A Year of Music

InSeptember 2020, St Olave’s reopened its doors again to all students and staff, as the country attempted to bounce back from the effects of a global pandemic. Never has the word “bubbles” been more used than during this period, a time when out of necessity Olavians were strictly divided along year-group lines in terms of both physical space and even daily schedule. Of course, one of the significant negative effects resulting from this was that group music-making could not run as it previously had done for decades. Fortunately, with many additional health and safety measures in place, one-toone instrumental and vocal tuition, suspended since the Spring, could now operate again.

The Music Department was grateful that, through increased sanitisation of our building and the shared equipment, much of the curriculum could still be delivered in our two specialist classrooms, despite a system of seven separate year-group zones in place at school. Practical music became possible again, as did composing with the help of Sibelius software. After six months without such opportunities, everyone was very glad to experience music back in their lives in these ways.

Through risk mitigation and careful monitoring, we all learned more about the virus and how to live safely alongside each other under what became dubbed “the new normal”. New IT solutions gradually became embedded into everyone’s practice to enable live remote-learning to take place. We created a video to share with the school community as part of an Act of Remembrance for those who died in the two World Wars. Within this, we included Edward Cameron playing the Last Post and Reveille on the trumpet. Along with a Chapel service also shared online, our video helped unite students and friends of the school in our important annual commemoration.

Technology also made it possible for students to send us video recordings of themselves performing solo musical items, which were uploaded as a series of online ‘concerts’ on YouTube. Many submissions were received from students in all year-groups, a variety of both sung and instrumental items. In an arrangement by Alfie Beston, The Jazz Chickens performed the school hymn Jerusalem for all viewers to enjoy. It was a joy to be able to see and hear the music students were working on individually, while live concerts still could not go ahead.

We even managed to put together a Christmas message, with present and past members of the Chamber Choir all contributing recordings of themselves singing Hark!

The herald-angels sing in full four-part harmony. Special thanks go to Old Olavian Lucy Morrell for providing the organ accompaniment and to Alfie for producing the finished audio track.

Further developments in our technological capacity led eventually to the possibility of music tuition via live video, which became crucial at the point we were all plunged into the country’s second lockdown in January 2021. Despite glitchy connections and asynchronous remote piano accompanying, students and our visiting music tutors made the best of the situation! Though never a permanent substitute for face-to-face teaching, these interim arrangements did at least ensure that students could once again benefit from this valuable part of their education.

The first few months of 2021 were very challenging for everyone, not least for students and staff trying to minimise the negative effects of the pandemic on learning and development. It was with a tentative sense of relief and hope therefore that, facilitated by the national vaccine roll-out, the process of opening up our school could commence in March. The Savoy Choristers were the first at St Olave’s to convene again in small ‘bubbles’. With the return to in-person services at the Queen’s Chapel of the Savoy planned for late in the summer term, the choristers resumed their training after the long break and started to familiarise themselves again with the repertoire. Somewhat depleted in number, I was particularly proud of the boys’ resilience. It was similarly heartening that, in response to our promotion of the choristership scheme this year, we had a record number of successful Year 5 applicants, proceeding to the voice test stage. Voices ringing out once more throughout the school seemed symbolic of a wider recovery and, after difficult times, a glimmer of hope for the future.

Matthew Price Director of Music

The Ivors Composer Awards 2020

Old Olavian Robert Laidlow (2005-2012) was nominated for this prestigious award which celebrates the best new musical works for classical, jazz and sound art. Robert’s music is honoured alongside that of other such outstanding composers and pioneers of British music as Sir Harrison Birtwistle CH, Rachel Portman OBE and Judith Weir CBE as a nominee for one of these prestigious awards. His piece ‘Aroha’ for string quartet is one of only five shortlisted submissions from across the UK in the small chamber music category.

Music Technology

During Lockdown three Year 9 GCSE musicians learnt about the use of music technology and studio effects in the 1970’s, specifically related to one of their GCSE set works, ‘Killer Queen’ by Queen. Year 9 student Alfred created a video and presented this to his class, demonstrating the main differences between recording studio techniques in the 1970s and those used in the modern day.

Special Achievements

Aaran Sudhir achieved a Distinction in his Grade 5 Music Theory examination.

Sean Lee achieved a Distinction in his Grade 7 piano. Siddharth Mishra won 3rd place in the solo category at the online Maidstone Music Festival.

David Wade delivered an online musical performance of ‘Delightful’ by Mark Nightingale.

Pradhay Amarnath achieved Distinction in his Grade 7 Electronic Keyboard exam.

Nilay Balaji achieved a Distinction in his Grade 5 ABRSM Piano Theory.

James Guest achieved a Distinction in his Grade 6 saxophone examination.

Aarav Gupta achieved Grade 6 in his piano examination. Neal Ye achieved Grade 7 in his piano examination.

Aditya Palaniappan achieved Grade 8 in his guitar examination.

Callum Kwan achieved Grade 8 in his piano examination, as well as Grade 3 in violin.

Kasim Rehman passed his Grade 5 Music Theory with Distinction, and also his Grade 5 exam in Piano.

Aneeq Weerasinghe gained a Distinction in his Trinity College Grade 3 Piano examination.

Tanish Arjaria passed his Grade 4 piano examination with Merit.

Aneeq Weerasinghe gained a Distinction in his Trinity College Grade 3 Piano examination.

Tanish Arjaria passed his Grade 4 piano examination with Merit.