The Chamber Concert this year showcased an enormous array of superb performances, given by Instrumental and Vocal groups that rehearse weekly throughout the year.
The packed audience witnessed an evening of high quality music making by our young and enthusiastic musicians. Large Brass gave performances that brought a crescendo of sound to the hall with their Pomp and Circumstance March by Elgar and ‘Pedal Pusher’ by Bruce Fraser. Arnold Brass performed the main theme to the show, ‘Cabaret’ and a cool version of the big band classic, Splanky. Intermediate Strings gave us an expressive performance of Suo Gân and the Senior Strings presented a beautifully haunting performance of Albinoni’s Adagio for Strings.
New this year were items offered by our vocal department in the form of a confidently sung duet, ‘Falling Slowly’ and the Glee Club sang ‘Don’t Stop Believing’. Woodwind and Saxophone Groups stylishly played a medley from ‘Les Misérables’ and the Saxophones alone performed a trio of pieces showing off the complete family of baritone, tenor, alto and soprano instruments.
Our Cello Quartet played a very sonorous rendering of Haydn’s Finale from his Divertimento and the SenChris Guitar Ensemble enthusiastically played ‘He’s a Pirate’ from Pirates of the Caribbean.
In usual style, the Big Band got the audience foot tapping, playing Viva La Vida, Mambo No.5 and Valerie, featuring the very talented Gabriella Liandu.
The Finale, which involved every musician in the concert, was an arrangement of the 1812 Overture by Tchaikovsky. In the final sections, balloons were popped from the back of the Orchestra to represent the cannons in the original performance. This was a fun culmination to an amazing evening of musical flair at St. Chris.
Head of Instrumental Music, Andy Holman commented: “All students who performed should be congratulated for making this one of the most memorable instrumental concerts to have ever taken place.”