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QE’s musicians sounded the start of the School’s festive countdown in grand and seasonal style with the 2017 Christmas Concert.

Governors and other VIP guests joined parents and staff flocking to the Shearly Hall, where the School’s choirs led the audience in favourite carols and QE’s leading instrumental ensembles performed an eclectic selection ranging from Handel to Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “It was a wonderful concert, demonstrating once again the strength and depth of participation in Music at QE.

“The tenors and basses of the School Choir – now outnumbering altos and trebles for the first time – brought a real richness of sound with their performances of Barbara Ann (made famous by the Beach Boys) and the traditional Sinner Man, arranged by Roger Emerson.

“The Saxophone Ensemble’s excerpt from West Side Story and their rendition of Jingle Bells were of particularly high quality, while the Symphonic Winds (a new name for the former Concert Band) produced another highlight, their Selections from Home Alone evoking memories of what has become a Christmas film classic.

“It was fitting that this enjoyable evening was punctuated by the presentation of Senior and Junior colours to boys for their commitment and excellence,” the Headmaster added.

Director of Music Cheryl Horne and her colleagues directed most of the larger ensembles, while some other performances were pupil-led – the Senior Indian Ensemble, the Wind Quartet and the Barbershop group. The String Camerata is led by recent old boy Simon Purdy (2009–2016).

Composers featured during the concert included:

• • J S Bach – the Sinfonia’s Arioso from Cantata BWV 156

• • Madhurai Mani Iyer – the Senior Indian Ensemble’s Vilayaadum Pillaikal (The Joyful Children)

• • Irving Berlin – White Christmas, sung by the Barbershop group

• • J Iveson – whose arrangement of Christmas songs, entitled Christmas Crackers, was performed by the Brass Ensemble.

Among the distinguished guests were Cllr Wendy Prentice, representing the Mayor of the London Borough of Barnet, who was accompanied by Cllr Bridget Perry. Both are councillors for the High Barnet ward in which the School is situated.

The concert was held in association with the Rotary Club of Barnet, with which the School has enjoyed links for many years. The printed programme opened with a note of welcome from Brian Coleman, Old Elizabethan (1972–1979) and President of the Barnet Rotary Club.

Staff, pupils, old boys and parents all played their part in celebrating the Christmas season at Queen Elizabeth’s School in 2017.

A packed programme of festive activity embraced the traditional, while also incorporating a few modern touches and elements reflecting the very diverse School community.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “This has been a long, busy and productive term, capped by a very enjoyable and well-executed festive programme. I send my best wishes to all members of the School community and hope they will enjoy a happy Christmas holiday and a peaceful New Year.”

One innovation in the programme this year was the introduction of a drinks-and-canapés reception for Old Elizabethans and other special guests immediately prior to the Service of Nine Lessons and Carols in the parish church. This was held in the nearby Tudor Hall – the historic home of the School until it moved to its present site in 1932. The venue was filled to capacity, with 60 guests spanning all generations of OEs, including several who were in London from abroad (including the US and Canada). The prominent feature of the building’s ‘whipping post’ proved a talking point.

At the service across the road, the classic combination of traditional carols and biblical readings was accompanied by highly accomplished performances from the School Choir and the Chamber Choir – with the Anthem, And the Glory of the Lord, from Handel’s Messiah a particular highlight. The Mayor of the Borough of Barnet, Cllr Brian Salinger, was present at both the reception and the service. The Bible lessons were read by boys from Years 7–11, with the final readings given by senior staff and by the outgoing School Captain, Oliver Robinson. The Headmaster then read the famous beginning of John’s gospel before the congregation sang Charles Wesley’s Hark! The herald angels sing to Mendelssohn’s soaring melody to finish the service.

The other major musical highlight of the run-up to the end of term was the Christmas Concert in the Shearly Hall, where the School’s choirs led the audience in favourite carols and QE’s leading instrumental ensembles performed music from Bach to Irving Berlin. The Symphonic Winds (a new name for the former Concert Band) produced one of the highlights of the evening, their Selections from Home Alone refreshing memories of what has become a Christmas film classic, while the Senior Indian Ensemble also evoked joy with their rendition of Vilayaadum Pillaikal (The Joyful Children) by Madhurai Mani Iyer.

Between the concert and the carol service, the School site itself became a festive scene, thanks to an early snowfall. Hard work by the staff ensured that no School days were lost.

