29 minute read
Music
THE ARTS
MUSIC
House Singing
House singing was back to normal this year, with singers from each House performing in-person and fully live in Hall once again. The Houses were split into three tranches in Hall, with competitors able to watch the live stream back in House when not performing, thanks to the technical wizardry of Mr Boulton and Mr Davey. We were thrilled to welcome back to adjudicate Emily Dickens, British Soprano and Choral Conductor and former member of the internationally acclaimed vocal group, Voces8.
Daviesites kicked off proceedings, mixing two songs, Miami 2 Ibiza and Tainted Love, with Toby Cannock as DJ. They were then followed by Robinites, singing Love is an Open Door from Disney’s Frozen. At the end, one of the boys proposed to another and, as he accepted, the entire House erupted into cheers. Hodgsonites were on next, singing Don’t Stop Me Now by Queen. Suddenly the 2YS popped out on to the front of the stage, dressed as Freddy Mercury in white tank tops, fake moustaches and wielding inflatable pink guitars, and the crowd roared with excitement. Last, but not least, was Lockites, singing Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen, with good instrumental backup and harmonising that earned them a place as one of the top two boys’ Houses!
ABBA’s much loved Dancing Queen was performed by Chetwynd, who certainly did it justice, including well-choreographed dance moves and filling Hall with the typical jovial atmosphere and happiness that ABBA brings. Next up were Weekites, who performed an excellent interpretation of Justin Biebers top hit, Love Yourself. Although energetic and masculine, their audition included some well-practised choreography, making for an impressive and entertaining show. Fletcherites brought some spice to the show with their hugely enjoyable performance of Wannabe by the Spice Girls. With a creative stage arrangement, they told us what they really want: applause! And most decidedly well deserved! Pageites were next with an emotional and touching You’ve Got a Friend in Me from Toy Story. Accompanied by Mr Sutton, they performed tunefully and smoothly and were most enjoyable to listen to. To round off the second set of carolling Carthusians, Saunderites took to the stage and performed the beloved Viva la Vida, by Coldplay. With Lancelot Liu skilfully playing the piano, they made a superb performance of this difficult piece. It was impressive, emotional and very well prepared.
The third cohort of harmonious Houses commenced with a rendition of Journey’s Don’t Stop Believing by Bodeites. Masterfully accompanied by Lacopo Lo Bue on the piano, one could truly feel their passion through the music. Although some might say atypical for Bodeites, Sutton completed the 2021 House Singing Competition with their rendition of Price Tag. Loved by the judges and audience, their excellent choreography, costumes and commitment made for a decidedly superb audition.
This year four winners were chosen –two boys’ Houses (Lockites and Gownboys), two girls’ Houses (Sutton and Northbrook) and the overall winners’ crown went to Sutton for a truly priceless performance. Thank you once again to Emily Dickens for her excellent adjudication, to Mr Shepherd and Mr Turner for masterminding the event, and to all the pupil singers, musicians, costume designers and choreographers – bravo tutti!
Henry Anderson (L) and Mark Gorman (B)
their esprit de corps, and a Housemaster who did not stop believing, led to what was a truly spectacular performance. Next came Gownboys with their usual musical prowess, accompanied by a trio of talented musicians – Mitsu Jeffock on alto saxophone, Will Adams on baritone and Michael Huang on the piano – their performance of Jason Crest’s Waterloo Road was enjoyed by all, earning them the Top Boys’ House Prize. Northbrook was next and not to be stopped! Indeed, their interpretation of Queen’s Don’t Stop Me Now was a resounding success, complete with sparkling green hats and carefully planned choreography. A very enjoyable performance all round. Verites were loud and proud singing Mr Blue Sky. Passionate and powerful are perhaps the best adjectives to describe their performance. Their rendition of this classic was very well prepared and certainly worthy of much applause.
House Singing – Hodgsonites House Singing – Northbrook
Candlelit Carols
Among the many outcomes forced by the pandemic was the dramatic reduction in the size of Chapel Choir. The Choir’s membership was curtailed to just Specialists for two years, plus some very kind Beaks. The problem with this, of course, is that these Specialists were always going to leave Charterhouse at the end of their tenure. Come September 2021, Chapel Choir had just two sole survivors going into the new academic year. And so, a near complete change of the guard occurred, and the pupils have learnt to sing together with enjoyment and musicality in just a matter of weeks. It is therefore a huge testament to their ability, dedication and responsibility to Chapel Music that Candlelit Carols 2021 was a resounding success. In fact, to quote one punter, “a vintage year”.
