The past week at the Vaughan

The past seven days have been busy with lots of interesting things going on.

Following the visit of Arturo Sandoval last Friday the following day saw the Schola Cantorum singing at Westminster Cathedral. They sang music by Byrd, including the wonderful Civitas Sancti Tui - the text ringing out with 'Jersulam desolata est' seeming especially fitting during this period of 'sede vacante' as we await the appointment of the next Pope.

Here is a recording of that piece, sung by the Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge, directed by Stephen Layton.

The boys sang very well indeed, as they did on Monday afternoon this week when the trebles recorded the off stage boys part for Britten's Owen Wingrave, for a production at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in June. This is difficult music but the boys managed it very well.

Wednesday evening saw the Singing Competition, Heat Four of the Music Competition. There were thirty entries and a high standard throughout, a real testament to the love for singing that there is at the Vaughan and also the quality of the singing teaching that goes on week after week. The winners, chosen by Mark Wildman, Head of Vocal Studies at the Royal Academy, were Filippo Turkheimer, James Townsend, Jack Comerford and Liam Hurley and they will compete in the final on March 19 - to be judged by none other than Iestyn Davies, perhaps the world's finest countertenor (check out this amazing video of him and another friend of the music department, the wonderful Alison Balsom).

Friday saw the Big Band in this first rehearsal for the upcoming Messiah project, where we are to join forces with Inner Voices and perform excerpts from Handel's Messiah, some in the original settings, others jazzed up in amazing arrangements by Quincy Jones. Today we first saw the challenges that lie ahead, which are considerable! Now all we have to do is prepare an orchestra to play Handel's original settings too!

Here is the Quincy Jones version of the Hallelujah Chorus!

Artuoro Sandoval's visit.

Last Friday saw a most remarkable occasion when legendary jazz musician Arturo Sandoval visited the Vaughan to work with our Big Band.

Arturo's website describes him as follows:

A protégé of the legendary jazz master Dizzy Gillespie, Sandoval was born in Artemisa, a small town in the outskirts of Havana, Cuba, on November 6, 1949, just two years after Gillespie became the first musician to bring Latin influences into American Jazz.   Sandoval began studying classical trumpet at the age of twelve, but it didn’t take him long to catch the excitement of the jazz world.  He has since evolved into one of the world’s most acknowledged guardians of jazz trumpet and flugel horn, as well as a renowned classical artist, pianist and composer.
He is one of the most dynamic and vivacious live performers of our time, and has been seen by millions at the Oscars performing with Celine Dion, at the Grammy Awards with Justin Timberlake and in his own right as a leader. He also performed at the Billboard Awards with Alicia Keys.
Sandoval has been awarded 9 Grammy Awards, and nominated 17 times; he has also received 6 Billboard Awards and an Emmy Award. The latter for his composing work on the entire underscore of the HBO movie based on his life, “For Love or Country” starring Andy Garcia.  His two latest Grammy award winning albums, “Dear Diz “Everyday I think of you” and Tango “Como Yo Te Siento” are now available worldwide. Soon to be released, is a new book chronicling his relationship with Dizzy Gillespie entitled “The Man Who Saved Me”. 

His musicianship, as we all were privileged to witness first hand last Friday, is quite remarkable. His two hour clinic with the Band began with him playing the piano, improvising for quite a time in the most remarkable way. He explained that for all musicians "the piano is the best teacher you will ever have" and advised all the band to get close to the piano and use it to explore music.

When he turned to the trumpet the session really took off and we were all in complete awe of his incredible skill on the instrument. The Band had prepared Arturo's own tune, Closely Dancing, and he demonstrated the melody line and then went on to solo over the band.

Here Arturo's own recording of Closely Dancing, from the Grammy Award winning album, Hot House (which everyone should buy!).

The Band also played his chart called Funky Cha Cha. He was not especially impressed with the arrangement we have (he made this very clear!) and suggested that we play the original (which I have now got hold of).

He took many questions and gave fascinating answers. Inevitably there came the question "how high can you play?". He said that he wasn't sure, it varied from day to day, and said let's see. He then played a scale that went up to triple c - virtually the highest note on the piano!

He then said "It's not how high you can play, or how fast you can play, its how pretty you can play that matters" and proceeded to give an unforgettable rendition of 'Smoke Gets in your Eyes".

This was a wonderful couple of hours for us all with many highlights - not least the hard time he gave some people, especially when they had to leave! One of the greatest moments was the jam that he had with Patrick, our drummer. It was a real privilege to spend time in the company of this great man.

A further treat was to follow that evening when, at Ronnie Scott's, at the end of his appearance there, he thanked the Band and said how much he had enjoyed visiting the school that day. What a day! And lovely to be able to share it with some of the instrumental staff too.

Thank you, Arturo for coming to the Vaughan - it will live long in the memories of all of us.

Life of Pi Score wins at the Oscars

The soundtrack for the film Life Of Pi, which features the voices of the Vaughan's Schola Cantorum, won the Oscar for Best Score at the Academy Awards Ceremony in Hollywood on 24 February.