As the term rolled to a close, boys and staff gathered in the dining hall to enjoy Christmas dinner with all the trimmings. On the final day, classes were dismissed at lunchtime and boys left to begin their winter break.

QE’s annual Jazz Evening featured a new group playing a curiosity from the early years of the genre, as well as music from senior pupils in the established ensembles.

Year 9 Blues performed a composition inspired by Jackass Blues – a 1920s work by Art Kassel and Mel Stitzel which, as its name suggests, sounds in places like the lament of a donkey, albeit a tuneful one. The group comprises four boys who have worked collaboratively on a class composition project in their Music lessons: Raphael Herberg (cello), Aadarsh Khimasia (flute), Shivas Patel (piano) and Dillan Shah (piano).

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “This was a well-attended and relaxed event, with plenty of variety among a programme that was played to a high standard – my thanks go to all involved for a thoroughly enjoyable evening.”

Visitors were greeted by the Chairman of Governors, Barrie Martin MBE, and the Headmaster. The bar was run by Friends of Queen Elizabeth’s Secretary Diane Mason and her husband, George.

The Big Band began and ended each half of the Jazz Evening, playing a total of seven pieces, including numbers by Charlie Mingus and by modern American pianist Gordon Goodwin.

In between, Friday Jazz performed standards ranging in style from Louis Jordan’s Is you is or is you ain’t my baby? to Blue in Green, the ballad credited to Miles Davis on his hit record, Kind of Blue, which many have long believed was, in fact, written by pianist Bill Evans.

There were vocal contributions from the junior boys in the B Minors – including Let It Be by Lennon and McCartney – and their more senior counterparts in the Barbershop group, performing Simon and Garfunkel’s Bridge over Troubled Water, while Year 13’s Alfie Clarke sang solo in his rendition of Valerie, by The Zutons.

Another soloist was Sixth Form saxophonist Sanjeev Menon playing Canadian singer The Weeknd’s song, Earned It. The Saxophone Ensemble not only entertained the audience during the interval, but also played Nigel Wood’s So We Too in the main programme.

Music teacher Tom Jack, who hosted the evening, thanked his colleagues, Director of Music Cheryl Horne and teacher Jen Brown, for helping with the arrangements and looking after the guests. He also paid tribute to the work of the peripatetic teachers who had rehearsed some of the ensembles.

He welcomed a number of boys who were taking part in their first Jazz Evening and honoured the Year 13 students playing in their last, including the two soloists.

Pearce emerged triumphant as the first winners of the newly revived inter-House Music competition when their version of the hit song from the 1980s film classic, Dirty Dancing, found favour with the judges.

Run for the first time in five years, the reformatted contest featured specially formed ensembles drawing boys from across all year groups.

Each House’s ensemble had to choose a piece based on the theme of the Oscars and then arrange and rehearse it. The competition culminated with a performance of all the pieces to the whole Lower School (Years 7-10) at a special assembly in the Shearly Hall.

Congratulating all the ensembles, Headmaster Neil Enright said: “The boys faced a tricky task: they had first to take into account the particular talents within their House when selecting their piece; then they had to arrange the music themselves, and finally, they faced the challenge of performing together in front of their peers.

“This competition constituted a great opportunity for boys of differing ages to work together and foster that shared sense of House identity. It is an experience that will no doubt stand them in good stead for other Music competitions in the future.”

The judging panel comprised QE music teachers Tom Jack and Jen Brown, as well as St Albans High School for Girls’ Director of Music, Miss Emma Price, who led the panel and delivered both the feedback and results.

Pearce won the day with their rendition of (I’ve had) The Time of My Life. The judges felt the boys performed well in all areas, but specifically highlighted the strong sense of rhythm and timing providing by Pearce’s drummer, and the timing and quality of their saxophone solos.

Runners-up Harrisons’, who played Jai Ho from Slumdog Millionaire, drew plaudits in particular for their use of Indian drummers for a call-and-response segment, as well as for their generally strong performance.

Overall, Miss Price commended the boys on some very good playing, whilst proffering useful practical advice to consider for future competitions.

Year 13 pupil Abbas Adejonwo, who was part of the Harrisons’ team, remembers the old Music competition, in which boys performed pieces individually. He recalls finding the experience somewhat daunting as a Year 8 boy, and he welcomed the different arrangements adopted for the revived competition: “It was an exhilarating experience competing in this new format. It really instilled a sense of teamwork – and I am very proud of my House.”