As well as the thrill of live performance, choir and audience alike were once again able to experience the magically beautiful setting of a candlelit Chapel, complete with glowing Christmas tree in the Sanctuary. Chapel Choir opened the service at the West end with an upbeat and lively rendition of Brian Kay’s arrangement of Gaudete. A candlelit procession then ensued, taking the choir down to the stalls for two more carols, including a first outing at Charterhouse of Oliver Tarney’s Adam Lay Ybounden. A second candlelit procession to the East end steps saw Chapel Choir complete the service in the classic horseshoe position, as they stood amidst the flickering gothic candelabras. There were some truly wonderful performances at this point in the service; Hattie Palmer’s (F) effortless descant floated beautifully over the top of Philip Stopford’s Lully, Lulla, Lullay, whilst favourites such as Silent Night and Away in a Manger were given poise and serenity. Riu, Riu, Chiu, usually attributed anonymously and with somewhat of a nonsense title, had not been performed for some time and its hip-swinging, Spanish villancico (‘Christmas Carol’) flavour was a real crowd pleaser this year. A jolly Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day, with Felicia Freeman (Su) and Taki Ejima-Dalley (V) as soloists, and a rousing Ding-Dong! Merrily on High finished the concert, but not before a beautiful, spacious and loving rendition of Alexander L’Estrange’s Love Came Down At Christmas filled and floated through the Memorial Chapel acoustic. As ever, Father Clive Case’s choice of reading punctuated the service admirably, making for a most atmospheric evening.
These were two highly excellent performances and Chapel Choir can be hugely proud of themselves. They’ve worked hard all term, not forgetting their regular Thursday Evensong commitments. After a year of ups and downs and no service last year, Candlelit Carols 2021 provided a most special return to this most special of Charterhouse occasions.
Christmas Concert
The simplest and perhaps most pertinent way of reviewing this concert is simply to say it was stunning; perhaps one of the most enjoyable School concerts for years. The obvious corollary to that is that you missed a blinder and should jolly well have been there, and that this review can celebrate the numerous excellent performers and attempt to cast a thin light on the dazzling brilliance of the event. Right. Here goes.
Rosie-May Kennedy (N) and Binmo Chen (Su) opened with a rousing and dynamic performance of Vivaldi’s Double Violin Concerto. We’ve got used to the compelling musical energy that Mr Bolivar elicits from the Chamber Orchestra, who proved a worthy foil for the confident soloists.
We’re similarly accustomed to the sublime beauty and warmth of tone that Horace Choi (G) elicits from the unlikely portal of a bassoon. How does he make this instrument sound so compelling? I closed my eyes and greedily drank every drop that both he and Mr Williamson (piano) poured us from Hindemith’s sumptuous Bassoon Sonata.
Then we had toe-tapping entertainment from a sax quartet comprising Horace Choi, Will Adams (G), Will Taylor (V) and Mr Corkin playing Half-past Sax (ha ha) and All I want for Christmas, which segued perfectly into Taki Ejima-Dalley (V) improvising on Isn’t She Lovely? I run the risk of eulogising too often about this young musician, but he leaves me with little option; his command of both language and colour is exceptional and surpasses anyone performing in this medium at Charterhouse for at least 20 years. Wow.
Feeling under-employed, Horace Choi joined wind players Eamon Lam (H), Matthew Parnell (G), Bridget Kent (F) and Vlad Margarint (S) for a perky performance of Hallam’s Charleston and Anderson’s Sleigh Ride while Ava-Louisa Christiansen (F) sprinted (quicker than the reviewer) from her warm-up pod in the RVW to Hall just in time to play a really intelligently-read Prelude and Fugue in G minor by Bach. Claire Wang (Su) approached the stage at a calmer pace to play a flawless Chopin Polonaise op. 53 with rare warmth and richness of tone that is often overlooked by many concert pianists. The Chamber Orchestra came back on to conclude the evening with Tchaikovsky’s Andante from String quartet no 1 op. 11 and Two Scandinavian Folk songs; brilliantly played without two of the leading lights who managed to go down with Covid midconcert. It would have taken a plague to knock this wonderful concert off its perch.
Mr Mark Shepherd
Jazz Band Concert Prep School Wind Day
Charterhouse Big Band were centre stage for the annual jazz concert in Hall. With trademark flair, they played a selection of classics ranging from Glen Miller right through to the present day.