Ang Lee won the Oscar for Best Director and the film picked up two further Oscars.

Mychael's Oscar follows his Golden Globe award earlier in the year for the same score.

The Score also recently won the International Film Music Critics Award for Score of the Year.

A few weeks ago Mychael Danna and Ang Lee visited the Vaughan to thank the boys for singing on the soundtrack. Here they are with their Oscars.

Many congratulations to composer Mychael Danna whose score for Life of Pi, featuring the voices of the Schola, won an Oscar at last night's Academy Awards ceremony in Hollywood.
Ang Lee won the Oscar for Best Director and the film picked up two further Oscars.
Mychael's Oscar follows his Golden Globe award earlier in the year for the same score.
The Score also recently won the International Film Music Critics Award for Score of the Year.
A few weeks ago Mychael Danna and Ang Lee visited the Vaughan to thank the boys for singing on the soundtrack.
- See more at: http://www.scholacantorum.co.uk/media/news/default.aspx?id=116#sthash.KNiQNM6j.dpuf

Many congratulations to composer Mychael Danna whose score for Life of Pi, featuring the voices of the Schola, won an Oscar at last night's Academy Awards ceremony in Hollywood.
Ang Lee won the Oscar for Best Director and the film picked up two further Oscars.
Mychael's Oscar follows his Golden Globe award earlier in the year for the same score.
The Score also recently won the International Film Music Critics Award for Score of the Year.
A few weeks ago Mychael Danna and Ang Lee visited the Vaughan to thank the boys for singing on the soundtrack.
- See more at: http://www.scholacantorum.co.uk/media/news/default.aspx?id=116#sthash.KNiQNM6j.dpuf

Many congratulations to composer Mychael Danna whose score for Life of Pi, featuring the voices of the Schola, won an Oscar at last night's Academy Awards ceremony in Hollywood.
Ang Lee won the Oscar for Best Director and the film picked up two further Oscars.
Mychael's Oscar follows his Golden Globe award earlier in the year for the same score.
The Score also recently won the International Film Music Critics Award for Score of the Year.
A few weeks ago Mychael Danna and Ang Lee visited the Vaughan to thank the boys for singing on the soundtrack.
- See more at: http://www.scholacantorum.co.uk/media/news/default.aspx?id=116#sthash.KNiQNM6j.dpuf

St Matthew Passion

At the moment, amongst other things, we are working hard to put together a performance of JS Bach's momumental St Matthew Passion, one of the greatest landmarks in music.

Tickets are available at SEETICKETS - or from the School. 

For the performance on Tuesday 26 March we will be joined by leading tenor Nicholas Mulroy as the Evangelist and our very own Nicholas Warden who will sing the role of Christ. The other parts and the arias will be sung by members of the Choir.

One of the highlights of a performance of this sublime work is always the alto aria, Erbame Dich. The aria comes just after Peter has denied knowing Jesus three times. Peter is stricken with grief,  and this music begins....sung here by Michael Chance, who appeared with the Choir in our performance of the St John Passion in 2005.

Events Since Christmas

Somehow this Blog has been a little neglected since Christmas so here is a post to catch up with what has been going on since we returned after the holidays.

The first week back to School saw the Schola Cantorum sing an Epiphany Carol Service for the Ordinariate of Walsinhgam at St Mary's Church, Cadogan Street. This was a lovely occasion with a large congregation present. You can hear the Schola singing that evening at the start of this interview with Monsignor Keith Newton about the work of the Ordinariate.

















The Schola has also sung twice for the Saturday Vigil Mass at Westminster Cathedral, singing music Palestrina in January and music by William Byrd in March.

The trebles of the Schola appeared in a concert at St John's, Smith Square at the end of February, singing with the Orion Chamber Orchestra.

The Schola trebles had an unusual treat early in February when they were visited by Hollywood film director Ang Lee, and composer Mychael Danna, who came to thank the boys for their work on the soundtrack of Life of Pi.

The Schola were also to the fore when Southbank Sinfonia visited for their annual collobartion with the Department in February, performing Handel's Coronation Anthems with the orchestra.

The main work that evening was Schumann's wonderful Spring Symphony which our orchestral musicians played alongside the SBS players. This collaboration is always one of the most special things we do all year and this year was no exception.

The Southbank Sinfonia Concert was filmed and there will be clips available soon.

The First Orchestra and other instrumental groups are all busy working for the Spring Concert on Thursday 14 March.

Meanwhile the Big Band has been busy with the Big Band Evening in February one of a number of highlights this term. That evening saw more than three hours of jazz playing with contributions from Junior Big Band, Intermediate Big Band and the Addison Quartet alongside the Big Band itself. Four vocalists joined the Band during the set.

Meanwhile, the Music Competition has been going on with the Heats now held in Piano, Strings and Woodwind. This week sees the Singing Competition. The picture below shows concert pianist Philip Fowke adjudicating at the Piano Competition.