News
Away from the opening ceremony… • Professor and alumnus John Miles’s composition for the Cultural Olympiad, On Golden Cap, was performed at the opening of the Olympic sailing in Weymouth on 27 July to an estimated audience of 15,000. The piece had previously premiered at The Lighthouse in Poole, alongside new works by John Surman and Sonia Slaney. On Golden Cap was inspired and informed by a community project John led, along the Jurassic Coast in Dorset, with several groups of young people aged 10-18 and special guest Billy Bragg. This project was the catalyst for the written score, which was for strings, percussion, vibraphone and 200 voices. • Junior Guildhall alumnus Alex Woolf has had an incredible run recently. He was Junior Winner of this year’s BBC Proms Inspire Young Composer’s Competition, the National Centre for Early Music’s Composers Award and the Royal Opera House’s Fanfare Competition. His ROH prize-winning fanfare was chosen by Antonio Pappano for the opening of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Gala at the Royal Opera House, when it was played to mark the arrival of Princess Anne. Another fanfare by Alex was performed by the brass section of the Aldeburgh World Orchestra with Sir Mark Elder as the Olympic torch relay passed through Aldeburgh.
New Water Music As part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations, eleven of Britain’s most renowned film composers were commissioned to create a new work using for inspiration the original titles of Handel’s Water Music. This new suite of music was performed live for the first time as part of The Thames Pageant. The composers, who each contributed one movement, included Guildhall alumni Christopher Gunning, Jocelyn Pook and Debbie Wiseman.
Guildhall Scholars given royal treatment by their livery company benefactors On 5 June, the final day of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations, the City livery companies hosted a lunch at Westminster Hall for Her Majesty the Queen, Prince Charles, the Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry. The livery companies that participated were asked to bring guests who represented their charitable giving and ten companies chose to highlight their scholarship support of the Guildhall School by inviting Guildhall students! The students invited were Catherine Backhouse (guest of the Actuaries’ Company), Lucy Hall (Plumbers’ Company), Emily Blanch (Weavers’ Company), Erdem Misirlioglu (Goldsmiths’ Company), Timothy Connor (Environmental Cleaners’ Company), Scarlett Hooper (Lightmongers’ Company), Benjamin Appl (Mercers’ Company), Barnaby Rea (Gold & Silver Wyre Drawers’ Company), Marisa Gupta (Plaisterers’ Company) and Ashley Riches (Upholders’ Company). Professor Ife was also in attendance and managed to take a few photographs of the occasion. Lucy Hall said “The lunch was amazing and it was brilliant to be part of a moment in history. It was great to see the Queen and Royal Family and very nice to have been invited by our livery companies and to get to know the people that sponsor us a little more.” Benjamin Appl added, “As a foreigner living in London, taking part in such an impressive and important ceremony was particularly an extraordinary experience. It was an immense honour to have the opportunity to dine with the Royal Family and meet many remarkable people.” v Kate Eberwein Development Officer
(L to R) Marisa Gupta, Barnaby Rea, Ashley Riches, Catherine Backhouse, Principal Barry Ife, Timothy Connor and Emily Blanch
GUILDHALL SCHOOL NEWS
• AUTUMN / WINTER 2012
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