Viewing archives for Music

A string of pupil organists got the Service of Nine Lessons and Carols off to a rousing start, while the sweet sounds of soloists and of the Chamber Choir helped make it a memorable and moving occasion.

The congregation at St John the Baptist Church were treated to some lesser-known carols from the Chamber Choir and Barbershop group. They also enjoyed joining in themselves throughout the service with festive favourites, culminating in Hark! The Herald Angels sing.

Held by tradition on the eve of the final day of term, the service in the parish church followed days of seasonal activities at QE, including Christmas dinner with all the trimmings, and a toy collection for Sebby’s Corner, the family charity on the adjacent Queen’s Road Industrial Estate.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “The carol service was ambitious in scale and the music impressive, from epic fanfares and orchestral flourishes, to pitch-perfect vocals in pieces such as the Chamber Choir’s Masters in this Hall, and not forgetting the belting congregational carols! The boys who gave readings delivered them with aplomb. All in all, it was both a beautiful and stirring occasion.

“My thanks go to Father Sam Rossiter and the churchwardens, and to all the School staff whose tireless efforts make such splendid occasions possible.”

After the initial organ voluntaries, given by organists from Years 7–10, there were two minutes of silent reflection, before the Chamber Choir sang the Introit, O Come Emmanuel. In customary fashion, the final reading, given by the Headmaster, was the first verses of the prologue to St John’s gospel, starting: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

The service ended with the clergy, choir and dignitaries processing out of the church and with Year 12 organist Noah Morley playing as the recessional, William Mathias’s Fanfare.

VIP guests at the carol service included the Deputy Mayor of Barnet, Councillor Edith David, and the Representative Deputy Lieutenant, Mr Martin Russell, who attended alongside staff, governors, Old Elizabethans, Year 7 pupils and their parents, and other friends of the School.

• Click on the thumbnails to view the images.

The Winter Concert saw hundreds of musicians put on a seasonal spectacular in the Shearly Hall.

With this year’s event moved closer to the end of term, there was even more of a festive feel. Santa hats and reindeer antlers were much in evidence, and the massed vocalists of the School Choir, accompanied by the Jazz Band, delivered a rousing finale of Run, Rudolph, Run.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “Our musicians brilliantly captured the fun and joy of the season, but combined that with a very high standard of musicianship throughout.

“There really was something for everyone, whether that was toe-tapping to Junior Jazz playing Billy Joel, rocking out to the Electric Guitar Ensemble’s rendition of a Metallica track, or being transported to the ballet for the thrilling and stirring ending of Swan Lake.

“Two-thirds of the items on the programme were conducted or directed by students, which is remarkable. And we enjoyed some great festive moments – including elves and even a boy in a shirt adorned with tree lights!

“My thanks go to the Music department whose work ethic, attention to detail, and inspiring leadership gets the boys to this level. I am also grateful to those pupils who fulfilled roles including helping with stage management and welcoming guests on the doors. Their work, together with that of our fantastic Friends of Queen Elizabeth’s volunteers, made for a smooth and enjoyable evening for all.”

The Senior Winds performed a selection from West Side Story. Fans of the Last Night of the Proms enjoyed the rising tempo of The Sailor’s Hornpipe, aided by the counting skills of Wendy Fung, Head of Academic Administration, who joined Director of Music Ruth Partington on percussion.

In perhaps the biggest-ever end to the first half of a QE concert, the full orchestra and all of Junior String, Senior Strings, Junior Winds and Senior Winds massed on the staging – even spilling off it! – for Tchaikovsky’s Trepak. Again, the boys were aided by members of staff on percussion, including Assistant Head Crispin Bonham-Carter; Head of Year 10 Celia Wallace; Head of Biology Gillian Ridge; Head of English Robert Hyland; and Cover Supervisor Mina Shah.

The Headmaster awarded Music colours to 20 pupils, with Music Bars going to Leo Sellis, of Year 13. The recognition is for longstanding commitment and excellence, but also for making a difference to others.

Miss Partington said: “The way in which pupils are given responsibility and then help those around them – not necessarily just younger pupils – ensures there are always new stars coming through and shining brightly. That help can involve simply setting an example or it can, for instance, see them assisting others in tackling more complex repertoire.”

• Click on the thumbnails to view the images.

The Royal College of Organists held a special concert exclusively for QE musicians in a historic City of London church.

Six QE organists and four vocalists performed in the free lunchtime recital at St Lawrence Jewry Church.

It was the first in the RCO’s Young Performers’ series of concerts. Like the remaining two schools due to give concerts in the series – Cheltenham Ladies’ College and Eton College – QE is an RCO-accredited institution.

For several of QE’s organists, this was their first public performance, and it was one which gave them the opportunity to play on the church’s high-quality, modern organ, built by the German firm of Klais in 2001.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “It was a joy to spend a lunchtime in beautiful surroundings and to hear our QE performers. Well done, too, to Year 7’s Harry Xuan and Hercules Li, who introduced the concert with confidence whilst just about able to see over the lectern!

