The School 'Concert

Saturday, 12th March, 1955, at 6-30 p.m., in Big Hall

A primary aim of a School Concert is to provide the performers with music that they will enjoy in rehearsal and in which they will have a reasonable chance of reaching a standard of performance that will satisfy the School audience—an audience of generous but exacting critics. The varied programme this year helped the performers to achieve this aim, more readily than sometimes in the past.

The first item, the 1st movement of Haydn's "London" Symphony, gave me some apprehension, for I thought that a school audience would probably have preferred something livelier. But the choice was justified, the slow introduction giving the players time to gain that initial confidence which might not have been reached in a livelier work. Throughout the movement the orchestra reached their climaxes well. Where I stood the woodwind sounded rather too prominent, but this can hardly be avoided as it was obvious that there was no room on the platform for more strings. Every inch of space was filled with players.

The rest of the first part was divided between Gilbert and Sullivan excerpts, piano solos, and a movement from a concerto. In the Gilbert and Sullivan, Bardgett and Baddeley gave able solo performances. The Choruses seemed a little slow, and in any case lacked something of Sullivan's jaunty touch—probably inevitable in a concert version without scenery or action. The two piano solos were performed competently by Bloomfield, who played the little-known sonata in E minor by Grieg, and J. E. Moore, who played the well-worn Toccata by IParadies without the music and with obvious enjoyment.

But the one item in the first part that I most eagerly awaited was the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto. I had heard about its excellence in rehearsal from more than one member of the orchestra. Would it come up to expectation? To my delight Atkinson's playing of the ever-beautiful melodies of the slow movement surpassed all my hopes.

The second half of the concert last year was called the "meat" of the programme "Delicacy" would be a worthier epithet this year. For Part I of Haydn's 'Creation there were three principals, Arthur Millington (tenor) and P. L. Bardgett (bass) whom we know already, and Honor Sheppard (soprano) whom we were very glad to welcome for the first time. All three had extremely clear diction and showed an obvious mastery of their parts. Miss Shepherd gave a very delicate and sensitive rendering of "With verdure clad". But it was the hardworking chorus that made this work impressive, and their conductor, Mr. Waine, is to be congratulated on training them up to such a fine standard. Their superb singing in "The Heavens are telling" provided a very moving climax to the best concert we have heard in this School for many years. Well done, everyone ! R.N.J. 35