Music

The grand final featured six of the school’s most gifted musicians with performances from Maito, percussionist George Demetriou-Foale (Lower Sixth), French horn player Mikey Halton (Upper Sixth), saxophonist Marcus Wentzell (Year 10), singer Isabella LiYan-Hui and violinist Sakura Fish (both Lower Sixth).

However, there was a twist to the regular Perse Musician of the Year format this year, with the House Music Marathon feeding into selection for the competition.

The standout performers from the 674 video submissions – amounting to around 30 hours of music ranging from concertos to kazoos – were put through to individual instrumental/vocal finals in the Lent term, from which the grand finalists were then chosen.

Mikey opened the show by playing works from Richard Strauss and Alan Abbott, while Maito performed pieces from Bach’s Goldberg Variations, Haydn’s Piano Sonata and Chopin’s Etude Op.25, otherwise known as The Bees.

Marcus followed with renditions of movements from Sonatina by James Rae, Aria by Bozza and Monti’s Hungarian folk-inspired work Czardas.

The second half began with George playing Mitchell Peters’ Yellow After the Rain on marimba and Tranquillity by Murray Houllif on vibraphone before teaming up with Ed Kirker (Lower Sixth) for a drum duet of Chris Stock’s Crossfire. Isabella displayed her soprano skills in four languages – English, Italian, German and French – with a programme of pieces on the theme of love.

Sakura rounded off the concert by performing a traditional Japanese folk song, also called Sakura, as well as Nigun from Bloch’s Baal Shem Suite and a section from Lalo’s Symphonie Espagnole.

Internationally-renowned oboist Nicholas Daniel OBE adjudicated the final and selected Maito as the winner of the Richard King Cup with George being highly commended.

Perse Director of Music Ben Wingfield said: “It was very hard to call because all six finalists were incredibly talented in their own way and provided some really interesting, thought-provoking programmes.

“Nicholas commended all six finalists on their programming and virtuosity and had some really lovely things to say about everyone.

“He chose Maito as the winner for showing such great maturity and style, while George was highly commended for a deceptively difficult programme using tough techniques with tuned percussion.”

Mr Wingfield was also happy to see the Perse Musician of the Year competition conclude with a live final for the first time since 2019.

He said: “The atmosphere on the evening was something special. We had a great crowd, but the best thing was all six finalists were there to support one another as much as to represent themselves.

“There was a huge amount of mutual respect and that was really nice to see.”

Ninety talented Perse pianists took part in the Goldberg Project as they went on a musical journey of discovery through the German composer’s famous work.

They began learning the 30 variations which make up the composition during the Michaelmas term, working as soloists or duos, playing either on a single keyboard together or on two pianos.

A number of the musicians had the chance to take part in masterclasses with acclaimed pianists Joanna MacGregor CBE and Antoinette Cann.

Joanna put soloists through their paces prior to performing the Goldberg Variations in a special concert in the Peter Hall Performing Arts Centre, while Antoinette, who plays with sister Claire in The Cann Twins, worked with piano duos.

Thirty-five of the young pianists went on to perform Bach’s work in concert on the PAC stage with a beautifully animated backdrop featuring works by Year 7 pupils.

They had been tasked with creating paintings and drawings in response to listening to the Goldberg Variations, with their original pieces now on display in the Pelican Gallery. Perse Head of Keyboard Peter Hewitt, who oversaw the Goldberg Project, said: “It’s quite nice to do a big project around a particular piece of music to give a strong focal point.

“The Goldberg Variations is an unusual piece for a school to do as it’s very difficult, but because we’ve got so many highstandard pianists, we were able to do it and it was a good opportunity for them to get into Bach.

“The piano duos and piano duets had to practise together. They usually play by themselves, so it was excellent for them to try something new and some of them want to keep playing together, which is a great outcome.

“The masterclasses saw them get expert teaching from professionals in their field and both Joanna and Toni were really good with them. They would give advice and you could see the pupils improving as they went along.

“Having Joanna, who is an international pianist, play the piece herself in concert was the icing on the cake.”

Mr Hewitt was also delighted with the performances of those taking part in the pupil concert and the “brilliant” artworks featured alongside them.

The project will culminate with a film featuring recordings by all 90 pianists playing elements of the Goldberg Variations.

Due to the Covid pandemic, the school’s annual symphonic showcase at the prestigious Saffron Walden venue had been put on hold since 2019.

However, Perse musicians made up for lost time with a stunning concert, entitled The Isle is Full of Noises, celebrating British music old and new.

The recital featured excellent performances by the school’s Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, Wind Band 1, Senior Voice and Senior Brass Ensemble, with a programme featuring works by the likes of Rutter, Finzi and Gordon Langford. The Symphony Orchestra gave a wonderful rendition of Elgar’s Enigma Variations, while the 150th anniversary of Ralph Vaughan Williams’ birth was honoured with performances of two of his pieces, The Wasps: Overture and Three Shakespeare Songs.

Perse Director of Music Ben Wingfield was elated that the school’s senior ensembles had the opportunity to play at Saffron Hall once more.

He said: “This concert was the first school event to be cancelled in 2020 when Covid hit, so it felt like we had come full circle where we were now in a position to play here again.