There were solos from Takuma Ejima-Dalley (V) on piano, Justin Wang (L) on drums and Timothee Colin (B) on the trumpet. Charterhouse Saxophone Quartet also wowed the audience with their nimble fingers and toe tapping tunes. This event served as a warm up to the Band Show, which will take place at the end of January – look out for tickets before they’re all gone!
Mr Sam Corkin
Jazz Band Concert
Charterhouse was delighted to welcome a record number of assorted wind players for our prep school wind day earlier this term.
Sixty pupils from seven schools across the South East came together to play music from the big screen, including themes from James Bond, Austin Powers and Despicable Me. After an intense rehearsal schedule in the afternoon, punctuated by regular breaks for doughnuts and cookies, we held a spectacular concert for parents and staff in Hall. After a dearth of opportunities for collective music making through Covid, it was particularly lovely to have so many children making music together. Thank you to Edgeborough, Hoe Bridge, Homefield Prep School, Newton Prep, Northwoods School, St George’s Windsor and Papplewick for lending us your pupils for the day. We hope some of these fantastic musicians will be future Carthusians in the years ahead.
Mr Sam Corkin
Evening Recital II
Claire Wang (piano)
It is not often that I find myself short of words to describe a musical event, but I admit to spending some minutes staring blankly at my keyboard, worrying that whatever I say won’t quite capture the exceptional recital given by Claire Wang (Su) just before OQ Exeat. Everything about the performance – from the presentation, to the technical and musical skill on display, to the wonderfully varied and cleverly sequenced programme – was absolutely of the highest quality, and of a standard and polish that one only reasonably expects in seasoned professionals. Her Scarlatti exemplified precision and flair, the Prokofiev sonata an impressive and arresting torrent of sound. Her Chopin left me wondering at what sort of keyboard fingerings could produce such evenly produced parallel thirds, and the concluding Gargoyles by Lowell Liebermann were a wonderfully imaginative and virtuosic way to end the programme. However, for me Claire’s performance of the Sonetto 123 del Petrarca from the second year of Liszt’s extraordinary Années de pèlerinage was the most exceptional of all. It takes a very special talent to be able to create a tone quality both decisive and yielding on the piano, but this was also a performance of incredible maturity and authority: this is not easy music to penetrate, and Claire conjured an atmosphere of wrapt intensity in Hall for the duration of Liszt’s meditation on Petrarch’s poetry. Words cannot do any justice to Claire’s performance: you really had to be there, and my recommendation is that next time she does, make sure that you are!
Mr Mark Shepherd
This year we were pleased to welcome pianist Annabel Thwaite to adjudicate the Piano prizes and give feedback on the performances of the fourteen participants. A variety of musical styles was realised – Chopin and Beethoven, to Scriabin, Berg, and Yiruma.
Ava-Louisa Christiansen (F) and Justin Wang (L)
Piano Prizes
The evening began with the first eight pupils competing for the Ehrmann Prize. Second prize was awarded to Edward Wilmouth (G) for his performance of the first movement of Beethoven’s Sonata in C minor, op.10 no.1. Annabel commented on Edward’s determination and energy, as well as his technical prowess regarding his control and clarity of the music. First prize was awarded to Ava-Louisa Christiansen (F) for her very controlled interpretation of Scriabin’s B-flat minor Impromptu, op.2 no.2. Annabel was particularly impressed with Ava-Louisa’s individual personality shining through her performance; she remarked that starting with the very first note, everything thereafter came from Ava-Louisa, and it was a delight. Praise was also given to all the other participants for their playing and in particular to Ian Yang (G) for a mesmeric Japanese folk song and also to Jack Wong’s (H) enjoyable and fun interpretation of Edward Norton’s Jingo.
