Flute Ensemble. This was followed by Shostakovich’s fiery Allegro Molto from his Eighth String Quartet in C Minor, Op. 110, which was performed with real flair and excitement by the Lower Sixth String Quartet – such a performance wouldn’t have felt out of place at Wigmore Hall.

Kim-Loan and Bella gave a beautifully precise and well-shaped of a viola duet by W.F. Bach (probably one of the only viola duets in any Senior School concert in London this year….!) before Giselle T and Meredith H performed, as a harp duet, several movements of Ravel’s La Mère l’Oye. This was exquisite and well-prepared playing from two of our youngest Music Scholars – bravo!

A number of other duets followed. Ella gave a beautifully moving performance of Schubert’s Du Bish Die Ruh (with wonderful adherence to the character of the text), expertly and sympathetically accompanied by Sofia, before Yael and Chloe gave a delightful and well-projected performance of a Somis cello duet. Maya’s interpretation of Wolf’s Das Verlassene Mägdlein was both strikingly dramatic and purposeful, and Alicia accompaniment was well-shaped and stylishly phrased. Isabel and Paloma then gave an energetic and dialogic performance of the first movement of Bach’s Concerto for Two Violins in a reprise of their winning entry in this year’s Senior House Music Competition. The concert concluded with the Year 10 String Quartet giving a really elegant and dance-like interpretation of Handel’s The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba.

Many, many congratulations to all of last night’s performers, and a huge ‘thank you’ to all of our committed and talented team of music teachers who prepared our pupils with such energy and capability.