Music

THE ARTS

MUSIC

MUSIC REPORT

It comes as no surprise that Music at Charterhouse in 2020/2021 has had to endure the trials and tribulations of lockdowns at various points in the year, much as the rest of the School and its other societies and sports teams alike. From September 2020, Music continued to take on a very different shape as a result of restricting activities to individual year groups, meaning that larger groups such as Symphony Orchestra and Concert Choir had to be put on hold. There has been extensive and continuing use of video and audio recordings, both to reach wider audiences but also to provide lasting records of a variety of musical performances. All pupils, the Department, and its staff can be immensely proud of what has been achieved in a very bumpy academic year. It is a credit to all involved that Music at Charterhouse has continued in as strong a fashion as it has done, delighting audiences far and wide, at home and within the Charterhouse walls. What a year it’s been, but bravo to all those that have persevered.

Some of the instrumental highlights of the year were the Evening Recitals. Indeed, the musical year at Charterhouse began with a splendid recital by 1YS pupils, Martin Young (g), Horace Choi (G), Taki Ejima-Dalley (V), and Michael Huang (G), showcasing some wonderful music by Rachmaninoff, Saint-Saëns, and Brahms amongst others. The socially distanced audience were equally thrilled to be experiencing live music once again, an art form that had sadly been so affected over the last six months. Evening Recitals II and III were just as impressive: Justin Wang (L) took the stage for Evening Recital II and gave a truly outstanding piano recital with music from Bach to Prokofiev. Justin gave a performance of real intellect and understanding, filling Hall, with its wonderful acoustics for such performances, with the sound of a superbly talented pianist. Evening Recital III in Hall was also a memorable occasion. Performed by 2YS Music Scholars Tony Zhang (H), Elvin Lam (H), Charlie Harrison (G), and Pierre Debroe (V), there was some outstanding playing of real talent and calibre. Individual performances were the bread to a wonderful saxophone quartet filling of Herbie

Taki Ejima-Dalley (V) – Piano Evening Concert Singing Quartet: Eva Pomery, Charlene Zehnder, Katharina Wallach, Nyx Fei

Sam Troy (G)

Hancock and Stevie Wonder before the evening’s culmination with Mendelssohn’s wonderful Konzertstück no.1 for two clarinets and piano.

In LQ, the Music Department was unable to host its ongoing series of Evening Recitals due to the new lockdown, but CQ was greeted with the joy of an almost full and ‘normal’ return to School with a clear buzz of activity around the campus once more. Straight away, Evening Recitals in Hall began. Pianists Taki Ejima-Dalley and Charlie Harrison, alongside wind players Tony Zhang and Horace Choi, gave a truly exceptional concert to celebrate a return to live music. Charlie’s poised yet atmospheric performance of Debussy’s Cathedrale Engloutie before a more energetic and fiery rendition of Rachmaninoff’s Prelude in G-minor was the perfect opener to the evening, before Horace delighted us with Louis Spohr’s beautiful Adagio, accompanied by Mr Clive Williamson. Following this piece, Taki Ejima-Dalley took to the stage. In recent times, Taki has taken to the works of the Second Viennese School, composers who push the boundaries of tonality, an antiRomantic characterisation. Their music is complex, both to play and to comprehend. However, Taki’s performance was one of outstanding ability, showing extraordinary musicality and understanding of the notes on the page, a real treat for the capacity audience. Tony Zhang concluded the concert with some expert and acrobatic clarinet playing in Luigi Bassi’s Fantasia da concerto, a tribute to the music of Verdi’s Rigoletto. Tony has always impressed on his instrument, and this was no different; more wonderful playing – the perfect way to round off an evening of superb music making. Just before Exeat, Evening Recital II showcased the outstanding vocal talent in the School with a concert to be remembered. Eva Pomery (F), Charlene Zehnder (F), Katharina Wallach (F), Nyx Fei (C), and Sam Troy (G) took to the stage, all 2021 leavers, and gave us a wonderful recital. In the first item, the four girls sang as a quartet in Ben Ponniah’s Litany to the Holy Spirit, a short yet modern setting of this beautiful text. Following this, each of them performed one of Vaughan Williams’ Four Last Songs. In this haunting piece, somewhat untypical of the composer’s work, each of the performers gave their own spin on the performance, collectively combining to present these four songs to a captive (and capacity!) audience in the spacious acoustics of Hall. Expertly accompanied by Mr Shepherd, this was a wonderful start to the concert. Next, the 1YS string quartet of Sophie Ju (C), David Yang (H), Michael Huang (G), and Mr Bolivar performed Arvo Part’s achingly serene Summa, totally entrancing the audience. The final item was Bach’s Cantata no.82, Ich habe genug, performed by Sam Troy, accompanied by string ensemble and solo flute. Jonathan To (L), in his first year at Charterhouse, joined the quartet this time, offering poise and maturity on the cello line. Sam’s performance of this substantial and challenging repertoire was outstanding; he showed understanding, musicality, and real enjoyment in his performance, the result of all the time and effort he had put into learning this work. It’s no easy feat to perform such repertoire, particularly at Sam’s tender age, but this was a performance and concert to be remembered. Evening Recital III similarly did not disappoint and even boasted two Vivaldi Concerti, played by Chamber Orchestra under the expert direction of Head of Strings, Mr Bolivar. It must be noted that the pupils put this repertoire together in the short space of three weeks, more or less, amidst assessments and the like, delivering what was a truly splendid showcase of virtuoso string playing.

