Welcoming new talent and bidding farewell to leavers at the Jazz Evening

Welcoming new talent and bidding farewell to leavers at the Jazz Evening

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.