14 September 2022 Abingdon Music On Sunday 8 May, seven pupils from Abingdon’s close-harmony ensemble joined pupils from three other Oxfordshire schools in a masterclass with the King’s Singers. In the afternoon, they worked on the Billy Joel song ‘And So it Goes’, arranged by former King’s Singer and former Abingdon parent, Bob Chilcott. In the evening, the pupils were invited to join in the performance of this song at the end of the concert, which was the final event of the Dorchester Festival. This was a thoroughly enjoyable and productive experience for all concerned. Held in May, and adjudicated by Anna Leon, the Director of Music at Ashfold School, our Junior Solo Competition was a fantastic opportunity to get a taste of what’s in store for Music at Abingdon in the coming years. We were certainly not short of accomplished performances, making the evening extremely challenging for our adjudicator! Toby Williams opened the concert with a sensitively played rendition of Barbara Arlen’s ‘Moonbeams’; and then went on with a Mendelssohn ‘Song Without Words’ on the clarinet. Zack Weekes’ performance of ‘Changing Times’ captured the Jazzy atmosphere of the piece. Kwame Abayateye impressed us with an accomplished rendition of Tchaikovsky’s ‘Waltz from Sleeping Beauty’ before Nikhil Harie gave an exciting performance of ‘The Pretender’ by Foo Fighters featuring a well-managed guitar solo. Benjamin Byrne’s stirring performance of ‘See the Conquering Hero Come’ impressed with its superbly controlled tone. Edward Winter’s Diabelli ‘Sonatina in G major’ offered a carefully controlled left hand which allowed the right hand to really sing out. The concert was rounded off with a jaunty performance of a ‘Sea Song’ on bassoon by Harold Lethaby. After much deliberation, Miss Leon’s choice for 3rd place was Harold Lethaby’s Sea Song; 2nd place went to Kwame Abayateye’s Waltz; and 1st place to Benjamin Byrne’s ‘See the Conquering Hero’. Many congratulations to all those who performed and special mention must go to Benjamin, who has come so far since starting the French Horn here as a First Year student. A worthy winner indeed. Musical triumph Lower School Inter-Tutor Group Music Competition Lower School pupils gathered in the Amey Theatre after the Jubilee celebrations for the annual inter-tutor group music competition. Each group performed a song which they had had a few weeks to work on in their class music lessons. A wide array of instruments were deployed to provide accompaniment for the solo singers and chorus members. Miss Stulting had a difficult job when it came to deciding the winner, but gave 3rd place to 2S’s spirited rendition of “Sweet Caroline”, 2nd place to 1H who sang “Radioactive”, and 1st place to 2M for their lively and fun performance of “Waka waka”. The Lower School Gala Concert on 16 June provided Lower School students with the opportunity to celebrate their music making and showcase both individual and ensemble performances. Welcoming so many audience members to this year’s concert encouraged the students to perform to the highest level. Alongside the ensembles, Lower School Band, Open Mic Group, Junior Strings, Blues Society and Lower School Brass Ensemble, there were a number of outstanding individual contributions to the evening. From Bassoon to Bagpipes, the event catered for all musical tastes. The evening concluded with the whole of Lower School performing Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen and Jeff Buckley. Very many thanks to all staff who helped put the concert together. Junior Solo Instrumental Competition King’s Singers
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