We are hugely proud of everything our talented students achieve outside of Purcell and take great pleasure in sharing this in our Weekly Highlights. If you are a parent of a current student and wish to share news of your child’s accomplishments, please send a brief note to publicity@purcell-school.org.
Purcell Students become LPO Junior Artists
We were delighted to hear earlier this week that Year 11 french horn player Alex and Year 12 oboist Rhea have become London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) Junior Artists.
LPO’s Junior Artists is a free orchestral experience programme for talented young musicians from backgrounds currently under-represented in professional UK orchestras. Junior Artists become part of the London Philharmonic Orchestra family for a year, getting to know the LPO musicians, receiving support and advice, all while gaining an insightful experience of a professional orchestra.
What a fantastic opportunity! Our congratulations to Alex and Rhea.
University of Cambridge Youth Climate Change Conference
Not content with becoming an LPO Junior Artist, Alex (Year 11) has been awarded a Highly Commended prize for his composition ‘The One Season’ at the recent University of Cambridge Youth Climate Change Conference at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge. Alex attended the conference for a day over half-term, and we are delighted to hear that his composition was played as part of that day. Well done, Alex.
UKMT Senior Maths Challenge 2022 2023
Congratulations to the following students who achieved special certificates in the UKMT Senior Maths Challenge competition for Year 12 and Year 13 students run by the UK Mathematics Trust. In addition, Thomas (Year 13) has qualified for the next round of the competition which is reserved for the top 3% of candidates.
Gold Certificate
Year 13 – Thomas
Silver Certificates
Year 12 – Grace, Lindsey
Bronze Certificates
Year 12 – Ivan, Chloe, Herman, Jacquline, Da-In, Yu-Wei, Jessie
Over 820,000 pupils from across the UK completed the Maths Challenge with the top 10% receiving a gold certificate, the next 20% silver and the next 30% bronze. These challenging A Level problems are a real test of mathematical reasoning and problem solving skills.
Purcell’s Art Dept takes on The Big Draw
Purcell’s amazing Art Department has outdone itself once again with an awe-inspiring submission to the world’s largest drawing festival, The Big Draw.
The Big Draw is a worldwide celebration of drawing, which promotes the universal language of drawing as a tool for learning, expression and invention. This year’s theme is #ComeBackToColour which aims to foster a rediscovery of vitality, health, care and vibrancy following the challenges of the last few years.
Inspired by the recent Hatfield House Chamber Music Festival performance with renowned artist James Mayhew and a lunchtime concert given by accordion player Mikhail (Year 13), the Art Department embarked upon what can only be described as a simply enormous live action painting!
Mikhail performed three pieces – all emotionally different – in the Art Studio for groups of students across years 7-9 who, in turn, responded to his playing by drawing and mark making on a large canvas. The music evoked lots of different shapes, colours and feelings for the student participants, who used the canvas as a means to capture what they felt about the music.
Head of Art, Victoria Samuel explained that ‘The three songs had a totally different feel, you can really see this in the marks made by the students. About 30 students across all key stages responded over the 25 min set to produce this beautiful outcome, capturing the event. This [canvas] is now the first of a few, as we want to do some more for different instruments and songs, and make a series based on the Big Draw theme this year’.
Surrounding the event, the Art Faculty taught the students about artists such as Kandinsky, Synesthesia and James Mayhew, as well as embracing a variety of music-related art responses and discussing the importance of drawing, doodling and mark making – as something inclusive and deeply ingrained in all of us!
Huge thanks and congratulations to Mikhail and to all the students who took part in this extraordinary event.
A link to our Big Draw event page is here and, as it is a competition, we would be thrilled it you could vote for our submission here.
