DERBY CATHEDRAL LUNCHTIME CONCERT SERIES PERFORMANCE AT

A large and appreciative audience at Derby Cathedral was treated to a wide variety of vocal and instrumental music presented by student musicians from Repton Prep and Senior Schools in early October. The Concert opened with some superb performances from the Prep pupils. A charming brass arrangement of Elgar’s Salut d’Amour, performed by Benjamin L and Julius L (trumpets), Aaron A-K (French Horn) and Percy M (Euphonium), was followed by strings: Phoenix Z’s vibrant violin-playing, Darcy P giving an atmospheric performance from Handel’s Harp Concerto, and then the two combining in an impressively spirited Divertissement for Violin and Harp by Bernard Andres.

Iyo K displayed the full pianistic range of Debussy’s impressionistic sound-world in La Fille aux cheveux de lin before unleashing the dramatic force of the Rondo from Beethoven’s Pathetique Sonata in a sparking rendition. The virtuosic violin passagework of the Allegro Brilliant by Ten-Have was effectively caught by Casper C. These instrumental items were complemented by some equally impressive vocal selections. Charlie C-S sang with considerable sincerity and warmth of sound in The Sky Above the Roof Vaughan Williams) and Tchaikovsky’s None but the Lonely Heart, whilst Lemuel M’s poised and intelligent readings of Let Beauty Awake and The Infinite Shining

Heavens from Vaughan Williams’ Songs of Travel caught the poignant mood of this expressive music.

All in all, this was a concert of highquality music-making and showcased the burgeoning talents of our fabulous students - much to the delight of everyone who attended this prestigious event, now a regular fixture in the Repton Music Calendar.

RJO

In late February the Reptiles headed off to Birmingham to compete in the Barnardo's National Choral Competition. We’d been lucky enough to be selected as finalists from a field of choirs from all over the UK, with our two songs: Down by the Riverside, a complex African American spiritual song with many different parts, and May It Be from ‘The Lord of the Rings’, which is a calming and beautifully harmonised folk song. Our prize: the opportunity to perform in the Birmingham Symphony Hall.

One of our main challenges was to fill this cavernous space - quite a task with only 11 of us! But the BSH, one of the premier concert venues in the country, is ranked as having the finest acoustics in the UK and the seventh-best in the world (by the international expert Leo Baranek). We all felt really lucky to be there and to appear on a stage where so many internationally-famous artists have played – and we were delighted that our performance went according to plan.

It was also a great experience to be able to hear the other finalists. Interestingly, we were one of the smallest choirs there - other schools had groups of up to 35 - and there was variety in terms of gender balance, how they presented themselves (some choirs all dressed in gowns, for example) and the range of different voice parts. The winners on the day were Brighton College’s Chamber Choir, who sang a complex version of The Battle of Jericho that left a lot of us astounded with its level of difficulty. The day was not only an enjoyable experience but we were able to learn a great deal which will help to develop our own performing.

This has been an extraordinary year for Repton music and with the Chatsworth Concert, Evensong at St Paul’s Cathedral, and a service in St Peter’s Basilica, as well as our BSH experience, we have been privileged to sing in some unforgettable places.

Harriet H (L6G)