On Tuesday 30th November, the visiting music teachers from Cranleigh Prep and Senior School donned their Christmas jumpers and dusted off their instruments to put on a professional performance of the Raymond Briggs and Howard Blake production ‘The Snowman.’
Expertly directed by Dr Andrew Thomas, Director of Choral Music at Cranleigh School, the production was taken on a whistle-stop tour of Cranleigh’s Primary Schools including Ewhurst C of E Infant School and St Cuthbert Mayne Primary School, before doing their final performance at Cranleigh Prep.
Twenty musicians comprising a small orchestra with harp and percussion rehearsed in the morning before being joined by Narrator, and retired Director of Music at Cranleigh School, Marcus Pashley. Marcus’ narration was captivating, emotional and dramatic, and perfectly encapsulated the magic of the piece.
The real icing on the cake was provided by Form 5 pupil, William H who performed a stunning rendition of the famous, ‘Walking In The Air’. His beautifully pure sound and natural musicality gave goose bumps to anyone listening. An audible whisper from the children in the audience could be heard along with “he’s amazing”! Thank you and well done to William for singing so wonderfully.
Children and adults alike were whisked away on the snowman’s magical journey. What a perfect start to the festive period!
