December 7, 2010
Young musicians and singers from Cherwell School got Christmas off to a rousing start on Monday evening with a concert of music and seasonal readings held in St Andrew’s church in North Oxford.
This was an ambitious programme which reflected the hard work and enthusiasm of students and teachers alike. The singing ranged from the 60-strong Gospel Choir’s exuberant “Joy to the World” through Rachmaninov’s “Bogoroditse Devo” (sung in Russian by the Senior Choir) to the Chamber Choir’s meditative rendering of “Lulla Lulla”.
There were lighter moments from the Concert Band (“Peter and the Wolf”) and the Ukulele Band (Cherwell musicians are nothing if not versatile).
Other memorable performances were given by the String Orchestra (Mozart’s “Divertimento in D”) and the Cello Trio (third movement from Beethoven’s “Trio in C”). The highlight of the evening, however, was the Senior Orchestra’s presentation of the third movement from Beethoven’s Third Piano Concerto. The orchestra literally filled the building with music and, although this was very much a team effort, piano soloist Charles Shi (Year 13) received a well-deserved standing ovation.
Anyone who missed the concert can catch up with Cherwell’s talented students this Friday (10th December 2010) at 11:00 am, when they will be singing carols for Christmas shoppers in the Westgate Centre or on Christmas Morning when they can be heard in BBC Radio Oxford’s specially recorded “Christmas Celebration”.
This was an ambitious programme which reflected the hard work and enthusiasm of students and teachers alike. The singing ranged from the 60-strong Gospel Choir’s exuberant “Joy to the World” through Rachmaninov’s “Bogoroditse Devo” (sung in Russian by the Senior Choir) to the Chamber Choir’s meditative rendering of “Lulla Lulla”.
There were lighter moments from the Concert Band (“Peter and the Wolf”) and the Ukulele Band (Cherwell musicians are nothing if not versatile).
Other memorable performances were given by the String Orchestra (Mozart’s “Divertimento in D”) and the Cello Trio (third movement from Beethoven’s “Trio in C”). The highlight of the evening, however, was the Senior Orchestra’s presentation of the third movement from Beethoven’s Third Piano Concerto. The orchestra literally filled the building with music and, although this was very much a team effort, piano soloist Charles Shi (Year 13) received a well-deserved standing ovation.
Anyone who missed the concert can catch up with Cherwell’s talented students this Friday (10th December 2010) at 11:00 am, when they will be singing carols for Christmas shoppers in the Westgate Centre or on Christmas Morning when they can be heard in BBC Radio Oxford’s specially recorded “Christmas Celebration”.