What a triumph of musicianship Wednesday’s SVPS Summer Concert proved to be! Every child in Years 3 to 6 took part. As well as formidable performances from the Junior, Senior and Chamber Choirs, each year group sang a song, with Year 6 giving a sneak preview of a number from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Camelot to whet the audience’s appetite for their impending play.

In addition, the event showcased all our Prep Department ensembles. The ever-larger orchestra started proceedings. With yet another term of regular rehearsals under their belts, the children have come on in leaps and bounds since the last whole-School concert and their improved confidence and ensemble skills were plain for all to see.

The programme included some classical greats, with the Junior Guitar Group performing Beethoven’s Ode to Joy and the Clarinet Group the theme from Dvorak’s New World Symphony and Habanera from Bizet’s Carmen. This was only the Clarinet Group’s second-ever performance and showed how dramatically they have come together as an ensemble over the course of this term.

The Senior Guitar Group took us from the classics to the contemporary. With vocalists Esmee B, Rachel J and Olivia Q (All Year 6) added to their mix, the group restyled themselves as the rock band and gave crowd-pleasing renditions of Don’t Worry, Be Happy and Titanium to a rapturous response from the audience.

The Junior String Group showed off their sophistication with some real musical contrasts – the beautiful and melodic Sky Boat Song which they sang as well as played on their instruments, and the cheeky, jaunty Toodle-Pip. Not to be outdone, the Senior String Group also contrasted the relaxed Caribbean syncopation of Jammin’ with the energetic Fiddle O’Finnegan, the group’s most ambitious performance to date. To make sure they were not relaxing and enjoying themselves too much, the Ukulele Group demanded audience participation in a charming account of It’s Raining Tacos.

As a contrast to the choirs and ensembles, mid-way through the proceedings, we were treated to a solo violin performance by Xanthe B (Year 6) of a movement from Vivaldi’s Concerto in G Op. 3 No. 3. Xanthe wowed the audience with her agile bowing and dextrous left-hand technique, producing a tone and style entirely in keeping with the style of the piece.

The evening was rounded off with the entire School singing the 1980s Opus classic Live is Life with an energy and enthusiasm that summarised the joyfulness of the entire evening. Congratulations Years 3 to 6 on a fabulous evening’s entertainment!

You can watch a highlights video of the night here.