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Two very different London trips provided fresh inspiration for QE’s musicians: a visit to a hit West End musical brought a GCSE set piece to life, while the opportunity to play one of the capital’s great organs deepened keyboardists’ appreciation for the instrument.

Year 10 Music students headed for the Apollo Victoria Theatre, where they watched the award-winning musical, Wicked. One of the show’s most iconic numbers, Defying Gravity, is a GCSE set work.

On their trip, members of QE’s Organ Club not only played the historic four-manual organ at Methodist Central Hall, Westminster, but also heard an internationally acclaimed organist perform in the City of London in what is believed to be the world’s longest-running organ recital series.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “The happy circumstance of QE’s location within easy striking distance of central London means that when we plan trips, we can take full advantage of all the wonderful possibilities that the capital has to offer. These two trips are a great example of that.

“As our GCSE Music students attested afterwards, there’s really no substitute for experiencing a theatrical piece in its original dramatic context. For our organists, playing on Westminster Central Hall’s magnificent organ was not only thrilling in itself, but also enhanced their ability to adapt to different instruments – an important musical skill.”

Wicked, with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, has been running at the Apollo Victoria since 2005. It is based on a 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire, which was derived from a 1900 novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Known in full as Wicked: The Untold Story of the Witches of Oz, the musical explores the relationship between the witches. Defying Gravity forms the finale to Act One.

Assistant Director of Music Caroline Grint said that experiencing the work on stage helped the boys develop a deeper understanding of the music, its dramatic purpose, and its emotional impact, supporting their GCSE studies.

The pupils reported afterwards that they had found the trip both enjoyable and inspiring. Aaditya Pimple said: “It is the first time I have seen Wicked. It gave me context about the story, and it was interesting seeing the instruments in the pit band.” Zhekai Mao added: “It made me appreciate live performances, after only ever watching movies on a screen. We now know the entire storyline and how it is set to music, supporting our GCSE work.”

Eight organists and 13 pianists from the Organ Club visited Methodist Central Hall, which hosted the first session of the United Nations General Assembly in 1946.

Each pupil performed a prepared piece on the organ, which was built by Hill & Son in 1912, rebuilt and enlarged by Rushworth & Dreaper in 1970, and had its layout altered by Harrison & Harrison in 2010–2011. The boys received expert advice from the hall’s Director of Music, Gerard Brooks, on both registration and performance.

Assistant Director of Music Jas Hutchinson-Bazely said: “I am incredibly grateful to Gerard Brooks for his invitation and kind words of encouragement for our pupils. Adapting to new and unfamiliar instruments is an essential skill for an organist, and our pupils rose to this challenge admirably. These experiences are invaluable for our young players, and they are incredibly fortunate to play on one of London’s most significant instruments.”

The visit continued with the recital at St Michael’s, Cornhill. The church has a foundation dating back to before the Norman Conquest; its present building is traditionally attributed to Sir Christopher Wren. Its organ is another famous London instrument, with origins dating back to 1684. The recital series began in 1914.

The recital the boys listened to was given by English organist and recording artist, Christopher Herrick. His programme showcased contemporary organ repertoire.

“As well as hearing a performer of the highest calibre, pupils were reminded that organ music is not only a rich historical tradition but also a vibrant and evolving art form,” Mr Hutchinson-Bazely said.

The pianists and organists who went on the trip were in no doubt as to its benefits:

• Justin Lo, Year 7: “It gave me the chance to look at two beautiful organs as well as play a piece on one of them – a great opportunity that has definitely inspired me to learn the organ.”
• Anay Banerjee, Year 8: “I think that I really learnt a lot about real-life organs, how each one is different and unique, and also how it felt to play one in real life.”
• Parth Gulati, Year 7: “I particularly enjoyed playing at Methodist Central Hall, as I have never played on such a big organ.”
• Kai Nam Tsang, Year 8: “It was a great feeling to be able to play on the organ, especially such a large and grand one with so much history behind it.”

From the opening classical march through to the quirky bounce of Baggy Trousers by Madness, the Junior Recital encompassed an impressive range of solo and chamber performances.

There was even a notable milestone for the Music department – the first pupil bassoon performance in the Friends’ Recital Hall since its opening in 2022.

Assistant Director of Music Caroline Grint says the event’s young participants, drawn from Years 7–10, left no one in any doubt as to their ability:  “The word ‘Junior’ in our Junior Recital certainly did not reflect the exceptional standard on display.”

The concert provides younger musicians with the opportunity to perform in a formal setting before an audience of family and friends.

The evening began with a “spirited” performance of Schubert’s Marche Militaire for eight hands by the Piano Quartet and concluded with an “outstanding” rendition of the first movement of John Ireland’s Sonata in G minor by Year 10’s Eshaan Anil, Miss Grint says.

