A Night at the Orchestra!

A group of some of our GCSE and A Level Music students recently had the incredible opportunity to attend a highly anticipated concert by the London Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall. This fantastic evening featured world-renowned violinist Augustin Hadelich, whose breathtaking performance of Britten’s Violin Concerto left all speechless as the interval arrived! The evening continued with the LPO’s brilliant interpretation of Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique—an historically important work for our students to experience live and they couldn’t have wished for a better performance to meet this piece for the first time.

Witnessing such outstanding musicianship firsthand was an inspiring experience for our students, offering them a deeper appreciation for the power of live performance. The students found the whole experience incredibly inspiring as they reflected on the emotion, technical brilliance, and sheer impact of the music they had just heard. Artur (Year 10) expressed: “The London Philharmonic Orchestra trip benefitted my music studies massively as it helped me better understand the structure of orchestral music and helped me experience techniques to use in my own compositions. It also was invaluable in furthering my appreciation and understanding of live orchestral music, as well as introducing me to new pieces, composers and styles”. 

Rosemary Scales, Director of Music and Media, emphasised: “Opportunities like these are invaluable in enriching our students’ musical journeys, broadening their understanding of orchestral repertoire, and igniting their passion for performance and composition”.

The community enjoyed plenty more music throughout the rest of the week with another ‘Spotlight Series’ lunchtime concert. A rendition of David Bowie’s ‘Starman’ and various classical pieces were among those performed by students for staff and peers to enjoy; offering a peaceful moment of respite amidst the hustle and bustle of the day.