Summer Concert 2019

Our annual Summer Concert is always a fantastic way to review and celebrate the achievements and successes of our musicians and performers for the academic year.

Twenty ensembles performed to a sell-out audience who enjoyed a wide variety of musical styles and superbly choreographed dance items. The standards of performance were also exceptional and what was especially inspiring was to see the Sixth Form Music Performance students supporting our younger musicians giving them a chance to showcase their talent and gain experience and confidence on the stage.

The eclectic Percussion Ensemble and the Guitar Ensemble were led by two of our instrumental teaching team who have worked tirelessly this year supporting our instrumentalists through their graded exams and running extra-curricular activities open to the whole school. It is always a pleasure to see younger students and those from higher up the school all working together to produce music of such a high quality.

Our Sixth Form Subject Ambassadors led main school ensembles for this performance, Max arranging a piece for the Ukulele Orchestra and Lissi arranging a piece for the main school Highcliffe Choir. This year the Subject Ambassadors have been an inspiration for all our younger students, regularly appearing in concerts and the lunchtime series Chip Friday Live. They have attended school open evenings and year group assemblies to help explain what the Sixth Form Music Performance pathway involves and the opportunities it leads to. Their own performances in the concert were of the highest standard and the dedication to the development of their own musicianship was plainly evident.

Another highlight was to see Katie from year 10 leading the Highcliffe Choir with her own arrangement and later a performance of her own composition which demonstrated a songwriting talent way beyond her years.

This year we had many performances by student-led ensembles lower down the school. Several GCSE groups have formed bands and we had three outstanding groups spanning a range of genres and all of a standard suitable for the Sixth Form Music Performance pathway. Kaktus, who made the BandStorm finals earlier this year, gave an interactive performance of their much requested Danza/Eye of the Tiger medley which had toured six of our primary feeder schools this summer. Joining them on the tour were the Jazz Band and the Folk Band comprising of students ranging from year 7 upwards showcasing the very best of our instrumentalists.

Our thanks to all the students involved who have shown commitment and persistent hard work in the weeks and months leading up to this concert and throughout the year. Also a special thank you to our Music Production students who always do such a professional job behind the scenes to ensure that the sound and lighting are of a very high quality.

Have a great summer!