By Mr Keating-Roberts (Director of Music)

The ever popular annual  Rock Night at The Quarry Theatre was an electrifying showcase of talent and solidarity, as Bedford Girls' School and Bedford School once again joined forces in support of The British Red Cross. The evening pulsated with energy, passion, and a shared commitment to making a difference in the world supported by the fantastic lighting and sound organised by the students.

The line-up was as diverse as it was dynamic, featuring a mix of bands and solo acts that kept the audience on the edge of their seats. From the funky grooves of the combined Funk Band performing Duffy’s iconic Mercy in the opening act and Sarah Didi’s band thrashing the drums with Under the bridge by the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, to the soulful melodies of Fiza Hasnain’s band and Tash Miller’s solo performance of Feeling Good. Red Hot Chilli Peppers was a popular choice for the evening with Gabriel Almeida’s Band Dress Code performing Scar tissue. Each performer brought their unique flair to the stage, captivating the audience with their raw talent and infectious enthusiasm.

Astrophe delivered an effortlessly cool performance of The Colour Violet that had the crowd jumping and singing along, while Ava Oldroyd's band featuring her sister Jemma gave us a 90’s rock classic in the form of Say it ain’t so by Weezer. The Attachment Band brought a dose of indie-rock energy too with Will we talk? By Sam Fender, while Sienna MacFarlane showcased her amazing vocal prowess with her emotive storytelling abilities.

Counteract injected a dose of adrenaline with their hard-hitting Britpop anthem aAright and contrasted this with Forget you, commanding the stage with their infectious energy and razor-sharp riffs ably led by Ella Bowis and Benjadin treated us to his own songs rapping his heart out. This was swiftly followed by a stunning Sax performance from Hugo Hodgson performing Gary Rafferty’s classic Baker Street.

Alice Toone had the audience belting along with her in the country smash hit Before he cheats by Carrie Underwood, leaving the audience spellbound with her soul-stirring performance. Toby L’Estrange with his band Toby Legend demonstrated his musical prowess having already played as part of many of the Bedford School Bands alongside his brother Harry l’Estrange. This was swiftly followed by Angus Timmins with Elton John’s Bennie and the jets supported by his brother Hamish.

The evening was closed out in style by the ever outstanding rap stylings of Li Qiller followed by the DJ stylings of DJ Swave, DJ Charlie, M.C Zach Westerfall and Jacob Foster which had the crowd absolutely bouncing. 

But beyond the music, the spirit of the evening was one of unity and solidarity. As each act took to the stage, they reminded us of the power of music to transcend boundaries and bring people together.

View photos from the event here.

Read student reflections here.