Taylorian 2020

118 Music Music Week 2019 As last year’s Taylorian was going to print at the end of the Summer Term, Music Week was in full swing. The week started with an organ recital featuring varied performances from staff and student organists. It was followed by ‘Music for a Summer Evening’, a concert which lived up to its name as a warm breeze blew in from the open balcony doors. In addition to performances from MTS boys, the concert included joyful renditions of ‘California Dreaming’ and a medley from ‘Les Misérables’ from the choir of Bushey Heath Junior School, who were coached and conducted by Harrison Robb and Joshua Winyard over the course of the term. Music Week was brought to a close with the Vocal and Instrumental Concert, which offered a chance to hear smaller a cappella choral groups and instrumental ensembles as well as the full choir and Tour Choir. A particular highlight was Toby King-Cline, Xavier Stavrou-Long, and Demetri Alvanis’ reprisal of the Poulenc Piano Trio, which they had played to great acclaim at St John’s, Smith Square for the South East Schools’ Chamber Music Festival in the spring. It was a poignant performance as Toby and Xavier were both shortly to leave MTS. Tour Choir Concert at St Michael’s, Cornhill The first major musical event of the new academic year was the Italy Tour Choir’s concert at St Michael’s, Cornhill, for which the choir reprised some of the most popular pieces from their tour. Both sacred and secular works featured on the programme, including Will Todd’s ‘Exalt Us in Your Love’, excerpts from Vivaldi’s ‘Gloria’, and lighter pieces such as ‘Chattanooga Choo Choo’ and ‘Goodnight Sweetheart’. The Tenors and Basses also performed Billy Joel’s ‘The Longest Time’ with great style. Choral items were interspersed with some excellent organ solos from Han Se Kendall, Moses Ng, Alexander Tillotson, and soon- to-be Oxford organ scholar, Ben Hunt. The choir sang with great enjoyment as happy memories of concerts in Venice and Lake Garda were revived. Music & Concerts