On Thursday 26th February, the Orchestral Concert took place in the Great Hall: a yearly concert designated especially for the school’s five orchestras. With over 130 students from across the year groups participating, it was an extremely impressive showcase of musical skill, and made for a very enjoyable evening.

In the music department’s yearly calendar, this concert stands out for its absence of choirs or ensembles: the atmosphere is always more intimate than at the school’s other, larger-scale concerts. Despite this, the concert is no less exciting or memorable: in fact, the Orchestral Concerts acts as an opportunity for the various orchestras to showcase some of their most technically challenging pieces, giving the audience some of the most impressive performances of the school year in terms of skill.

The concert started at 6pm, opening with an upbeat performance from Concert Strings, notable for featuring some of the concert's youngest musicians. Wind Orchestra followed, giving an energetic and captivating performance of a suite of several renowned Scottish songs; Sinfonia was next with the royal coronation march Crown Imperial.

Then followed Chamber Orchestra’s two pieces: as the school's top orchestra, comprising several of the school’s best string players, the expectations of the Chamber Orchestra are always very high, but on Thursday it met them and exceeded them with their skilled and passionate performance. Special congratulations should be given to Evie, Year 12, for her impressive viola solo with the orchestra in Andante e Rondo Ungarese for Viola and Orchestra op. 35. The concert ended with Symphony Orchestra's dramatic version of Minuet and Montagues and Capulets from Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet Suite No. 2.

Charlotte, a Year 12 student who played trumpet in Wind Orchestra and Symphony Orchestra on Thursday, says the evening was “as fun as always; I really enjoyed playing in front of people and with all my friends.” Talking about Symphony Orchestra's piece (specifically Montagues and Capulets, better known by many as the theme tune to the TV show The Apprentice), she added, “my highlight of the evening was probably playing such a well-known piece, and watching the audience enjoy such a recognisable song.”

Another Year 12 student, Hannah, who played violin in Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra, agreed that the evening “was amazing!”. She also highlighted all the important work that happens off-stage that is necessary for the smooth running of the concert: “It was very fun helping out with stage management.”

Huge congratulations to all the students involved and many thanks to all the staff involved in creating another great concert!

Main contributor to this article: Eva C., Year 12 student