On Sunday 28th January, the triennial Music Festival was held at a school in Wiltshire. Taking over five areas of the campus, over 250 performances were put on by students aged thirteen to eighteen.

Each category held competitions within their instruments, and participants ranged from beginners to members of the National Youth Orchestra. A myriad of esteemed external adjudicators joined the event, including a current Head of Strings at a specialist music school. Arguably the greatest thing about this busy day was the enthusiastic involvement and interest in this celebration of music from so many pupils, allowing them to display their talents and dedicated effort. 

The Artistic Director called the day: “a truly uplifting and inclusive occasion”, offering the chance for pupils to proudly reflect on their achievements with the help of supportive audiences in the form of peers, parents and teachers. Anyone visiting the event would have been inspired by the atmosphere in the performance venues, and even along corridors, where nervous musicians warmed up as they congratulated those having just played.

The standard was held incredibly high, even by first-time performers, whose confidence built throughout their pieces. The Artistic Director commented: “Artistic competition will always produce healthy debate and at times even an element of controversy” which was certainly the case over the course of the day as lively conversations full of opinions emerged.

In the singing categories, two competitions were won by a performer whose rich warm tone, infectious expressiveness, and ability to cover a wide range of notes undoubtedly gained her the deserving wins. These vocal performances provided a huge variety of music, from heartbroken songs such as ‘Candle in the Wind’ to popular hits like ‘Valerie’.

The Woodwind and Brass category enticed a packed performance room, and like most of the senior sections, produced an impressively high standard. The Seniors were not the only ones to walk away with prizes however; two impressive pianists in their first year wowed the audience with polished performances of Bach and Beethoven pieces, beating older fellow musicians.  Many names were repeated on the programme, with one of the most enthusiastic performers playing in six items throughout the day.

The Chamber Music groups provided a true sense of what music is all about; passion, dedication and community. A hypnotic viola, clarinet and piano trio came in first place, followed closely by a flute trio and a cello duet. The non-verbal communication and understanding between the performers was incredible, and spanning year groups, this showed how music can bring people together. This sense of collaboration was also displayed as pupil-led Pop and Rock Bands took the opportunity to perform, including a joyful rendition of ‘There She Goes’.

The day was an impressive effort from all involved, and was a wonderful way to celebrate the many different aspects of the school’s music.