The VSH Russell Prize was competed for by a further six performers and the quality was truly outstanding. Annabel commented on the difficulty of adjudicating such an array of talent; every single competitor deserves credit for the diligence and hard work they had put into their performances. Second prize was awarded to Takuma Ejima-Dalley (V) for his performance of Berg’s Sonata, op. 1. Taki’s palpable relationship with the composition was evident through his playing. His demeanour and characterisation of the music had the audience gripped, despite not being a naturally easy listen for most. Annabel particularly noted Taki’s convincing delivery of “utter heart-wrenching beauty to deep powerful climaxes”. First prize, however, was awarded to Justin Wang (L), recent category-winner of the Steinway International Piano Competition, Hong Kong, and his empathetic interpretation of Beethoven’s 32 Variations, WoO 80. A piece with such vast changes in character is no easy feat to execute. Annabel praised Justin’s “sensational” ability to adapt and change the character of the music through his delivery. It was a real treat for the audience. Despite not being prize winners, praise must go again to all of the other competitors. Michael Huang’s (G) performance of the first movement of Schubert’s Sonata in A, D.664 was truly excellent, as was Claire Wang’s (Su) Chopin Polonaise.
Piano Prizes once again showcased the enormity of musical talent at Charterhouse; a display of exquisite technical ability, maturity, and individual flair. An evening to celebrate and, competition aside, a delightful evening of musical indulgence for everyone attending.
Mr Harry Boulton
ROUND-UP OF MUSIC
The Charterhouse Music Department is thrilled to be part of a wider national programme of events celebrating OC Vaughan Williams which kicked off in earnest up in Manchester with a concert given by the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. The Vaughan Williams Charitable Trust is supporting the year-long series of events, in which our very own Charterhouse Concert Series is delighted to be involved. In the first of these events held at Charterhouse, Head of Academic Music, Dr Russell Millard, gave a fascinating talk on the repertoire, explaining the very many unknowns and misconceptions about one of our greatest and most eminent OCs. The concert opened to a wrapt audience, with the beautiful and haunting Romance and Pastorale for violin and piano, played exquisitely by Eddie Chai (R). The responsibility of opening this major Concert Series was in incredibly safe hands: Eddie played with real thought, musicianship and understanding, delivering this repertoire in the intimate setting of the Llewellyn Room in a way that completely captivated the audience. Dr Millard’s talk was then followed by a sextet of singers performing the ever-popular Truth Sent From Above, a flashback to Advent. To close proceedings, we welcomed back another OC, Henry Le Feber Robertson (S20), to play the Romance for viola and piano. Henry’s playing has gone from strength to strength and it was wonderful to hear his sonorous, resonant viola playing once more in this most gorgeous piece. Henry is currently studying Music at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, where he plays with the leading student orchestras.
The second in our Concert Series was given by Head of Strings, Mr Rafael Bolivar, and piano beak Mr Daniel Hill, a truly superb concert showcasing the monumental Vaughan Williams Violin Sonata as well as works for piano by Ravel and Howells, composers with whom Vaughan Williams had very close affiliation. The Violin Sonata is rarely performed, partially for its difficulty, but perhaps mainly for the mammoth musical undertaking it requires. We were privileged to witness such a performance.
This year marks both the 150th anniversary of OC composer, Ralph Vaughan Williams and, indeed, the 150th anniversary of the School’s move from London to Godalming. In honour of such significant milestones, the RVW has been a hub of activity, with concerts, services, competitions, a Band Show and more all packed into this Quarter’s musical calendar.
Evening Recital
The start of Quarter saw Charterhouse host the Minerva Trio, who gave a superb concert of chamber music for violin, cello and piano. Fronted by Richard Birchall, former instrumental teacher at Charterhouse, the concert was a huge success and gave our pupils some wonderful insights into the art of professional chamber music. This was particularly apt given the upcoming Pro Corda competition, a national chamber music competition hosted this year at Charterhouse.
Lunchtime Concerts (formerly Quarter Concerts) are a chance for pupils to showcase repertoire in a much more informal setting whilst improving their abilities to perform and prepare for larger occasions. Accordingly, in preparation for Pro Corda, we heard three chamber groups perform. The trio of Claire Wang (Su), Jonathan To (L) and Adrian Choy (L) offered some Beethoven. For a group whose age range spans 4ths to 1YS, this was of the highest calibre. Claire Wang has already proved herself to be an astonishing talent, but the way in which Jonathan and Adrian raised their playing to reach an ensemble ability of the highest order was most gratifying and impressive to witness. Similarly, in a quite different repertoire (Shostakovich, to be exact), the musical understanding and maturity shown by Taki Ejima-Dalley (V), Thomas Byrne (g) and Eddie Chai was certainly to be marvelled at. The final group to perform was the senior quartet of Michael Huang (G), Kirstie Kwakye (Su), Lancelot Liu (S) and Sophie Ju (C). Again, the musicianship was first class, and the ensemble evinced a clear understanding of the music. It was therefore rather unsurprising that the adjudicator of Pro Corda was hugely impressed by their standards of playing. At the time of writing, all of our groups safely negotiated the Quarterfinals and are awaiting news on progression to the Semi-Finals.