As usual (a phrase all too underused over the last year), Piano Prizes saw a display of truly outstanding musical talent in OQ. Piano Prizes always offer up a chance for our excellent piano pupils to show their skill and ability and, with social distancing in place, we were fortunate enough to be able to hold the competition once again this academic year in Hall. Mr Clive Williamson, a member of our fantastic piano department, adjudicated both the Junior (4ths, Removes, and 5ths) and Senior

(Specialists) competitions. The standard of playing was incredibly high across both evenings with some wonderful performances; repertoire included everything from Kevin Wooding’s Egyptian Level to Prokofiev’s Sonata no.1 in F minor. Justin Wang (L) took the Junior Prize whilst Charlie Harrison (G), the Senior Prize. Bravo to everyone that performed – these were two wonderful evenings of piano playing.

There were, of course, fewer opportunities for the pupils to perform in OQ thanks to the restrictions. However, short recitals as part of year-group Chapel, particularly given that guidelines suggested that congregational singing was still to be discouraged, became a feature of musical life at Charterhouse. The Fifths welcomed Justin Wang (L) and Adrian Choy (L) in a beautifully haunting performance of Vitali’s Chaconne, echoing around the cavernous Memorial Chapel, performing to all their peers. In addition, on the topic of small-scale performances, Beak lunches were on offer in the Llewellyn Room where performances from a variety of pupils – Jago Brazier (R), Will Taylor (V), Jamie Hume (H), Vlad Margarint (S), to name a few – accompanied Beaks’ and Staff’s lunchtime! With restrictions continuing to affect, the Department admirably soldiered on, creating performances for as wide a range of occasions as possible.

Despite the restrictions, Ensembles were created throughout OQ, despite the year-group bubbling system, including string and wind ensembles in almost every year group, and sometimes more than one in each year. A brass quartet was even engineered, with a somewhat coincidental stroke of luck that four brass players that neatly form an ensemble all fell into one year group.

Chapel Choir, despite being restricted to a cohort of seven singers (plus some teacher bolstering), worked incredibly hard to mark special occasions during OQ. Their rendition of Douglas Guest’s For the Fallen for the Remembrance Services (four of them in fact!) was the perfect addition to a very special occasion. Mention must also go to our excellent Last Post trumpeters – Tim Colin (B), Jonny Wilkinson (D) and Tom Fowler (D) – who all played expertly.