“The most wonderful thing was the pupils really enjoyed performing in a different venue. It’s testament to the pupils because they worked so hard and showed so much determination to see it through. You could feel that it was pretty electric and there was quite a buzz in the rehearsal and the concert itself.

“Music is such a social thing and working together as a team to create something greater than the sum of its parts was denied to us for quite a long time, so it was lovely to make music on that scale again and have an audience there to enjoy it.”

Almost 300 young musicians performed in groups, ensembles and choirs across three ‘stages’ – the Peter Hall Performing Arts Centre auditorium and foyer and the Lecture Theatre – in an evening of uplifting entertainment.

From classical to Coldplay, there was something to suit all tastes among the 500-strong audience attending the event.

Perse Director of Music Ben Wingfield was thrilled with the turnout for the event, which had not taken place since 2019 due to the Covid pandemic.

He said: “It was great to be able to do this again and it was bigger and better than ever before.

“It was nice that we were able to trial a festival format, the idea being that people didn’t have to sit through a whole concert but could wander around, listen to some music and grab a drink and a bite to eat.

“The weather was really kind to us and there was more of a party atmosphere to the music, something a bit more up tempo, such as jazz and pop, which this format lends itself to.”

For the finale, the Perse Mighty Orchestra, featuring performers and keen audience members, came together to play Sousa’s Liberty Bell March, better known as the Monty Python’s Flying Circus theme tune, in Ellison Court.

Mr Wingfield said: “Mr Halton (woodwind teacher) wrote an arrangement that was suitable for everyone from beginners to Grade 8 musicians so anyone could take part.

“The fact we could get that many people together in the last of the evening sun to enjoy making great music together and feed off that sense of scale and grandeur was wonderful.”

Perse choirs revelled in the wonderful acoustics of Our Lady and the English Martyrs Church in Hills Road, paying a visit for the first time since 2019. They also sang at St John’s College Chapel for the first time in two years in December 2021.

The Perse music scholar, who has been playing violin since the age of eight, was given the prestigious role for the NYO’s winter course.

Sakura’s duties for her section included marking bowings and other key details, such as page turns and dynamics, into the score and ensuring the second violins kept in line with the first violin section.

She also led the warm-ups for her section and helped her fellow second violinists work through certain difficult passages, as well as being “a friendly face for anyone in the section to come and talk to”. “I was absolutely honoured to be given the role of principal second violin,” said Sakura, who names fellow violinist Nicola Benedetti CBE and saxophonist Jess Gillam MBE as her musical role models, having played in concerts with them while a member of the National Children’s Orchestra.

“I was very excited for this challenge and although it was quite nerve-racking at first, it was great to meet so many new people and I really enjoyed it.”

The winter course concluded with a concert at Warwick Arts Centre in which the NYO performed Rachmaninov’s Symphonic Dances, Gabriela Lena Frank’s Three Latin American Dances and Dawn, a new work by British composer Thomas Ades, before rounding off with an encore of Panda Chant, a rhythmic vocal piece by Meredith Monk. There was also a piece by Florence Price, performed by a quartet, of which Sakura was chosen to play first violin.

A multi-talented musician, Sakura also plays piano and trombone, achieving Grade 8 on both last year, but violin will always be her first love as an instrument.

She said: “Music is always going to be part of my life and I know I want to continue playing violin because it’s something I love and I’ve put a lot of effort into it over the years.”

Alicia Li-Yan-Hui (Year 10) represented the school in the National Youth Orchestra.

Sungjoon Park (Upper Sixth) was awarded an organ scholarship offer to Exeter College, Oxford.

Ananya Malaviya and Elina Prakash (both Lower Sixth) became Fairhaven Scholars with The Fairhaven Singers.

Isabel Fleming (Year 9), Florence Mather and AJ Bowdrey (both Year 7) were awarded places in the National Children’s Orchestras.

Jo Zhou (Year 7) auditioned successfully for the National Youth String Orchestra, while Smera Sachin (Year 10), Naomi Hoare (Year 7) and Niah Veenith (Year 8) all gained places in the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain scheme.

Isabella Li-Yan-Hui (Lower Sixth) made it to the final of the Junior Guildhall School singing competition. Logan Armour (Year 10) won the brass section of the Saffron Walden Music Festival. Several pupils took part in the Cambridge Competitive Music Festival where Maito Shiode (Year 7) and Alice Shaw (Year 8) both won trophies, while Charlie Pratten (Year 9) came joint first in his class. Qiqi Shao (Year 7) came first in several classes, including receiving a Recital Cup, in the Milton Keynes Festival of the Arts. Isabella Li-Yan-Hui (Lower Sixth) was a finalist in the recent Junior Guildhall singing competition.

Hundreds of pupils took ABRSM/Trinity exams this year. We congratulate, in particular, Lili Angus (Year 8), William Dickens, Isabella Wickham (both Lower Sixth), Daniel Rix, Max Guida, Ben Lewis and Liza Verzhbitskaya (all Upper Sixth), who all passed their respective diplomas, some with distinction - Lili having completed two diplomas within the space of a year.