“It is great to see the Music department helping our pupils to realise their Boundless potential, taking full advantage of our place and proximity to the capital, whilst also investing in our partnership with the Royal College of Organists to promote excellence.”

Mr Enright thanked the RCO’s Director, Sir Andrew Parmley, and Director of Relationships, Madeline Smith, as well as the Music department, for making the concert possible.

The concert featured music spanning five centuries by: George Böhm; George Frideric Handel; Matthew Camidge; Giulio Caccini; Johann Sebastian Bach; César Geoffray; Samuel Sebastian Wesley; Théodore Dubois; and William Mathias.

Assistant Director of Music Jas Hutchinson Bazely said: “This was a wonderful opportunity for the boys to perform in a historic church in the City, and the perfect occasion to showcase the growing number of organists at the School. For all the musicians involved, it was an inspiring event, and I’m very grateful to the Royal College of Organists for their kind invitation.”

The Young Performer Series in the City is dedicated to the memory of Catherine Ennis, former President of the RCO and organist at St Lawrence Jewry.

The concert programme featured brief biographies of all the QE performers.

Although Harry and Hercules, who have both just started learning the organ in School, did not actually perform, the remaining six QE organists all did. The six included:

• Zach Fernandes, of Year 10, who said: “I most enjoyed playing on a new organ as it had a new type of pipes which I didn’t know about. Additionally, I enjoyed playing to a larger audience than I’m used to and playing along with many more people than usual.”
• Arthur Wang, of Year 8: “The 8-ft stops sounded very warm, and I quite enjoyed being able to see the pipes right behind the organ, with its direct connection to the organ. The pipes were pretty close to each other, so there wouldn’t be a bit of delay if I was playing on different manuals at the same time. It was a really beautiful organ as well, with all the shiny metal on the pipes.”
• Robin Peng, of Year 8: “I enjoyed being on an actual three-manual pipe organ the most. The organ at St Lawrence Jewry is so much grander than the ones that I normally play. Also, it had a mechanical link to the stops and the pipes, and it was exciting to both see and feel them in action.”

In addition to the organists, several QE singers drawn from Years 11–13, also performed. Joseph Donovan, of Year 11, said: “I loved singing with the organ next to me; the sound was really strong and full.”

Click on the thumbnails to view the images below.

Young musicians enjoyed an action-packed five-day tour, which gave them multiple opportunities to perform in Belgium as well as the chance to sample the country’s cultural delights.

They played at three very diverse venues, beginning with Antwerp’s oldest parish church, Sint-Jacob (St James’s). Since the one-hour performance coincided with National Flemish Day, local dignitaries were invited along.

Besides the church performance, the boys played by arrangement for 45 minutes at a bandstand (the Kiosk de Musique) in the historic Parc de Bruxelles in the Belgian capital.

They also performed for an hour in the town square (Grote Markt) of Ypres (now officially known  by its Flemish name of Ieper) in front of the magnificent Cloth Hall. Originally a series of mediaeval buildings completed in 1304, the Cloth Hall was almost completely destroyed in World War I and subsequently rebuilt.

Director of Music Ruth Partington said: “This was a very successful Music department tour, with some high-quality musicianship on display. I know the boys enjoyed the opportunities it gave them to perform in an unfamiliar environment. It was notable that all the items were conducted and, in the case of the tour choir, accompanied by pupils. The boys showed great maturity and leadership throughout. They also relished the full programme of activities we put on, from rides on rollercoasters through to enjoying some Belgian chocolate.”

The boys travelled from Barnet by coach, arriving first in Dunkirk after a journey through the Channel Tunnel on Le Shuttle.

In the French port, they visited a museum focusing on the town’s World War II history, which features real memorabilia found on the beach. This museum tells the story of Dunkirk across the war, from the well-known Battle of France in 1940, with its evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force to the town’s liberation by Czechoslovakian soldiers in 1945.

After crossing the border into Belgium, the tour party gained an insight into life on the front lines in World War I when they called in at the Trench of Death in Diksmuide – one of the conflict’s most treacherous trench systems. The system had areas of ‘no man’s land’ as small as 50 metres wide.

The tourists also:

• Explored the canals of Bruges on a boat trip;
• Sampled Belgian chocolate at the Choco-Story museum, where they saw a live demonstration of praline-making and, of course, enjoyed the tasting opportunities;
• Rode the rollercoasters and enjoyed the zoo attractions at Bellewaerde Park, Belgium’s oldest theme park, built in 1954 on the site of a World War I battleground;
• Enjoyed a walking tour of Gent’s key sites and took in the mediaeval Gravensteen (Castle of the Counts) in the heart of the city;
• Visited Brussels’ The Parliamentarium – an interactive exhibition about the past, present and future of the European Union and Parliament;
• Climbed the city’s 102m-tall Atomium, one of Brussels’ key landmarks, which gives panoramic views across the city and was built for the 1958 Brussels World’s Fair. Its nine stainless steel-clad spheres resemble an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times.

Click on the thumbnails below to view the images. 

The tour ensembles were: Winds, Strings, and Choir.