Ivan Samuel (V) and Jonathan To (L)

Last Post trumpeter – Tom Fowler (D)

Likewise, although Candlelit Carols looked very different this year, with a socially distanced and limited audience in Chapel, the vibrancy and beauty of their performance and their continued dedication ensured that everyone could enter the festive spirit. This is all on top of the weekly Evensong which continues to grow in stature and the knowledge of and confidence in the repertoire is becoming second nature to many of the singers. Once the post-Christmas lockdown had abated, we were left with only three weeks of LQ. Nevertheless, Chapel Choir returned to the stalls once more for Evensongs until the end of term, rehearsals for Les Misérables continued, very much live and in the BTT, and many of our instrumentalists were able to showcase their work over lockdown. Thanks to Mr Shepherd, Mr Sutton, and also the Music Graduate Assistant Charlotte Corderoy, for their tireless commitment to making music in Chapel.

Before we were able to return, however, a lengthy period of Charterhouse@Home had set in once again. Nevertheless this certainly didn’t mean a let-up in the Music Department. Our wonderful team of Visiting Music Teachers (VMTs) leapt into action and once again provided expert tuition over Zoom amidst their own busy home lives. Pupils worked towards individual goals in the first half of LQ, aiming to produce performances through a variety of means: a living-room performance to their family, a performance over Zoom to their teacher, producing a remote recording with audio and video technology, or combining with friends in a remote ensemble setting. Our VMTs worked tirelessly, often behind the scenes, and we’d like to take this opportunity to thank them for everything they’ve done this year: the flexibility they’ve shown; the understanding they’ve developed, and ultimately, the care they continue to provide to our pupils, are truly outstanding. Thank you. So, what delights did we encounter in LQ21? Sophie Ju (C) recorded a superb recital with Mr Hill right at the end of OQ, and we were fortunate to be able to hear the fruits of their labour as the performance was broadcast to the School at the start of Quarter. As LQ progressed, we had two wonderful remote wind ensemble performances, collated and masterminded by Head of Woodwind, Mr Sam Corkin. The Junior Wind Trio of Vlad Margarint, Jago Brazier, and Jeremy Holguin remotely recorded a wonderful arrangement of Scott Joplin’s The Entertainer whilst the Saxophone Quartet of Horace Choi, Hattie Palmer (F), and Will Taylor, alongside Mr Corkin, produced a truly impressive recording of Karen Street’s Welcome Dance. From the string department, many remote projects also appeared – Timothy Tso (V) recorded the first movement of Bach’s A minor violin concerto whilst Michael Huang and Sophie Ju have been producing some Shostakovich duets, again all remotely. Charterhouse@Home and Music@Home were once again very successful ventures and the department produced, under the editorial eye of Ms Corderoy, two excellent Virtual Concerts over the term. Pupils and staff will be able to look back on these occasions and they can be very proud of what was achieved under the circumstances.

In CQ, Composition Prizes came around once more and entries from our Fifths and 2YS, including a handful of Removes, made up the competition. Judged by Head of Composition at Winchester College, Mr Oliver Tarney, we heard a wonderful array of pieces from pupils across the school, showing their talents

Justin Wang (L)

Freya Jones (Su)

and abilities in this most difficult of art-forms. Elvin Lam and Jago Brazier were judged Senior and Junior winners, with the Intermediate prize going to Eddie Chai (R); Lancelot Liu (S) was rightly Highly Commended for his astonishing piece for solo piano.

The end of CQ saw this year’s Artifex, once again masterminded by the wonderful Mr Mark Begbie. As ever, this was a celebration of pupil achievements at Charterhouse. From the Music Department, a daily Coffee (1045) and Cloister (1730) concert showcased everything from a wonderfully atmospheric piano recital by Charlie Harrison (G) to ensemble playing outside the Science Block, radiating sonorously through the neo-Gothic architecture. A particular highlight was the Jazz Band accompanying the Food Festival on Founder’s Court mid-week alongside a re-run of the Mendelssohn Trio, but this time in the South African cloisters in an altogether atmospheric and celestial performance by Messrs Lam, Zhang, and Harrison. The term ended with the traditional Leavers’ Walk around Green to the sound of the Carillon bells (with subtle hints of Les Misérables and Three Lions On A Shirt!) before the procession into Chapel for the Leavers’ Assembly and Chapel. Chapel Choir sang beautifully, delighting the congregation with a setting of Psalm 23 and Charles Wood’s O Thou the Central Orb, before sending the 2YS off into the world with Walford-Davies’ God Be in my Head. The choir itself says goodbye to a number of leavers, some of whom were sadly unable to join for the service; nonetheless, we thank them for their years of service – Eva Pomery, Sam Troy, Charlene Zehnder, and Katharina Wallach.

