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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.”

Three Year 13 musicians holding offers of scholarships and places at Cambridge, Oxford and leading conservatoires were among the stars at this year’s Leavers’ Concert.

Performing for the last time alongside their fellow QE musicians were composer Harrison Lee, who has offers from the Royal Northern College of Music and Trinity College, together with vocalists Joel Swedensky and Nikhil Mark (pictured top), who have been offered choral scholarships from Cambridge and Oxford respectively.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “This was another brilliant concert, showcasing our senior musicians’ varied talents to very good effect.

“There were some spectacular performances, whether it was Joel’s Maria from West Side Story, Nikhil Mark singing Five Nights at Freddy’s with the Jazz Band, or Jason Tao’s virtuoso playing as first-chair violin, not least on Harrison’s original composition for orchestra, Of the Essence. That was a truly amazing piece: stirring, moving, filmic, so professional-sounding – and written in about a month alongside all his A-level work.”

The concert, held in the Shearly Hall, featured some 15 ensembles, from smaller groups, such as the Barbershop and Electric Guitar Ensemble through to the massed ranks of the Orchestra and the School Choir.

The music played ranged from Grieg, Mozart & Mahler through to Irving Berlin, Kenny Loggins & Metallica. The Indian Ensemble played three pieces, starting with Hindustani piece: Balama Re More Mana Ke by Raag Bihag.

In addition to Harrison’s composition, the programme also included original works by Year 12’s Ryuki Watanabe and Joseph Donovan, of Year 10.

The evening included the presentation of Music Colours by the Headmaster.

Director of Music Ruth Partington celebrated all that Year 13 had contributed, noting their selflessness and kindness as a group. They in turn thanked the music teachers and presented them with gifts.

Joel and Nikhil were among 49 boys offered Oxbridge places this year – a figure second only to last year’s all-time QE record of 62. Joel has been offered a place to read Computer Science at Trinity College, Cambridge; Nikhil’s offer is for Materials Science at The Queen’s College, Oxford, with a choral scholarship at Pembroke College, Oxford.

Choral scholarships, or ‘choral awards’, are offered, following auditions to strong candidates who have also received an academic offer from Oxford or Cambridge. Choral scholars are expected to sing with their chapel’s choir. They receive some annual financial support.

Harrison has secured offers to study:

• Composition at the Royal Northern College of Music
• Composition at Trinity College of Music
• On the GRNCM/MusB joint course between the Royal Northern College of Music and Manchester University.

Miss Partington said: “Receiving multiple offers to study at Music conservatoires is an absolutely superb achievement – there is fierce competition.”

In his inimitable fashion, Harrison thanked his Music teachers for their support – “one of the best parts of my experience at QE. When I’m a famous composer, I will always be grateful!”

• Click on the thumbnails to view the images below.

Four young musicians won the junior category prize at the prestigious Pro Corda Chamber Music Festival – and the School put on a special concert to celebrate.

The Junior String Quartet impressed the Pro Corda judges with their rendition of Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 4 in C minor opus 18 movement I, Allegro ma non tanto. Following their achievement, the four boys later secured Music bars, which are awarded to those who already have their QE Music colours.

A second QE ensemble, a trio of senior musicians, also reached the grand final of the national competition, which was held this year at Woldingham School, Surrey.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “This is a well respected competition in which standards are high and competition fierce: I offer my warm congratulations to our young musicians on their striking success.”

The Junior String Quartet – comprising Year 9’s Eshaan Anil, Kevin Mao & Jeremy Shi, as well as Joseph Donovan, of Year 10 – competed over three months through the qualifying and semi-final rounds of the competition. As in previous years, QE was among the host schools for the earlier rounds. The final featured more than 40 ensembles.

Director of Music Ruth Partington said: “In the adjudication, it was noted that this was the largest Pro Corda ever, with the highest standard, so it really was a tremendous achievement for our quartet to win: they did brilliantly!

“Our violin trio (Jason Tao, Year 13; Ryuki Watanabe, Year 12; Noah Morley, Year 11) represented QE in the senior category, which is by far the most competitive – therefore getting into the final was also an amazing achievement for them,” Miss Partington added.

The older boys performed Christian Sinding’s Serenade No. 2 Op. 92 Movement II Andante sostenuto in F sharp minor and Igor Frolov’s Divertimento for 2 violins and piano.

Just a few days before the Pro Corda final, the trio played their pieces at the final of South East Schools’ Chamber Music Competition, which is again highly respected in the music world. “Jason, Ryuki and Noah did very well to reach the final and played impressively in the crowded senior category, where they were up against the likes of Harrow and St Paul’s. In fact, both our finalist ensembles really were spectacular,” said Miss Partington.

At the celebratory lunchtime concert in the Friends’ Recital Hall, both ensembles performed their pieces.

• Click on the thumbnails below to view the images.

QE has become only the second state school nationally – and the first in the south of England – to be accredited by the Royal College of Organists.

A rare and prestigious accolade, the accreditation represents the establishment of a more formal partnership between the college and the School, following growing links over the past two years.

It comes as the School consolidates its commitment to the instrument with the announcement that Year 9’s Zach Fernandes (pictured top) has been awarded an organ scholarship under the partnership established between QE and Barnet’s St John the Baptist Church last year.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “This accreditation is a significant honour for our School. It was awarded only after the RCO’s senior management team carefully considered our application and recognised our commitment to effective teaching and learning in pursuit of high standards in organ-playing and choral directing.

“It places us in some exalted company: only 16 other institutions have been awarded accreditation, and they include specialist music organisations, alongside some of the country’s leading public schools, such as Eton, Rugby and City of London School.

“My congratulations go to Zach on his scholarship. I hope he will enjoy it and get a great deal out of the opportunities it presents to him,” Mr Enright added.

Links between the RCO and QE have been growing since the college supplied the School with a Viscount Chorum 40-S electric organ at the start of last academic year under its Organs in Schools programme for state schools. RCO Chief Executive Sir Andrew Parmley and regional director Simon Williams also came on a visit to Queen’s Road. QE pupils are due to play at an RCO Young Performers concert at St Lawrence Jewry next Guildhall Church in the City of London on 23 September.

Last spring, the School’s organ scholarship scheme with the parish church was launched. It gave the first Organ Scholars, Joel Swedensky and Noah Morley, opportunities to play the organ at church services and to rehearse the church choir, alongside their involvement in extra-curricular music at QE. The scholarships include an honorarium. With Joel now in Year 13 and thus leaving this summer, Zach has been appointed as his replacement.

Noah, who is in Year 11, continues in his role. “It’s been an amazing first year as an Organ Scholar,” he wrote. “Learning new skills each week alongside singing with the choir has been wonderful.”

“The past 12 months have been filled with a wealth of musical experiences, from accompaniment, improvisation, psalmody, choral conducting and even the mechanics of organ, taking a look inside the currently dismantled instrument at St John’s [pictured].”

One specific highlight had been William Mathias’ setting of the traditional carol, Sir Christèmas, on Christmas Eve.

“A huge thank you to Patryk Korczak [St John’s director of music] for his invaluable lessons; and to the QE Music department and the Headmaster for offering this opportunity and their ongoing support.

“My first year opened so many doors, and I can’t wait to see what this year brings.”

Two Old Elizabethans have won Organ Scholarships from Cambridge in the 21st century – Drew Sellis (OE 2013-2020) and Peter Yarde Martin (OE 2002-2007), who is now a peripatetic Music teacher at the School.