News Autumn Concert 2024 29.11.2024

On Tuesday evening the Music department held its annual Autumn Concert. 240 students performed a varied programme of music, with performances from the Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia, instrumental ensembles and choirs.

The Symphony Orchestra (featuring an impressive fifty performers on stage) began the concert with a strident rendition of the first movement of Haydn’s Symphony No. 104, before a heart wrenching performance of Augusta Holmes’s beautiful La Nuit et l’Amour. The String Ensemble played John Rutter’s A-Roving, from his Suite for Strings, with real stylistic verve and energy, before the Flute Group gave wonderfully light-hearted performance of Kabalevsky’s The Comedian’s Gallop and ‘So Long, Farewell’ from The Sound of Music that really got the audience’s feet tapping! 

Next was the Philharmonia, who gave a bombastic rendition of Jupiter from Holst’s The Planets before a lyrical performance of ‘Can You Feel The Love Tonight’. Making a welcome return to the Autumn Concert was the Concert Band, who played the ever-loved Pirates of the Caribbean theme before a raucous rendition of the James Bond theme.

Next up were the Percussion Quartet and the Percussion Ensemble who gave typically distinctive and spirited performances of ‘Away in a Marimba’ and ‘Reindeer Rock’, both composed and arranged by our percussion teacher David Neville. This was followed by the Brass Ensemble, who performed the punchy and upbeat ‘Pop Rock’, before the Year 11 String Quartet gave a beautifully charming and stylish performance of ‘Danse des Mirlitons’ from The Nutcracker Suite.

The concert was concluded by three of Godolphin’s five choirs. First to perform was the Senior Choir, who performed an a cappella and unconducted version of ‘With A Little Help From My Friends’ with real style, charisma and vitality. Following their debut at last week’s Winter Jam, the Year 7 Choir gave their second performance of the year, this time singing Frozen’s ‘Into the Unknown’. This was wonderful singing indeed, and it was excellent to hear so many soloists from our new Year 7 cohort. The concert concluded with Year 8 and 9 Choir, who gave a really moving rendition of Sarah Quartel’s ‘I Remember’ before a vigorous and dynamic performance of Duke Ellington’s ‘It Don’t Mean A Thing’ that left the audience calling for more.

This was an absolutely superb concert — bravo to all our hundreds of performers!