The first half of term ended with a bang at the annual Summer Concert, with the School and parents being treated to an array of acts that would put many festivals this summer to shame. Proceedings began when the Wyatt Hall became a hotbed of Latin heat as the Senior Percussion group processed in, banging out the rhythms of Rio and waking everyone up. Hot on the heels of that, we headed north for an Uptown Hoedown, performed exquisitely by the Symphony Orchestra.
Next came the younger musicians, with contributions from the Junior Orchestra, Junior Band and finally the Lower School Choir, whose version of A Million Dreams melted even the most granite of hearts, with stunning solos from Blake G, Savannah L and Lily L. Following on, we witnessed a plethora of popular music performances and arrangements, with renditions of The Beatles’ Blackbird from the Advanced Violinists, the Senior Band delivering the goods in Breakdance Brass and the Form 3 Choir performing Sing delightfully.
After the final two junior performances (percussion with Tom-Tom Tomahawk and a rocking medley from the Guitar Group) we went full-Glastonbury, first with the Form 4 Guitar Group’s Summer of ’69, with George S on vocals that would put Brian Adams to shame. CPS’s answer to Led Zeppelin continued the rock anthems with Stairway to Heaven, with Levi L and Arthur W grinding their respective axes to power-ballad perfection with some outstanding solos. The final popular number was a beautiful interpretation of Vance Joy’s Riptide, with Hetty W, Robyn L and Bella W quite literally in perfect harmony.
Finally, and if that was not enough, the concert was rounded off with the Chamber Choir’s What a Wonderful World and then John Denver’s sing-along classic Take Me Home, Country Roads, by the Concert Choir, bringing the house down, with audience participation very much encouraged, and delivered!
A huge thank you to Mrs Williams and all the visiting music teachers, Cranleigh School and CPS music staff for helping prepare the children for this fabulous event.