More recently, we’ve had lovely performances by Matthew Balogun (G), Tianzong Chen (H), Freddie Halford (W), Eamon Lam (H), Jago Brazier (R), Ife Tejumola (g) and Tom Cowling (B), Hattie Palmer (F), Bridget Kent (F) and a host of others. The more formal Evening Recitals have also been another moment of excellence from our pupils this Quarter. Here, we enjoyed the beautiful playing of Timothy Tso (V), Christy Choy (F) and Luca Cheung (L), as well as Sophie Ju, who performed Beethoven’s Spring Sonata.
True to form, the Music Department hosted its regular array of performance prizes. Given the currently extraordinary talent of string players and the inspirational leadership shown by Head of Strings, Mr Bolivar, String Prizes was, in a word, astonishing. There were no weak performances and the adjudication by Emily Marsden (Head of Strings, Christ’s Hospital School) was almost impossible! With such a variety of repertoire on show, and despite being just short of a couple of hours, the time passed in the most pleasant and enjoyable of fashions. Bravo to all competitors, but prizes went to Timothy Tso in the Junior category, and jointly in the Seniors to Eddie Chan and Kirstie Kwakye. Woodwind Prizes were yet another resounding success. We were thrilled to welcome Professor Ian Wilson (Guildhall School of Music and Eton College) to Charterhouse to judge our annual Woodwind Competition. A huge number of pupils performed, and it was most encouraging to see how healthy this department is looking. Pupils played with great aplomb, with prizes being taken by Fraser Dobie (V) (Junior), Alex Weaver (S) (Intermediate) and Horace Choi (G) (Senior). Many thanks indeed to Head of Woodwind, Mr Corkin, but also the team of VMTs for preparing our pupils so successfully. This was a super afternoon of excellent playing.
Chapel Choir continues to go from strength to strength. Regular Evensongs and performances in Chapel are becoming increasingly natural to this wonderful group of singers, and a recent highlight was their performance of Allegri’s seminal Miserere Mei in the Evensong for Ash Wednesday. Tasked with the responsibility of the soaring ‘top C’, Aomi Hiroi (Su) soared with beauty and excellence. Aomi has been a real star since joining Charterhouse, singing in just about every ensemble going! Mention must also go to her quartet partners – Hattie Palmer, Rosie-May Kennedy (N), and Thomas Byrne, all who supplied an ethereal complement to the efforts of the main Chapel Choir in a performance that created a serene sense of contemplative calm, not just to mark the start of Lent, but also amidst the heightening situation in Ukraine. Chapel services, talks and even a ringing of the Carillon bells by Mark Gorman (B) has helped the Charterhouse community show our support and solidarity at this time.
It is testament to the importance of music at Charterhouse that the Music Department has been involved in a wide range of events throughout the Quarter from the School’s production of Fame: The Musical to Confirmation ceremonies. We welcomed the Bishop of Dorking, the Right Reverend Jo Bailey Wells, to oversee the Confirmation of seven candidates. Chapel Choir provided some beautiful music to accompany proceedings, and it was lovely to see so many supportive friends and family present.
BAND SHOW 2022
Let’s start with a cliché that happens to be true: this was without a doubt the best Band Show in the past twenty years. Led brilliantly by Head of Woodwind, Mr Corkin, the band boasted some outstanding and inspirational performers who fronted a unified and enthusiastic team. There was a super balance of band, singers, comedy sketches and – for the first time – DANCE! What a refreshing and uplifting experience the whole evening proved to be, beautifully lit and with the audience seated at cocktail tables. The only thing missing, thanks to the curse of Covid, were the cocktails themselves, but next year…
Taki Ejima-Dalley (V) gave us phenomenal jazz piano throughout, brilliantly underpinned on bass by DJ Clapcott (W). Sadly, the Trio that set the pre-show mood couldn’t be completed by Justin Wang (L), who was unwell, but Mr Morley kindly stepped in, playing beautifully, of course. Autumn Leaves set the tone, bursting across the stage in pacy and energetic fashion. Aomi Hiroi (Su) was the first singer on with a vibrant ‘S Wonderful before Will Taylor (V), Horace Choi (G) and Tim Colin (B) gave us colourful solos during In The Mood, backed by a lush trumpet choir. Jamie Hume (H) stepped up with a mellow trombone solo in Girl from Ipanema and then Lauren Stewart (C) gave us a really focussed Blue Skies. Taki Ejima-Dalley’s riffs on Bye Bye Blackbird showed both his phenomenal invention and keyboard fluency, giving credence to the aforementioned cliché. Blue Moon gave Isabella Beling (N) the vehicle to show off her rich mezzo voice. Bashful Tom Byrne (g) introduced himself with typical modesty and then gave a fabulous performance of Mack the Knife, skilfully exploiting both tenor and baritone registers. The evening finished with Sing, Sing, Sing and (a first for Carthusian Band Shows) a simply delightful dance routine. Two hilarious sketches added to the array of entertainment, skilfully performed by Tom Byrne, Guy Ellis (W), Felicia Freeman (Su) and Emma Horner-Long (F).
