Music Events this Term

There are many events planned for this term and with the older boys and girls away taking their exams the focus will in large part fall on the younger boys.

Firstly, this Friday and Saturday, however, the older pupils will be to the fore when we take part in a performance of Handel's Messiah - but with a difference. This performance, brought together by Inner Voices and a variety of other London schools will mix Handel's original settings in with Quincey Jones' amazing rearrangements of Handel's music, as made famous on his album Soulful Celebration. Our Big Band and Chamber Orchestra are providing the accompaniment whilst our Sixth Form Choir is singing alongside the other choirs.

The concert is being given twice, on Friday and Saturday evening at Union Chapel and there are tickets available if you would like to attend. Contact Mr Hansell for them. 

On Wednesday 1 May the Schola Cantorum are giving a concert of Renaissance polyphony, drawing on the music from Sixteenth Century Italy, Spain and England. The concert is being given in aid of the Catholic Children's Society and starts at 7.30 pm, at St James's, Piccadilly. Tickets, £10 (£5 concessions) are available from the School or online at the School's Website, or direct from St James's, Piccadilly.

When the older students go on study leave the focus then falls on the younger boys as we put together our Junior Ensembles Competition, to be held at 6 pm on Wednesday 19 June in the New Hall. This is many people's favourite musical event of the year, when as many boys as possible get up and play in ensembles of all kinds.

Prior to that, on Tuesday 21 May, there will be Junior Concert, allowing the larger Junior Ensembles (Second Orchestra etc) chance to shine. This will also be in the New Hall at 6 pm.

In the middle of June we will for three days be hosting the Cinncinatti Boys Choir whilst they are touring in the UK. They will sing a joint concert of Britten's music with the trebles and altos of our Schola Cantorum on Thursday 13 June and also sing at the Lower School Mass on the morning of Friday 14 June.

That weekend, on the 16 June, the Schola trebles are to join with the Lower Voices of Eton Chapel Choir in a joint Evensong, being given in Eton College Chapel. 

Meanwhile, throughout the term, we have boys singing in three professional opera productions, Die Zauberflote and Gloriana at the Royal Opera House and La Boheme at English National Opera.

The Schola Cantorum will sing the Vigil Mass at Westminster Cathedral on Saturday 6 July. In addition, the Schola is to record a new CD in Douai Abbey on 28 and 29 June. 

The Summer Concert will be held in Addison Hall on Wednesday 3 July.

And the year will end with the musical, which this year is to be The Pyjama Game.

Further details of all these events will be available from the School.