Music
Michaelmas for the Music Department has seen more activity and more student involvement than ever before: across the Prep and Senior Schools, an average of 480 individual lessons and 40 ensemble rehearsals have occurred every week; there have been 27 concerts, 20 chapel musical reflections, 20 practical music exams (with 4 awarded Distinction) and a total of 428 individual performances! The following details only a few of these highlights:
Benedetti Foundation Workshop
The term began with the Benedetti Foundation Workshop for 90 Ardingly string players, who were joined by students from other local schools, so a total of 150 young musicians benefitted from workshops with the Foundation’s ten amazing educational specialists. Founded by violinist superstar, Nicola Benedetti CBE, the Benedetti Foundation is one of Britain’s most transformative music charities, delivering experiences through mass musical events, uniting musicians, and providing access to participation and appreciation for all. The day was a spectacular demonstration of music connecting people regardless of age, school, background or ability and a hugely inspiring event. It was also the perfect launching pad for our new Violin Academy: this term, every Year 3 student (30 children) has had a group violin lesson once per week; three times during the term, the classes have had performance “Parties” together; at the end of the term, the whole cohort performed in the Prep Concert. The idea is that within a few years, every Prep School student will have the chance to have played an instrument and be part of a musical ensemble at a high level.
Hello Yellow
With weekly informal concerts, formal recitals and chapel services, our first big concert of the term was Hello Yellow on October 9. Having only inaugurated this concert last year, it has quickly gained a firm footing in our music calendar, with musical offerings – all student-run – coming in quick and fast, students having the chance to share their musical talent in the name of raising awareness for mental health. The concert was a musical feast at incredibly high standards including performances from our newly formed Barbershop Boys Choir, several rock bands, solo items and our resident session Jazz Combo, who accompanied several singers. A genuinely “feel-good” event.
Unplugged
Another initiative from last year, the “Unplugged” series is predominantly for Lower School Musicians to perform in the more casual setting of our popular café. The music is predominantly light, popular or jazz with the audience able to enjoy drinks and food while listening to the fine young musicians in Years 7 and 8.
Black History Month, Evensong at Lancing and a Tour
October was particularly busy for the Senior Chapel Choir (of 120 singers): firstly, we visited Lancing College to sing a service of Evensong in their beautiful Chapel. It was wonderful to take the choir to another environment, to rekindle an ancient relationship with our fellow Woodard School, and for the choir to become familiar with this type of service. The following week was “Black History Week” and we were extremely fortunate to be joined by local composer and choir pedagogue Kenneth Burton. Ken spoke about his journey, his perspective as a Black composer, described his musical processes and gave inspirational workshops with the Year 6 Choir and Senior Chapel Choir. Then, squeezing in a Prep Informal Concert on the second-to-last day of Half Term, off the Chapel Choir went on tour to Normandy. Staying in Rouen, the choir gave performances in Eglise Saint-Jeanne d’Arc and Beuzeville, Ardingly’s twin town! We also visited the Jean of Arc Museum and explored an outside escape room. With 41 students and the first overseas choir tour in a few years, it was a huge success.
Remembrance Day Concert
The Chapel Choir tour gave us plenty of time to learn and perform Remembrance-themed repertoire. Upon our return to school after the Half-Term break, we held a special Remembrance Concert in the Crypt consisting of music and poetry, as well as more performances from the Barbershop Boys’ Choir, Cello Choir, Al Taglia Quartet (featuring a student work) and soloists.
RESOL Quartet
This year, the music department has 14 Chamber Music ensembles, eight of which are entering into the Pro Corda National Chamber Music competition. In preparation for this, we were fortunate to host the RESOL Quartet, a group of recent graduates, to give masterclasses with some of our ensembles and to perform.
Evensong in Cambridge
Every year, the Chamber Choir Schola Cantorum has the chance to sing evensong in prestigious venues around the country, with recent performances including Westminster Abbey and St Paul’s Cathedral. This term, they sang at Girton College Cambridge with the College Choir under the direction of Gareth Wilson. As well as a beautiful service, the particularly special aspect of this day was having the chance to spend an hour with five Old Ardinians currently studying at Cambridge, to ask them questions and hear about their experiences.
Christmas in the Music Department
The silly season is especially fun and hectic in the music department! Over the course of the last two weeks of term, the music department gave a total of five large-scale high-quality performances: a Prep School “Music and Mince Pies” concert for the neighbouring Retirement community; a formal Prep Christmas Concert featuring all the ensembles; a Prep Carol Service; two Senior Carol Services featuring the 130-strong choir and 20-strong brass band – quite loud; and a Senior Christmas Concert consisting of no less than 179 student performers and two collaboration highlights: a performance of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite danced by four talented Ardingly ballerinas and played by the Symphony Orchestra; and a performance of Walking in the Air sung by the Year 6 choir, played by a senior string ensemble and all arranged by a Lower 6th student.
Overall, a highly successful and satisfying term. My thanks as always go to the amazing music department team: to all of our wonderful visiting music teachers, and especially to our full-time staff – Susan Gilmour-Bailey, Giacomo Pozzuto, Stephen Smith, Hannah Carpenter, Tracey Milne, Maggie Wainwright and Tom Sangster.
Tim Carpenter, Director of Music