They were conducted by: Eshaan Anil; Joseph Donovan; Parth Jain; Lamie Lam; Vihaan Salunke; and Jeremy Shi. The choir was accompanied by Zehao Wu.

Forty members of QE’s Chamber Choir sang Evensong at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle – last resting place of monarchs and scene of countless royal weddings and funerals.

The Evensong at the famous 14th-century chapel was only the sixth such choral service sung by the choir, whose first-ever Evensong came just two-and-a-half years ago at St John the Baptist Church in Barnet.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “Our Evensong at St George’s Chapel was very special indeed. It’s quite incredible how far the boys’ abilities have developed over the last three years.”

The day started with a picnic on The Long Walk in Windsor Great Park and time exploring the historic town of Windsor. The choristers were supported by around 50 staff, parents and members of the wider QE community.

Upon arrival at the castle, the choir received a warm welcome from the Virger, Vaughn Wright, and were taken on a short tour. This included seeing the tomb of Queen Elizabeth II.

There followed a rehearsal in the quire (the seated area for the choir), under the banners of the Knights of the Garter, with the choristers split across the aisle where Kings Henry VIII and Charles I are buried.

Director of Music Ruth Partington said: “As many noted, the choir did themselves proud in the service, delivering the high level of musicality and sensitivity that was appropriate for such a prestigious occasion.”

The music sung included Brewer in D as the canticles, Lead me, Lord by S.S. Wesley as the anthem, and Humphrey Clucas’s The Preces [prayers] and Responses.

Nikhil Mark and Joel Swedensky, two departing Year 13s who hold choral awards at Oxford and Cambridge universities respectively, sang solos.

The Chamber Choir was accompanied on the organ by Music teacher Jas Hutchinson-Bazely.

Miss Partington added: “We did our very first QE Evensong in November 2022 and have sung three at St John’s Barnet, one at Southwark Cathedral, one at King’s College Chapel, Cambridge, and now this one at Windsor.  It has been an exciting journey of discoveries both in how to manage all the repertoire – such as how to sing preces & responses, and how to sing a psalm – and in improving individual and collective vocal ability.

“We had a highly successful day, and that is huge testament to the hard work put in by the pupils since that very first service to reach the standard they sang at in Windsor.”

• The photos here within the chapel were taken during rehearsals: photography is not permitted during the service. Click on the thumbnails to view.

Many of the School’s instrumentalists turned out in the sunshine to provide their classmates with a lunchtime concert as the nation celebrated the 80th anniversary of VE Day.

Musicians from five ensembles performed for pupils and staff on the Stapylton Field lawn, with senior boys enjoying the chance to participate just ahead of the examination season.

The front of Main Building provided an attractive, historic backdrop for the celebration of VE (Victory in Europe) Day. There was Union Flag bunting, and the audience were invited to bring along mini-picnics.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “On the first anniversary of VE Day, in 1946, King George VI sent the nation’s schoolchildren a message: ‘I know you will always feel proud to belong to a country which was capable of such supreme effort; proud, too, of parents and elder brothers and sisters who by their courage, endurance and enterprise brought victory.

“May these qualities be yours as you grow up and join in the common effort to establish, among the nations of the world, unity and peace.’

“That royal message of peace – and the need to actively work for it and in its defence –resonates today,” said Mr Enright.

“It is vital that each new generation should understand the sacrifices that were made in order to protect our values and freedoms. We should remember that 65 Elizabethans were killed during the Second World War, among the huge number that served in different capacities at home and overseas.”

The concert featured a varied repertoire. There were musicians from:

• Junior Jazz
• Senior Jazz
• Junior Strings
• Junior Winds…
• And some from Senior Winds.

The concert came in a busy period for QE’s musicians, with the Chamber Choir spending the eve of the VE Day anniversary singing Evensong at St George’s Chapel, Windsor.

In 1945, VE Day was declared a national holiday, so the School is likely to have been closed on that day, with street parties and church services taking place in Barnet.

School life had continued uninterrupted during World War II, but there were many changes because of the conflict: a dip into the School archives at QE Collections reveals that the ending of hostilities in Europe brought about a return to pre-war normality.

An editorial in The Elizabethan magazine of July 1945 states: “Schools that are in touch with their old boys are not likely to forget that the war in the Far East is a long way from ended. But the end of the European War, almost visible in its approach, has at last arrived and inevitably brought some changes in school routine. First, the obnoxious and rather archaic custom of carrying respirators to school on certain days, which must have caused the inhabitants of Barnet no little wonder, was discontinued. Next the throb of the flying-bomb was no longer to be heard, and then the occasional thud of a rocket became less frequent.”

With the threat of bombing lifted, protective boards on doors and windows were swiftly removed and sandbags discarded. Such activities seemed like “a production by the Dramatic Society – such as few of us can now remember”, the editorial continued.

“On top of all these novelties (novelties to the majority, to the aged a fascination) luxury returns, for some school teams now even make their journey to distant adversaries by aristocratic plush coaches instead of by jarring petrol-buses.”