Musicians from across the School performed in a specially themed concert exploring the elements that form part of many ancient philosophies.
The Five Elements Concert in the Shearly Hall featured choral and instrumental music from a wide variety of genres.
Congratulating all the musicians afterwards, Director of Music Kieron Howe said: “This was the final concert in which our Year 13 boys were able to perform before they leave this summer. They were involved in several of the ensembles performing and brought all their experience to bear, thus producing music of a very high standard indeed.”
The concert reflected the elements of fire, earth, air, water and sky. It began with the Concert Band, directed by Mr Howe, playing Earth and Sky by Michael Sweeney, Oblivion by Astor Piazzolla and Dan Hartman’s 1979 disco hit, Relight My Fire.
In a busy programme, the Junior Saxophone Quintet, Senior Indian Ensemble, the tenors & basses of the Choir and the Senior String Orchestra all performed before the interval. Again, the repertoire was highly varied: the saxophonists tackled Michael Jackson’s Man in the Mirror; the singers delivered three traditional songs; the Senior Indian Ensemble performed two pieces including Paatum Naane by K V Mahadevan, and the strings’ selection included Sunrise, Sunset from Fiddler on the Roof.
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Also performing in the second half of the concert were the Chamber Choir, who sang the Song of the Three Holy Children from John Rutter’s Durham Canticle. The text of the song, which mentions all five elements, was printed in the programme. Next came the Camerata, with a selection featuring Chim Chim Cheree from Mary Poppins and Henry Mancini’s Moon River. The Symphony Orchestra brought the evening to a close with Gustav Holst’s Jupiter from The Planets, as well as The Blue Danube by Johann Strauss II.