If you couldn’t make this year’s show, be sure to book early for the next one. I predict it will be sensational.
Mr Mark Shepherd
BRITTON SINFONIA CONCERT
This year marks the 150th anniversary of the birth of Ralph Vaughan Williams, with the celebrations across the country culminating in a special feature in the Summer Proms series at the Albert Hall.
Oxford Elegy narrator, Lachlan Mackinnon (G74)
As one of our most illustrious alumni, we’ve wanted to mark the event here and a colourful series of concerts throughout the year have been planned. The collaboration between Charterhouse musicians and the Britten Sinfonia in March saw a wonderful and unique programme that included the world premier of a really convincing arrangement for orchestra and solo violin by David Matthews of RVW’s little-known Romance and Pastorale for violin and piano.
Carthusian musicians started the concert with a lively rendition of RVW’s arrangement of the Old 100th with brass fanfares and choral solos. The choir joined the orchestra for An Oxford Elegy giving a confident and persuasive narrative of the colourful tale. Later they preceded the Tallis Fantasia for Strings with two motets, the latter introducing the theme that RVW employs in his Fantasia. The orchestra welcomed and nurtured eight of our top string playing pupils, and the evening thus proved to be, not only a happy celebration of our most famous OC, but a wonderful collaboration between one of our great national orchestras and our pupils and staff.
One of the most magical moments of the evening was the world-class encore of a Bach Sarabande played by Alexander Sitkovetsky who followed his achingly beautiful performance by taking his place amongst the second violinists to fill the place vacated by an indisposed Carthusian violinist; a gesture that embodies at lease three of our School Values!
School Archivist, Catherine Smith, curated a wonderful exhibition of RVW memorabilia and Russell Millard gave an illuminating pre-concert lecture.
Charterhouse created a collaboration and wide-ranging celebration that one hopes RVW would have approved.
CQ Music Round Up
In a Quarter marked by the sound of leather on willow, the sun shining in the sky and the beauty of Charterhouse, the Music Department continues to offer students a healthy balance to their academic pursuits, even though the spectre of exams looms heavy over many of them.
Evening Recitals and our ongoing Ralph Vaughan Williams Series have been real highlights of the year. Claire Wang (Su) opened the concert with her virtuosic piano playing, offering a mini programme of Chopin, Scriabin and Liebermann. Then came the winners of LQ’s Senior Woodwind Prizes, Kirstie Kwakye (Su) and Horace Choi (G), on recorder and bassoon respectively, who oozed musicianship and professionalism. The concert closed with Claire Wang at the piano once more, now joined by Adrian Choy (L) and Jonathan To (L) in a performance of the first movement from Beethoven’s Ghost Trio, an extraordinary piece of composition played quite brilliantly.
This year, music fans globally celebrate the 150th Anniversary of Charterhouse’s own Ralph Vaughan Williams. In celebration, we welcomed the highly acclaimed Sitkovetsky Trio to Charterhouse to give the RVW Celebratory Concert IV, the second in the Investec International Music Festival. It was a pleasure to host this concert at which the Surrey Hills Young Composer Competition prize was also presented. The concert was a real delight and a wonderful opportunity for our pupils to witness such musical excellence. The fifth concert in the RVW Series saw our Charterhouse musicians take to the stage, with performances from the Brass Quintet, Justin Wang (L) playing the Charterhouse Suite in its piano version, the beautiful consort singing of pupils and staff in some Vaughan Williams part-songs, and finally a super rendition of Finzi’s Five Bagatelles for Clarinet by OC Antonio Zhang (H21).
