The Summer Concert took place on Friday 27th May and was a wonderfully varied celebration of music making at Cranleigh Prep School. After years of Covid restrictions it was a delight to see our musicians showcasing their talents for the school community and parents to enjoy. The afternoon began with McDowell’s magically atmospheric ‘Shadow Maker’ performed beautifully by our advanced singers in the Chamber Choir, directed by Mrs Beddison. This set the scene for an eclectic and entertaining concert.
The string department was well represented with the Senior Orchestra performing ‘The 1812-Bar Blues’ arranged and directed by Head of Strings, Mr Weaver. The Junior Orchestra was no less impressive with their rendition of ‘Ode to Joy’ accompanied by Josh G (Form 4) on the piano. Our more experienced musicians performed in smaller chamber music groups to showcase their expertise and independent work. These included the Cello Trio, Violin Quartet, Flute Group, Brass Group and Percussion Group.
The wind players also put on an excellent show with the Junior Band performing an upbeat rendition of ‘Summer Tango’ arranged by Head of Woodwind and Brass, Mr Eaglestone. The Concert Band gave an exciting performance of ‘The Incredibles’ theme tune which featured our excellent trumpet players. The audience loved listening to familiar songs and they particularly enjoyed the Guitar Group’s version of the ‘James Bond Theme’ as well as the ‘Mash Up’ of pop songs from the Contemporary Band.
Choral music at school continues to shine. The Lower School Choir were a highlight with their energetic and action-packed song ‘The Power In Me’ and the Form 3 Choir’s version of ‘Summer’ by Marsh was perfectly warm and glowing. With the recent release of the Disney film ‘Encanto’ it would have been remiss not to include some of the toe-tapping songs from the film. The Form 4 Boys’ Choir performed a brilliant version of ‘Surface Pressure’ followed by the Chapel Choir’s rendition of ‘We Don’t Talk About Bruno’ which brought the concert to a rousing finish.
The whole afternoon had a happy and relaxed feel and Mrs Williams would like to thank all of the performers and staff for their hard work in preparing for such a lovely concert.
