The first concert of the Summer Term took place on Monday in glorious spring weather; the second annual No Strings Attached concert, showcasing wind, brass, and percussion players, featuring musicians from across the school.
The concert opened with Saxophone Ensemble playing the appropriately titled Welcome Dance by Karen Street with joyful enthusiasm.
Wind Band took to the stage next with an arrangement of Jupiter from The Planets by Gustav Holst. The first of the concert’s three soloists, French hornist Hugh S. (5ths) then played Bozza’s virtuosic Sur les Cimes, before the Recorder Consort played the charming Renaissance motet Sicut cervus. Big Band played two lively numbers: first Sing, sing, sing and then What is Hip?, both of which displayed the band’s crisp ensemble playing. Rafi A. (Divs) was our second soloist of the evening, and he entranced the audience with Andy Scott’s Respectfully Yours on clarinet. The Clarinet Trio then played a foot-tapping medley of ABBA songs, before Taylors’ Brass played the ever-popular Trumpet Tune by Henry Purcell. Penultimate in the line-up was Ben C. (5ths) whose performance of Gomez’s clarinet piece Lorito was assured and lyrical. The concert closed with Concert Band who to start played Holst’s Suite for Military Band No.2 in F. In four movements the work showed off the whole range of the band, and of particular excitement was the presence of the blacksmith (Aryan D. (U6ths)) in the third movement, complete with anvil, apron, helmet, and hammers.
The final work performed on Monday was a medley of music from the Pirates of the Caribbean film, with music by Klaus Badelt, a lively and triumphant end to a delightful evening.
