Christmas with summer sunshine

Concert for the National Trust, Exeter Cathedral

Wednesday 7 December saw one of the main events of the School’s musical year, the Christmas Concert for the National Trust, given before an audience of about 900 in Exeter Cathedral.

This year’s concert combined a summery repertoire with the more traditional festive items. The Symphony Orchestra opened with the scorching Magnificent Seven theme, Swunk (the Improvisation Group) performed a short Bossa Nova straight from the Brazilian beaches, the Californian sun beat down for the Senior Choir’s Beach Boys medley and Major-General Stanley’s daughters stepped out in costume with Climbing over rocky mountain from the recent school musical Pirates of Penzance.

Further more seasonal highlights included performances by the Chamber Choir and the Brass Group, the Middle School Choir singing and swinging through The Gospel Train, and Christmas carols sung by choir and audience.

Impressive individual performances came from Hannah Connolly, soloist in the Prelude from the Max Bruch G minor violin concerto, Lauren Clark (soprano), Matt Smith (baritone), Tom Boother (trombone), and violinists Michael Brailey and Ben Zeman who performed segments of Corelli’s Christmas Concerto with the Chamber Orchestra.

The 180 pupils involved are to be commended on their hard work, commitment and musicianship.