“Other memorable performances included Year 7 pupil Adrian Tai’s commanding interpretation of Poulenc’s Toccata and the Junior Saxophone Quartet’s lively and characterful rendition of Baggy Trousers.”

The first bassoon performance was the Double Reed Trio’s presentation of Trio No. 1 by Ludvík Milde, a 19th-century Czech composer known primarily for his bassoon works. The trio comprised bassoonists Yuvraj Shah and Devansh Nath, of Years 9 and 7 respectively, and oboist Hasan Moochhala, of Year 9. Its name reflects the fact that bassoons and oboes, together with English horn (cor anglais) and contrabassoon, use two pieces of cane tied together.

“This ensemble was newly formed this year to give more support to our up-and-coming young bassoonists, so it was delightful to see them take their first steps as an ensemble in front of an audience in our recital hall, Miss Grint adds.

“The concert highlighted the depth of musical talent emerging through the School, and every performer should be immensely proud of the dedication and hard work that went into preparing such a successful event.”

“Alongside the musical achievements, it was wonderful to see the encouragement, camaraderie and mutual support shared amongst all the performers throughout the evening.”

QE’s Chamber Choir teamed up with a pair of Old Elizabethan choral scholars to sing Evensong at Christ Church, the historic cathedral in Oxford.

It was the latest prestigious booking for the choir, who have in recent years sung in some of the country’s most iconic settings, including Westminster Abbey and King’s College, Cambridge.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “This was a tremendous privilege and a great opportunity, and I am glad to say that the Chamber Choir rose to the occasion. They sang impressively, with poise and discipline, accompanied by our own Noah Morley, of Year 12, on the organ.”

Having sung its first-ever Evensong at Barnet parish church as recently as the autumn of 2022, the Chamber Choir has, in addition to Westminster Abbey and King’s College, since sung at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, and Southwark Cathedral,

The Evensong marked a further deepening of QE’s ties with Christ Church, which enjoys the unique distinction of being both a college of the University of Oxford and the cathedral church of the city, the only dual foundation of its kind in the world. Earlier this year, 45 boys from Years 7 & 8 visited the college, which is the Borough of Barnet’s partner college at Oxford.

The choristers were joined by Old Elizabethans Arjun Patel and Nikhil Mark, both now choral scholars at Oxford, who not only sang alongside the boys, but also provided tours of Merton College and The Queen’s College. Arjun took up his place to read Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Merton in October 2024, having completed his A-levels that summer. Nikhil (OE 2018–2025) is reading Materials Science at The Queen’s College.

Dan Clark, Founding Principal of Queen Elizabeth’s School, Dubai Sports City, which is due to open this summer, joined the Headmaster in the congregation. Also there was Old Elizabethan Isher Jagdev (2017–2024).

Noah played throughout the service, except for the anthem. Seated at the cathedral’s Rieger organ, he also played the pre-service and post-service music: Eventide by Hubert Parry and Sun Dance by Bob Chilcott. Noah performed these pieces in his recent Grade 7 examination, for which he scored 141/150.

The service was redolent both of the traditions of Oxford and of Evensong in the Church of England.

In keeping with Christ Church’s observance of historic Oxford time, five minutes west of Greenwich, Evensong began at 6.05pm BST.

The boys sang the works of three English composers closely associated with English and Anglican choral music:

• The Tallis Responses, from Preces and Responses by Renaissance composer Thomas Tallis
• Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in D minor by 19th-century organist and composer Thomas Attwood Walmisley
• I am Alpha and Omega by John Stainer, published in 1878.

The cathedral stands on the site of an ancient Saxon church, founded in the eighth century by Saint Frideswide, the patron saint of Oxford. The present building was constructed in the 12th century as an Augustinian priory.

In 1524, just prior to the Dissolution of the Monasteries, Cardinal Wolsey gained permission from the Pope to close down St Frideswide’s Priory to use the land to build a vast new college for the university. Following Wolsey’s fall, the college was duly opened in 1546 in the name of Henry VIII.

Director of Music Ruth Partington said: “This visit exemplified the transformational experiences the Music department provides. We are very grateful to Arjun and Nikhil for singing with us and for inspiring potential future choral scholars to follow in their footsteps.”

Afterwards, some of the boys also reflected on the day. Sixth-former Leo Sellis, who has just been offered a choral scholarship at Jesus College, Cambridge, said: “I enjoyed how we were able to explore Oxford with the OE tour guides and then have a guided tour of Christ Church Cathedral before we did the service, meaning we could learn about the building (and the city) that we were singing in.” The choristers included another sixth-former with a choral scholarship offer: Adam Liang has been offered a place at Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge.