2020 and 2021 will forever live in the history books as times of challenge and new normals, but Carthusians can be immensely proud of all they’ve achieved in adversity, showing perseverance, understanding and maturity. The same is true in the Music Department; online or in person, pupils and staff alike have worked tirelessly to put ensembles and performances together. There have been a few gaps in the concert calendar, understandably, but there have also been an impressive number of achievements and performances. Bravo to everyone for the past year and let’s look forward to hitting the ground running, properly and normal, in September.

Mr Mark Shepherd and Mr Jamal Sutton

Compared with the usual Lack of Talent, this was always going to be a different beast; a socially distanced half-hour in the confines of a boarding house, instead of a noisy, crowded, all-evening event.

Lack of Talent

It is impossible to match that atmosphere, but if anyone was going to have a go, it is Miss Fox, the Theatre’s Artistic Director and the cast themselves, who had the audience whooping behind their screens. Sadly, students and Beaks alike were not able to enjoy the Brooke Hall sketches this year, for a very long time one of the funniest things in Lack of Talent, but we all look forward to their return next year. Darkness. We are plunged into an immersive musical experience like no other. Out of the darkness, Eva Pomery’s (F) voice gently carries The Beatles, developing it into something quite spectacular. Her faultless control of difficult melismatic effects produced a truly incredible performance. With Prom Kingchatchaval (L) on lead guitar, Giuseppe Canta (g) on bass and Noah Rogerson (V) on drums, this group is simply unparalleled.

Emily Xu (Su) followed with an astounding performance of Thunder in the Drought, a piece written to celebrate the rain after a drought, thoroughly appropriate as we (hopefully) reach the end of our current crisis, skilfully bringing out textural nuances in the contrasting sections of this piece, with thunderingly fast movement over the keyboard. Overall, a great piece played by a great pianist.

Dennis Wei (W) featured in this year’s performance with two original songs. Not only is writing two impressive songs an admirable achievement, but passionately conveying heartfelt emotion whilst performing them in his own style is a true mark of accomplishment.

Next, an electrifying rendition of John Mayer’s 2005 hit Gravity, precisely sung by Virginia Cavicchi (C), with Prom Kingchatchaval on lead guitar, Giuseppe Canta on bass and Konstantin Merabishvili (S) on drums. Simply gravity-defying!

The next act truly took us by surprise: the complete contrast of Reptilia by The Strokes, is certainly unexpected. This furious hard rock number was sung and played by Xavier Currill (R), with Daniel Cross (R) on guitar, Edward Chai (R) on bass and Justin Wang (L) on the drums. Xavier superbly brought out the musicality that is so often forgotten in this kind of music.

After such an upbeat performance by Xavier and the band, it is only fitting that Eva returned about three quarters of the way through with Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me by Elton John. A technically demanding piece by SZA, both from the musicians’ and the vocalist’s perspective, was delivered confidently by Charlene Zehnder (F), with Nyasha Kunorubwe (P) on guitar, and Konstantin Merabishvilis on drums. The melancholy undertone and the message of hope, resilience and self-love truly resonate with modern times.

Of course, we must not forget the people who made all this happen. Backstage, Harry Church (G) and William Dyer (L), supported by Mr Bagust, worked hard to make sure all the sound, lighting, smoke effects and filming were perfect. Eva Pomery was the student co-ordinator, organizing the event alongside her performances, and Miss Fox was the beak co-ordinator, ensuring everything went smoothly and to plan.

None of this would have been possible without the skills of Nick and Morgan from The Filming Co, who were able to film all the acts in the BTT professionally, alongside the tech team. The show was broadcast via eStream and each pupil donated £2 to watch the performance in support of The Meath, a local charity in Godalming.

House Singing

House Singing. Isn’t that the ONLY event in the year when the whole School crowds into Hall and each House gets up on stage and sings their hearts out? What about COVID rules? Isn’t that going to kibosh the whole thing?

