Following on from stunning success as the Bedfordshire Festival the Music Department continued to wow audiences in a busy final week of term.
On Sunday night audiences were treated to an inspiring performance of The Liverpool Oratorio at the combined BGS and Bedford School Choral Society Concert. The melodic lines of Sir Paul McCartney and lush orchestration of Carl Davis were tackled by over 190 performers: parents past and present; alumni; friends of the schools; staff and students from Bedford Girls’ School and Bedford School orchestras and choirs. The Liverpool Oratorio is an incredibly ambitious piece packed with challenges and exciting passages of full chorus and orchestration that help to express the narrative of the work. The performers excelled themselves in bringing this complex work to life, with thrilling singing from both the incredible soloists and the chorus, as well as expressive playing from the orchestra all helping to produce a vibrant dynamic sound that enthralled the audience. A superb example of collaboration between the Harpur Trust schools and our wider communities, it was a triumph of hard work and artistic skill.
With a quick time to recover many of our students were back on the stage on Tuesday evening for the Spring Chamber Concert. This event is an opportunity for our smaller ensembles and soloists to take the stage to share the wonderful performances they have been working hard to finesse. It was also the first time that this event, traditionally just for senior students, has featured junior students. Baby Bels performed their amazing set from the Bedfordshire Festival, as well as singing a collaborative piece accompanied by our Senior String Quartet; we also heard from some fantastic younger soloists showcasing the start of their musical journeys.
Our senior students delighted the audience with a number of solos, taken from the musicals and the classical world. We heard some really moving numbers with Thandi Shongwe performing a stunning rendition of Too beautiful for words from the Colour Purple and Maddie Warlow with her performance of Memory from Cats and our Junior School soloist Olivia Deverill with her performance of Every tear a mother cries from Honk.
The evening incorporated a wide variety of genres showcasing the range of music being explored by students. Athena Kurtti’s performance of ‘Flower’ by Tom Philips, part of her exploration of experimental Music within her IB Diploma course. Movements from a wonderful concerto, Suite Antique by John Rutter, performed with aplomb by soloist Masha Ermakova on the flute, accompanied by Symphony Strings was simply stunning. Chamber ensembles, including the Senior String Quartet, the BGS Piano Trio, Vocal Trio from Genesis and a Clarinet Quartet all contributed to a splendid evening. The audience also enjoyed three pieces from Bel Canto, giving them another chance to perform their Bedfordshire Festival repertoire.
Huge congratulations to all of our talented students and staff for exceptional displays of talent, discipline and hard work.
View photos from the stunning performance here.
