The Lent Term kicked off with the Senior School Winter Concert. Showcasing the high calibre of musicians within the music school, both established and newly formed ensembles took to the stage in an evening which saw the hard work and time students have dedicated to rehearsing over recent months.
The evening begun with a flourish as the Senior Orchestra delivered a grand opening of Bizet’s Overture: Dr Miracle, followed by Fauré’s Pavane. The latter piece opened with a beautifully lyrical flute melody complemented by plucked strings.
No Hurstpierpoint College Winter Concert would be complete without a festive touch, and the String Group provided just that, with a wonderful rendition of Fairytale of New York. This was followed by a medley of pop songs known for their iconic string lines – an arrangement made even more special as the students had their own input in selecting songs for this medley.
Three flute ensembles – Flutissimo, Flautando and Flute Cocktail – performed a variety of pieces, with an excellent mix of lively, scalic pieces, jazz-inspired melodies, and beautiful, lyrical pieces.
A special mention must be given to the Piano Trio, who performed Mozart’s Ave Verum Corpus, having only rehearsed twice together before the concert.
The College Brass performed with style and dynamic contrast in their first piece – Fanfare Introit – composed by their very own ensemble leader Mark Travers. This was followed by Stevie Wonder’s Superstition, which had the audience tapping their feet along in enjoyment of the infectious upbeat performance.
Closing the concert with a huge amount of energy, the Jazz Band delivered excellent performances of four upbeat pieces, the final performance being an Earth, Wind and Fire Dance Mix. Special mention to James B for performing his saxophone solos with brilliant musicality.
