Winter Concert at St John’s Smith Square 2014 Ho Ting Chan (Year 13)
Great Hall Concert 2014 Barnaby Cullen (Year 13)
T hose attending last summer’s Great Hall Concert were treated to a fantastic performance that exhibited the outstanding musical qualities of the college. A variety of musical genres were covered and every form of musical instrument took part, from the Brass Sinfonia beginning the concert and Other Big Band ending it with their resounding performances of ‘Fanfare and Flourishes: For a Festive Occasion’ and Hawaii Five-O (featuring Ben Higlett) respectively, to exceptional performances by the woodwind, with the Clarinet Ensemble playing ‘Drift’, and the Concert Band, the immensely popular ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’
and ‘Skyfall’. The strings were likewise exemplary, as the Britten Ensemble performed ‘Olympic Heroes: Cycling and Jazz Pizzicato’, and the Alan Morgan Chamber Orchestra played Gustav Holst’s lively ‘Jig’ and Vaughan William’s elegant arrangement of ‘Greensleeves’. Selections from The Dark Knight were played tremendously well by the Concert Orchestra, and the Sax Quartet performed ‘Ain’t She Sweet’ marvellously. All in all, it was a terrific evening, full of music played to the highest standard, exhibiting the boys’ great musical ability. Well done to both the students who performed and the teachers who conducted and coached them.
King’s College Chapel
T he annual Winter Concert at St John’s Smith Square began with an unusual piece – Eric Whitacre’s ‘Cloudburst’ for choir, piano and percussion. The performance was both a visual and aural spectacle; the choir could all be seen creating the sound of rain through their clapping and clicking. This gave the impression of the Amazon rainforest, enhanced by the choir’s confident rendition of the Spanish text. The whole ensemble sounded refreshing and was expertly led by Mr Ludford-Thomas. Next it was the turn of the Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Miss Larkum, performing the Finale from Tchaikovsky’s ‘Serenade for Strings’. The programme note states that the Serenade was intended ‘to be an imitation of Mozart’s style’; indeed the lightness of the music, combined with the rich Russian harmonies that Tchaikovsky creates, matched the orchestra’s capabilities well, and the joyful spirit of the Serenade was captured beautifully. We were then treated to Mozart himself and the opening movement of the Flute Concerto in D KV 314, stylishly interpreted by soloist Charlie Godsiff. His flute playing sang over the sensitive accompaniment of the Symphony Orchestra, and the tricky technical passages were conveyed with flair and panache. The cadenza was elegant and virtuosic, showing off the full range of the flute and Charlie’s abilities. Mr Mayo kept the piece flowing smoothly, and brought across Mozart’s unique style and poise most effectively. The Symphonic Wind Band concluded the first half of the concert with two pieces and two different styles of music. The first piece, under the baton of Mr Smith, was the ‘Chorale and Presto’ by Richard L Saucedo. The
ensemble displayed both the vigour of big band music and lyrical nature of the woodwind. Ravel’s ‘Bolero’, a dance from the searing heat of Spain, was next, with Mr Eno as conductor. There were some excellent solos from the clarinet, flute, trumpet and saxophone, as well as the snare drum ostinato. From its hushed beginning, the dance grew in both dynamic and intensity, before the full force of the Wind Band was released at the end, providing a spectacular end to the first half. After the interval, Dr Carnelley and the Symphony Orchestra performed with exuberance in Brahms’ ‘Academic Festival Overture’. The orchestra depicted the many moods of this piece with assurance, from its moody opening to triumphant ending. This was a challenging piece, but the orchestra raised to it with a high level of musicianship and technical competence. Mr Smith then conducted the Brass Consort in the ‘Capriol Suite’ by Peter Warlock, a work filled with excitement and brilliance for the audience. The Brass Consort was excellent and brought across the character of the work with clarity and conviction. Finally, the combination of Chapel and Madrigal choirs, and the Lower School choir, brought the concert to a rousing climax with a dramatic performance of songs from Paul Jarman’s song cycle ‘Turn of the Open Sea’. One of the songs was called ‘Shackleton’; and, a century after that famous Old Alleynian set off on his expedition to Antarctica, it was a particularly special occasion on which to hear the piece. All the boys gave a lively and passionate performance, bringing a fitting end to a most memorable concert.
Zubin Roy (Year 12) Cambridge, 2015
A s soon as you walk into the King’s College Chapel, you sense it a special place. We were only using half of it but this was still mightily impressive. Luckily the music on offer over the evening was just as majestic as the Chapel it was being hosted in. The evening started with a wonderful performance by Dr Carnelley of ‘Passacaglia in D Minor’ on the organ – the acoustics made it simply a delight to hear in this venue. He set the standard for the rest to follow for what was a top-quality night. The next piece arguably provided the highlight of the concert, with Ho Ting Chan performing fantastically the ‘Bassoon Concerto’ by Rossini. He did not look out of place compared to the professionals on show that night and held the audience captive throughout. Starting off in a light-hearted fashion, he progressed to a more sombre and thoughtful mood in the second movement and then had the audience in awe in the final movement as he showed off his dexterity on the bassoon. It was a fitting end for a musician who has been the rock of the bassoon section. The orchestra accompanied Ho Ting superbly, with Michael Soselia, Minsuk Kim, Charlie Godsiff, Thomas Parfitt, Zubin Roy and Kai Tay Ashcroft all doing a great job when called upon.
Pictured : Ho Ting Chan (Year 13) performing Rossini’s Bassoon Concerto.
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