Julius Collins, of Year 8, said: “The performance was outstanding and I am very grateful that I was able to take part in it, as I managed to develop my skills as a singer in an ensemble and demonstrate these in a formal setting with more resonant acoustics.” Year 9’s Krish Bhatia was impressed by the buildings:  “Some main highlights were visiting The Great Hall at Christ Church, which really fulfilled my inner ‘Hogwarts’ experience. I also thoroughly enjoyed the tour given by the OEs and learning different types of traditions and customs there, as well as seeing all the fascinating architecture. Overall, our visit to Oxford was nothing short of brilliant.” And Rishi Watsalya, of Year 12, added: “I really enjoyed the guided tour of Oxford with Nikhil, who also gave specific advice about the application process and his experience in Oxford as an OE. I also really appreciated the opportunity of, once again, singing in such a beautiful and historic cathedral.”

The Evensong was led by the Sub-Dean, Revd Canon Peter Moger. The Psalms for the service were numbers 126 and 127.

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Well over 400 pupils performed in the Leavers’ Concert, with many from the lower years turning out to support the musicians of Year 13.

The Class of 2026 have made a significant impact on music at QE. To name just three of their number – and there are many similar examples – Leo Sellis and Ryuki Watanabe form the backbone of several ensembles, which they encourage to take on more complex repertoire, while accomplished accompanist Colin Copcea provides essential support at rehearsals and performances.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “This was an outstanding concert, celebrating senior musicians who have contributed greatly to our supportive QE music community and thus have played a part in developing the confidence, skills and enjoyment of other pupils.”

The Leavers’ Concert was played to a sell-out audience in the Shearly Hall. It began, appropriately enough, with The Final Countdown by Europe, played by a specially formed Year 13 ensemble.

The remainder of the programme featured genres ranging from jazz to rock, from film music to ragtime (Scott Joplin’s Bethena Waltz, performed by the Junior Strings). Many of the ensembles were directed by Sixth Form musicians.

The end of the first half saw the School Orchestra take their places to perform, firstly, selections from Grieg’s Peer Gynt (together with the Senior Strings ensemble), and then pieces by Prokofiev and Debussy.

After enjoying interval refreshments served in the Dining Hall, the audience returned to hear the second half get under way with the Indian Ensemble performing works from both south and north India.

Towards the conclusion of the programme, the Headmaster stepped forward to present Music colours, with Mathematics teacher Navjeet Swatch, QE’s ‘resident’ tuba player, honoured alongside pupils.

The boys themselves offered their heartfelt thanks to Music teachers Caroline Grint and Jas Hutchinson-Bazely, and to Head of Department Ruth Partington, who joined QE as Director of Music on the same day they started in Year 7 in September 2019.

A grand finale saw the School Choir and Orchestra massing to perform excerpts from Les Misérables.

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Help was on hand when QE’s Music students had to perform their own GCSE and A-level compositions.

Not only did their fellow pupils turn out in numbers to play alongside them at the special concert, but two Old Elizabethans returned to the School to support them, too.

As well as the new works, the Chamber, Choral and Composition Concert featured Beethoven, Brahms and Schubert, together with pieces by lesser-known 20th-century luminaries, such as the Polish-Lithuanian Grażyna Bacewicz and Czech composer Bohuslav Martinů.

Adding to the entertaining mood in The Friends’ Recital Hall, there was a Barbershop rendition of Journey’s Don’t Stop Believing, not to mention sixth-former Leo Sellis’ quirkily titled piece, 7W Microwave (purportedly inspired by some of the random titles given to jazz tracks).

Director of Music Ruth Partington said: “It was a splendid evening, with a spectacular quality of composition and performance. The criteria for the GCSE and A-level compositions were that they should make full use of the instrument for which they were composed, so we had lots of virtuoso performances.

“It was lovely to see boys investing so much in playing the work of their friends and peers, and doing those works great justice.”

Miss Partington especially thanked Old Elizabethans Conor Parker-Delves (2015-2022) and Tristan Boldy (2013-2020) for returning to play the saxophone and trumpet respectively. Conor had travelled down from Manchester, where he is in his final year at the Royal Northern College of Music.

The final performance filled the floor of The Friends’ Recital Hall as the Chamber Choir and Orchestra combined for sections of Mozart’s Requiem. It was, said Miss Partington, “stirring, powerful, and a demonstration of the massed strength of QE’s singers and musicians”.  Those involved had attended a workshop with the Barnet Choral Society on this work back in January, and Miss Partington duly thanked the society’s Musical Director, Rory McCleery.

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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.

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