WHS musicians at Cadogan Hall - a night to remember

"One could have thought that WHS was a music school, they were so professional. Please congratulate the girls for their contributions. Thoroughly enjoyable at every moment."

Some 180 girls, ranging from Year 7 to Year 13, headed to Cadogan Hall on Tuesday 21 March for our annual London Concert. The evening was electric and thoroughly enjoyable, showing just how far the music department at WHS has come in the last 12 months.

The WHS Symphony Orchestra, numbering some 70 girls and directed by Mr Richard Bristow, opened the concert with an energetic performance of Moross’ ‘Big Country’ – a lively fanfare from the brass section giving the concert a majestic opening. Isobelle Wall then took to the stage to give a beautifully lyrical performance of Massenet’s ‘Meditation’, giving subtle passion and poise to the solo violin line. Shostakovich’s ‘Waltz’, complete with solos from Mouna Madanat (Alto Sax) and Julia Flint (Bassoon), ended the first section on a high.

Baroque Ensemble, directed by Ms Clare Kennington, took to the stage after, performing two wonderfully complex pieces. The first – ‘Serenade for Strings’ by Tchaikovsky – combined rhythmic energy with a fantastic sense of ensemble whilst the second – the slow movement from Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 2 – showed great restraint in the ensemble, allowing Maddie Horn to effortlessly play the solo piano line with tremendous skill.

The WHS Symphony Orchestra returned to the stage to complete the first half, with performances of Saint-Saens’ ‘Danse Macabre’ and Bernstein’s ‘Mambo’ giving a spirited finale. The music was exceptionally complex, not only musically but emotionally, and the girls performed to a very high standard.

The second half of the concert saw the two main chamber choirs of the Senior School head to the stage, with Canto, directed by Mrs Alice Martin, opening with Parry’s victorious ‘I was Glad’. Particular congratulations to the solo octet comprising Alexandra Abbate, Ella Codington, Sophia Martin, Alice McDade, Irene Masala, Isabel Staples, Eleni Vasati and Caterina Villa who sang the central section with such sweetness. The choir were ably accompanied by Miranda Porter (violin), Emily Ng (clarinet), Julia Flint (bassoon), Laura Fletcher (horn), Pranali Gadoya (oboe) and Maddie Horn (oboe). The sound was loud, powerful, and full of regal splendour.

A Cappella, directed by Mr Richard Bristow and accompanied by a chamber orchestra of professional musicians and pupils (Louisa Clogston, Alice Nunn, Anna Kendall, Lizzie Brown and Isabel Walaski), then performed Faure’s hauntingly-beautiful ‘Requiem’. The piece is a great contrast to other Requiem masses of the same period, which focus more on damnation than the peace of paradise. Jess Beaumont (Soprano), Phoebe Schenk (Mezzo-Soprano) and Mariam Abdel-Razek (Alto) all sang solos with great musicality, achieving fantastic projection and diction whilst also communicating the character of the text. The concert ended with the ‘In Paradisum’; the choir of angels ending an exceptional evening of music-making.

Richard Bristow, Director of Music, commented: “Thank you to each and every one of the girls who have performed this evening, as well as to all the staff and musicians that have made the evening possible. Your musicality, humour and professionalism make leading the WHS Music Department the best job in the world”.