Music Feast

Last week saw a real musical feast at Ellesmere College with the annual Senior School Music Concert. In front of a packed audience the programme featured a variety of musical items involving over a hundred performers in what is sure to become a “not to be missed” annual event.

The undoubted highlight of the evening was the performance of the 1st Movement of the Mozart Piano Concerto with Lower Sixth former Jenny Scarisbrick as soloist. She played magnificently accompanied by a full orchestra of pupils, teachers and friends of the College. The orchestra also had its own chance to shine right and both halves of the concert were brought to rousing conclusions by selections of work by Bach, Beethoven, Brahms and Verdi.

Choral works also formed a substantial part of the evening, and again were all sung to a very high standard with the rendition of Panis Angelicus and an arrangement of “Let there be Peace on Earth” creating very poignant moments in the programme. The senior school choir, with well over 70 pupils were in fine voice and are clearly well on their way towards building up repertoire for their forthcoming tours to Kingston this year and most excitingly to Venice in 2004.

There was a strong “musicals” feel to some of the other items with the Concert Band playing excerpts from Evita and some of the cast of “Swings and Roundabouts” providing some tantalising preview of Musicals extracts. The full production of “Swings and Roundabouts” will take place in the College's Arts Centre next month and is clearly an event not to be missed.

As well as the large group items there were some excellent smaller ensembles with the Celidh Band providing some unexpected “star” appearances by some of the teaching staff playing a varied and often unexpected selection of instruments!

So successful was the evening that CDs have now been produced and further details of these along with any further information about Music at Ellesmere College can be obtained from Mr Julian Whittaker, Head of Music, on 01691 622321.

17th February 2003  Back to News