January 13th 2018
The 2018 Joint Schools’ Concert, on 12th January in the Big School Room, saw the collaboration of five schools – Sherborne School, Sherborne Girls, The Gryphon, Leweston and, for the first time, Sherborne Prep School – come to fruition in an evening of ensemble performances hosted by Sherborne School.
Central to the concert’s success were the performances given by the two Joint Schools’ Orchestras – Symphony Orchestra and Sinfonia – founded in the 1980s by then Director of Music at Sherborne School, Patrick Shelley. Prior to those highlights, our very own Wind Band opened the concert with poise and dynamic variation in Holst’s Chaconne from First Suite in E flat where there were plenty of opportunities for solos. This was followed by Leweston’s ‘Cantemus’ choir who, with much enthusiasm and energy, gave renditions of Donkey Ride and Imagine a world which were much enjoyed by all. Sherborne Prep Chamber Choir who, like Leweston, sang from memory, performed a wonderfully balanced Praetorius canon entitled Alleluia which contrasted with the lyrical melody of their second piece, The Water of Tyne. The Sinfonia enlivened the audience with a fantastic rendition of Martin’s Brazilia, where the samba rhythm had everyone swaying or at least tapping their feet, and it was followed by Morand’s Trepak, Saint-Saën’s famous Danse Macabre and Dvořák’s Slavonic Dance, Op 46 no. 8. Of the performances by Sherborne Girls Madrigal Society, in a set of four songs, a highlight for me was their performance of Go down, Moses (traditional spiritual) where the girls sang with much care, thought and accuracy – giving real magic to the ‘piano’ moments and allowing for big contrasts to the ‘forte’ choruses.
Finally, Symphony Orchestra gave one of the best large-scale performances I have heard from them during my time at Sherborne. The last movement of Dvořák’s Symphony no. 8 in G must surely be one of the more difficult orchestral pieces to play and yet they performed it with much style and gusto. José Pablo Moncayo’s lively Huapango brought the concert to a close in a thrilling climax of pizzicato string playing and colourful woodwind playing – all with our Salvi harp excitingly prominent within the musical texture.
I am looking forward to the next Symphony Orchestra concert in the Victoria Rooms, Bristol, on Sunday 17th March.
Peter Folkes (Schol.Mus U6a)