The Music competition complements the broad range of inter-House competitions now running through the year, with points won at this event added to the overall House Competition totals.

In order of appearance, the performances were as follows, with the competition positions in brackets:

• • Leicester – Can you feel the love tonight? from The Lion King (third)

• • Broughton – I dreamed a dream from Les Misérables (fifth)

• • Stapylton – Moon River from Breakfast at Tiffany’s (sixth)

• • Underne – Themes from Gladiator (fourth)

• • Pearce – (I’ve had) The Time of My Life from Dirty Dancing (first)

• • Harrisons’ – Jai Ho from Slumdog Millionaire (second)

QE’s Main School Hall resounded to the sounds of fine music spanning more than three centuries at the 2017 Senior Chamber Concert.

In a packed programme, giants of European culture, including J S Bach and Beethoven, rubbed shoulders with lesser-known luminaries, such as the French female composer, Cécile Chaminade and the Italian, Pergolesi, who died in 1736 aged just 26. Also among the pieces performed were several from the past 100 years, from the title track of Sonny Rollins influential Tenor Madness jazz album to the poignant strains of John Williams’ Remembrances, taken from the soundtrack to the film, Schindler’s List.

Director of Music Cheryl Horne, who accompanied several pupils on the piano, said: “The Senior Chamber Concert is a valuable opportunity for our talented older boys to gain experience in playing publicly. I am sure everyone in the audience will have enjoyed an evening of chamber music performed to a very high standard: with no fewer than 22 separate pieces of music, there should have been something for everyone!”

Highlights of the evening included:

• • Final-year A-level Music student Alfie Clarke performing two pieces for the classical guitar: Andreina by the 20th-century Venezuelan composer, Antoni o Lauro, and Gran Vals, by the Spanish Romantic composer Tarrega (now famous because a phrase from it was used as the Nokia ringtone)

• • Year 11’s Jaison Jeyaventhan, who sang Nina from Pergolesi’s opera, Lo Frate ‘nnamorato

• • Sam Burgess, another Year 11 singer, who performed Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah

• • Year 13 cellist Joshua Wong’s powerful performance of the beautiful Andante (third movement) from Rachmaninov’s Sonata in G Minor, op. 19

• • Year 11 pianist Drew Sellis, who accompanied several boys before taking centre-stage himself to conclude the concert with his rendition of the third movement, Animé, from Maurice Ravel’s Sonatine.

The Tigertones, Princeton’s signature male a cappella group, brought the distinctive sounds of American close harmony to QE in a specially arranged concert.

The group performed for the Upper School as part of their autumn tour of London. They delivered a 30-minute set comprising exclusively their own arrangements of popular songs, ranging from Coldplay’s Viva la Vida and Jason Mraz’s I’m Yours, to the Scottish folk song, Loch Lomond, and an energetic rendition of the barbershop classic, Goodbye, My Coney Island Baby.

The visit was initiated by QE parent Mr Muammer Cakir (father of Batu Cakir in Year 9), who studied at Princeton as a postgraduate. Having learned about the group’s tour through the Princeton alumni network, he got in touch and helped make the arrangements to bring them to QE. Mr Cakir was a special guest of the Headmaster, Neil Enright, for the concert.

The Tigertones were introduced by sixth-former Mehul Meghani and thanked by Nikhil Shah, who, like Mehul, is a Vice-Captain in Year 13.

Mr Enright said: “The Tigertones were very good, delivering a rich and well-blended sound, with lots of confidence and personality both in their performance and when they spoke to the boys. We hosted them for lunch and gave them a tour of the school – they seemed impressed with our history, achievements and facilities.

“I am most grateful to Mr Cakir for his help in making possible this visit, which, I am sure, will have played a part in reminding our boys to consider Princeton and other US destinations when they are making their university choices. Ivy League universities have bec ome increasingly popular with QE leavers; it is a trend we are happy to encourage.”

After their performance, the Tigertones took questions from the boys on everything from matters relating to the group itself – their creative process, the reasons for the ensemble remaining all-male and the auditions system –  through to the differences between the US and UK university systems. One of the main things they highlighted was that in the US, undergraduates can continue to study a range of subjects for two years before picking their major – in contrast to the early specialisation required in the UK.

“We now look forward to an influx of new interest in our own barbershop and a cappella groups at QE!” the Headmaster concluded.