In the following week, we invited pupils from Hoe Bridge, Edgeborough and St George’s, Windsor to take part in our Choral Day, wonderfully led by Head of Department, Mr Mark Shepherd. Collaborating on this scale has, understandably but unfortunately, been on hold for the last few years. To see everyone back together in the aweinspiring setting of the Memorial Chapel was truly fantastic. The pupils sang their hearts out through Faure’s beautiful Requiem, with a lovely solo in the ‘Pie Jesu’ by Laura Wilmouth (Su). The Jazz Band also took advantage of freedom from restrictions, performing at the Godalming Bandstand on a glorious Saturday afternoon and delighting the massed crowds with their toe-tapping numbers under the direction of Head of Woodwind Mr Sam Corkin. They were so popular that they’ve been booked again for next year!
Almost all of our woodwind Ensembles took to the stage in Evening Recital II, a lovely occasion celebrating all the hard work of our Visiting Music Staff. This concert had everything from Bach to ABBA, via a host of composers in the middle, including Vaughan Williams, who featured again at our annual Singing Prizes event. We were thrilled to welcome Mr Robert Rice to adjudicate proceedings who witnessed, alongside the very supportive and very large captive audience, a veritable smörgåsbord of English song, German lieder, Italian arias, French chanson and
Prep Schools’ Choral Day Chamber Choir performing works by Ralph Vaughan Williams
Sax Quartet Prep Schools’ Choral Day
several entries from the world of Musical Theatre. Overall winners in the three categories were Oliver Ferry (D), Tianzong Cheng (H) and Aomi Hiroi (Su) – congratulations!
Composition and Organ prizes round off the musical School year. This year, we were thrilled to welcome Mr Paul Whitmarsh and Mr Simon Bell to adjudicate. Our Fifth form composers all offered up their IGCSE coursework compositions for scrutiny, as did our A-Level musicians. Each pupil was able to showcase a piece of great thought and care, with performances from both staff and pupils. Mr Whitmarsh was most impressed by the display and array of textures attempted. Verites dominated the prize list with Pradeep Sahni taking the Junior and Taki Ejima-Dalley the Senior. A variety of factors meant that Organ Prizes this year was more of a masterclass, but an equally enjoyable and fascinating evening. Joshua Bernardi (G) played Brian Solomon’s Aria, Max Gerhardt (H) offered Handel’s Zadok the Priest and Edward Wilmouth (G) masterfully managed the tricky Fugue in G minor, BWV 543 by JS Bach. Mr Bell was most impressed with the level of playing and commented on the wealth of the students’ potential.
Without doubt, an end-of-Quarter highlight was the truly outstanding Eve of Carthusian Day Concert, given by Symphony and Chamber Orchestra with its four soloists, all under the baton of Dr Millard and Mr Bolivar. There was no better way to celebrate the talent that these four pupils have invested in Charterhouse Music during their time here. Taki Ejima-Dalley (V) opened the concert with JS Bach’s Keyboard Concerto in D minor, BWV 1022. Masterful, technically brilliant and always in tune with the surrounding Chamber Orchestra, this was a wonderful performance, full of life and vigour. Next was Horace Choi (G) who gave us Mozart’s Bassoon Concerto in B-flat major, K.191. As expected (but how pleasant to be reminded!), Horace achieved a beautiful sound with his instrument, getting round the phrases with thought and poise. Mozart is not easy to play, but Horace made this work sound completely effortless. Bravo, too, to Chamber Orchestra for preparing these works so efficiently. After a stage rearrange, Symphony Orchestra appeared for the second half of this concert, opening with the first movement of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto no.3 in C minor, op.37, with soloist Michael Huang (G). Michael is a musician of such maturity, professionalism and consideration, and all these aspects shone through in his playing. His interpretation of this music was second to none and the way he worked with the orchestra also showed a level of musicianship well beyond his years. The evening was brought to a splendid close with Sophie Ju (F) offering the first movement of Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E minor. With its instantly recognisable melody and melodic writing, Sophie ensured that this performance was filled with flair, musicality and bravado. To see her crown all her achievements with this superb performance was a real highlight, and a splendid way to finish the evening. Bravi tutti! I must not forget to mention Dr Millard, Mr Bolivar and all the staff who helped make this concert a highlight of the academic year.
Mr Jamal Sutton
Eve of Carthusian Day Concert