There was no live audience, no live performance, no live adjudicator, no mixing of year-groups. Instead, each house selected a team of sound recordists, videographers, editors, and music co-ordinators. Each year-group was individually recorded with a backing track and the audio was mixed to create a whole-house song. Credit was given, not just for decent singing but for an imaginative and entertaining video. Of course, a number of Houses came late to the party and limped about in corridors and studies, but several got themselves out and about; Chetwynd (good singing – did they deserve a placing?) danced around Founder’s Court and other nearby areas. Verites appropriated the South African Cloister (but the generous acoustic couldn’t conceal some shocking singing). Choosing to stay mainly indoors, Sutton, Lockites, and Pageites nevertheless brought some individuality and imagination into their productions. On replaying the video, I found myself considering an award for the worst singing, but there seemed to be at least three contenders, so I’ll leave out the specifics. At the higher end of the spectrum, Sutton sang very well (third place) with Pageites clinching second, perhaps because they sang OK but with an entertaining video. There were also impressive vocal ensembles from Lockites and a tidy full chorus from Gownboys. Our very own West End star, Mr Dean Chisnall, adjudicated and gave first prize to the House that had really gone to town with an eerie monochrome chapelsetting of I Wanna Be a Billionaire; well-sung, finely-honed year-group choruses, punctuated with dramatic solos

Well, needless to say, House Singing needed tweaking in order both to comply with restrictions and to survive another day or, indeed, year. The outcome was different, ground-breaking, and successful.

from Jack Guest-Gornall all brilliantly mixed, engineered, produced, and directed by Dennis Wei, Tony Luo, Pétrus Desbois and Morgan Clarke – a real team effort from worthy winners, Weekites.

The main purpose of House Singing is, through its unique design, to get everyone in each House involved. It’s great for House spirit and involving and including new pupils early on in the school year. This year that spirit and inclusion prevailed. Let’s get planning for 2021 soon!

Mr Mark Shepherd

House Singing – Chetwynd House Singing – Weekites

Candlelit Carols

On Friday 4th December, the Chapel Choir delivered to us the annual Candlelit Carols in Memorial Chapel. What immediately caught our eyes was the slightly different setting to previous years: the coronavirus measures meant that only some 96 Specialists could attend, sitting in a socially distanced manner.

However, the things which had not changed from previous editions were the warmth and fragrance of the candles, and the brilliant singing by the Chapel Choir. Although slightly smaller than before, the choir was composed of a good mix of students and members of staff: Harriet Palmer (F), Eva Pomery (F), Aurora Wu (C), Samuel Troy (G) and Takuma Ejima-Dalley (V) all sang. Along with Mr Shepherd, who was of course conductor, a number of Beaks also took part, such as music teachers Miss Corderoy, Mr Sutton, Mr Clifford Hill, and Mr Corkin, as well as Miss Fox, Mr Begbie, and none other than our Headmaster, Dr Peterken. Edward Chai (R) also featured, playing a violin solo beautifully.

The programme of the evening included arrangements of traditional Christmas carols, such as In the Bleak Midwinter, Away in a Manger and Ding-Dong Merrily on High, as well as more modern works, such as I am the Day by Jonathan Dove and O Root of Jesse by Samuel Rathbone, which was in fact commissioned recently by our Head of Woodwind Mr Corkin, who added to the tranquil atmosphere with a calming soprano saxophone solo in this piece. Brilliant vocalists Eva Pomery and Sam Troy were the main soloists throughout the programme, but Harriet Palmer and Takuma Ejima-Dalley also showed off their musical talent with more solos. Between all these soothing songs were several readings about different perspectives of that famous night in Bethlehem.

The entirety of the service was hugely enjoyable, and as the last piece, This is the Truth Sent from Above by OC Ralph Vaughan Williams (R1890), drew to a close, the audience all felt they could leave Chapel with a lighter, more Christmassy mood than that with which they had arrived. Everyone has had a tough few weeks, with more and more schoolmates going home and going into self-isolation. The Chapel Choir, with their warming Candlelit Carols, duly reminded us that it is now time to enjoy a muchneeded Christmas break.