Inter-House Music Competition with Lin Marsh
On Thursday 21st May 2009, the whole School gathered in the Upper School Hall for the final of the Inter-House Music Competition.
Our adjudicator for the day was Lin Marsh.
During the first half of the afternoon we held the finals of the Soloists’ round of the Inter-House Music Competition, following on from last term’s Year Group Concerts. In the Junior section for Years 3 and 4 were Rayan De (piano), who performed ‘Cheese Cake Walk’ followed by Jonathan Green on the recorder with a traditional Czech dance, ‘Polka’. Maariah Hanjra sang the well known ‘Truly Scrumptious’ from Chitty-Chitty Bang Bang and the Junior section closed with a Bach Minuet on the cello, played by Shriya Sanghera.
The senior section, for pupils in Years 5 and 6, began with Edward Cooke who opened the proceedings playing ‘The Spy Who Went Out’ on the clarinet. Akash Doshi then treated us to the ever popular ‘Garage Sale’ by Pam Wedgwood,
recognised by many with children who have sat their graded ABRSM examinations. ‘Tico-Tico Bird In The Cornmeal’ was next up with Shiv Sarna on the violin and the senior section was concluded by Rebecca Vitarana’s rendition of the traditional ‘British Grenadiers’ on the trumpet.
All pupils performed with confidence and exhibited great skills, well deserving their places in the final. The winner of the Junior Soloist’s shield was Rayan De and the Senior Soloist’s shield was Shiv Sarna.
After an extended break due to a technical hitch, the ever popular Inter-House Unison Song Competition took place. The School resounded to the sound of ABBA songs this year!
• Pughe – ‘Mama Mia’ • Ridgway – ‘Money, Money, Money’ • Nowers – ‘Take A Chance On Me’ • Stork – ‘Thank You For The Music’
Each performance was interpreted with movement as well as clear singing, and the winning house of 2009 was Pughe under the baton of Miss Wilson. Mrs Webster would have loved it!
Endless
Endless, an Opera in three acts, written and performed by pupils in Year 6, was the culmination of a year’s work and preparation and premiered at Hallfield on 25th June 2009. Pupils created the characters, designed and made costumes, planned the lighting and props and wrote and performed the music and libretto.
The story showed two families living side-by-side, one rich, one poor, in a country about to be besieged by war. We saw the different ways in which the families responded, affected by their economic position. The rich family became separated, partly by war but also as a result of their greed and selfishness. Their child, taken in by the poor family when her parents fled the country, took over a repressive factory, owned by the father and run by a tyrant. The Opera addressed how power can be used positively to bring about justice and change in society or be misused to bring repression and poverty for many, and riches for a few.
The Opera was staged using the length of the Hall. The stage became the workhouse and factory. Gym apparatus became a rich family house and the balcony a ‘beyond the grave’ scene from where the deceased parents read their will. Other sections were the poor house and a town scene. By using the length of the Hall, the audience is drawn in by being physically closer to all of the action – and further boundaries were broken down as musicians appeared on stage in various parts rather than being separated from the action.
The finale involved all pupils in a rousing chorus ‘At Last’ where all of the people, rich and poor, young and old, come together to celebrate living in a time of change, where peace is once again ruling with justice in the land. A rollercoaster of emotions and thought- provoking material was explored throughout!
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The Hallfieldian
2008-2009
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