Dazzling Middle School Concert

The audience enjoyed performances from St Benedict’s many instrumental ensembles. A very cool looking Wind Band opened the concert, with the theme from Mission Impossible, followed by When she loved me from Toy Story 2.

The Brass Group played two fun pieces: Brass Bop and Slinky, and the Guitar Ensemble played Cake by the Ocean. There was a dizzying performance of Defying Gravity from  the Clarinet Ensemble, and the String Group brought classical elegance to proceedings with Mozart’s Divertimento in F Major (K138). Finally, the Middle School Percussion Group knocked out Soul Limbo (aka Test Match Special), in honour of the Cricket World Cup.

This year’s Middle School Concert saw the welcome addition of chamber music, which highlighted pupils’ ensemble-playing skills. Three chamber groups gave excellent performances, of music by Piazzolla, Frank Bridge and Cornick.

There were some excellent solo performances, too, performed with confidence and style. Saho Matsushita played Debussy’s Arabesque No 1 (piano); Natalia McFadzean sang a song from Fiddler on the roof – Far from the home I love; and there was a dazzling drum kit performance from Sebastian Zecevic, who played Foo Fighters’ Rope.

 

Programme

Wind Band

Mission: Impossible (Lalo Schifrin Arr. Paul Lavender)

When she loved me: (Randy Newman - from Toy Story 2 - Arr. Johnnie Vinson)

Directed by Ms Hutchinson                                       

Piano Solo

Saho Matsushita: Arabesque No.1 (Claude Debussy)

Chamber Group 1                         

Oblivion (Astor Piazzolla)

Ned Watts, Artie Hair & Andre Low

Brass Group                                    

Brass Bop (Ian McKenzie)

Slinky (Mark Nightingale)

Directed by Mr Ellwood         

Quartet

Module 5 (Mike Cornick)

Robert Jeffries, Benjamin Dovey, Christopher Moon & Henry Rust

Vocal Solo

Natalia McFadzean: Far from the home I love (Jerry Bock  - from Fiddler on the roof)

String Group                                   

Divertimento in F Major (K138) (WA Mozart)

Directed by Ms Jackson                     

Guitar Ensemble                           

Cake by the Ocean (DNCE)

Directed by Mr Scheuerer

Clarinet Ensemble                         

Defying Gravity (Stephen Schwartz)

Directed by Mrs Sapsard

Drum Kit

Sebastian Zecevic: Rope (Foo Fighters)

Chamber Group 2                         

Miniatures Movement 1: Minuet (Frank Bridge)

Helena Ramsden, Amelia Dovey & Chihiro Hosotani

Middle School Percussion Group

Soul Limbo (Booker T & The MGs)

Directed by Mr Gale