Weekly Highlights 13th October 2023

Purcell Students Past and Present Perform at Spirit of Ukraine Concert

On Sunday, as part of the Watford Fringe Festival, Year 9 voice student Sonya and Purcellian soprano Bernice Clark performed in a gala concert for Ukraine hosted by the Sunflower Social Club.

The event was incredibly well received with one audience member commenting that Sonya’s performance was ‘outstanding! Both in her singing and also accompanying on the piano. She did herself and the School proud’.

Congratulations to both Sonya and Bernice.
 

Purcell and the London Youth Concert Band

On Sunday 8th October, hot off the heels of a very successful Open Morning, The Purcell School Symphonic Wind Orchestra hosted a joint workshop and informal concert with the London Youth Concert Band (LYCB) in the CP Hall. Following an afternoon of full orchestral rehearsals of Holst’s Suite in E-flat and Marquez’s Danzon No. 2, an audience of parents and staff were treated to an informal joint concert.

Our thanks to all the students who took part so eagerly in this event, and a special mention to the Heads of Departments, Ryan Hepburn and Joy Farrall, and instrumental teachers, Ruth Molins and Mike Poyser, for giving their time and expertise so willingly.

Richard Benjafield Visits Purcell

Last Wednesday, the Percussion department was treated to a masterclass with the Guildhall School of Music and Drama’s Head of Wind, Brass and Percussion, Richard Benjafield.

Richard Benjafield is an experienced percussion soloist and leading ensemble performer. He founded the Ensemble Bash, who performed at Purcell last academic year, and his experience of all kinds of music, be that contemporary, solo, chamber, percussion and orchestral, was shared enthusiastically with our students. They found the session invaluable.

Our thanks to Richard. We hope to see you again soon.
 

Joe Bates Masterclass

Last week, composer Joe Bates visited Purcell to talk to our students about tuning and microtonality. The workshops, which began with some listening and brainstorming, swiftly became experiments in playing microtonally – the latter made possible by a set of custom Hyasynths made specifically for the project. We would like to thank Joe for these engaging and thought-provoking sessions. They were thoroughly enjoyed by all.

An article about the workshops is available here on the Joe Bates website.
 

Year 12 Composer Research Trip

Last Friday our Year 12 composers went on a trip to Tring, Hertfordshire, to research sounds and ideas for Purcell’s Junior Composer in Association Michael Small’s project ‘In Touch with Nature’. The group visited Tring Forest and Natural History Museum, where they had great fun and also came away full of fantastic ideas.

Thank you to Michael Small and Paul Kindred for leading and facilitating this trip.

Art Studio Highlight

The output of Purcell’s Art Studio never ceases to amaze us, and it is a pleasure to share here some photos from a recent lesson, as well as highlights from the 2022/23 GCSE and A Level examinations.

The latter are courtesy of the following students:

GCSE: Phoebe (Year 12)
A Level: Tiana, Lyra, Clio and Misha (departed Year 13)
A Level: Freddie F and Freddie (departed Year 13)
GCSE: Aaron and Birce (Year 12)
GCSE: Jessie (Year 12)

Concerts Department Highlights

This week we performed at two lunchtime concerts at St. Mary’s Watford and St. John’s Boxmoor. At Purcell, we hosted a concert in celebration of Robin Holloway, a Lower School concert and four lunchtime concerts.

Well done to all performers for their brilliant playing: Teodora, Emma, Lucas, Rhea, Antonia, Aaron, Grace, Anna, Yeju, Malena, Phoebe, Ella, Rebecca, Suanoi, Thomas, Ekaterina, Birce, Jacqueline, Ruize, Theadora, Herman, Oscar, Jiahao, Rhys, Joshua, Trevor, Alex, Skye, Willow, Goulwenna, David, Ostap, Ciara, Kevin, Kelchi, Elsa, Zarema, Siyue, Victor, Marija and Rowena.
 

Calling all Purcell Alumni

Are you a Purcell School alumni? Then read on!

We are running a campaign to re-engage with former Purcell students and we would like to connect with you! In order to reach out and share exciting news and event invitations, we need your contact details. Please take just 2 minutes to complete this very short online form and let us know your mailing preferences. Those who complete the form before 5pm on 1st November will be entered into a prize draw to win a Purcell goody bag!

Thank you and good luck!
 

Forthcoming Events

In addition to those highlighted events below, please visit our new online Concerts and Events Guide here.

Monday 20th November – Purcell Symphony Orchestra at St John’s Smith Square
Time: 7.30pm
Venue: St John’s Smith Square, Smith Square, London SW1P 3HA, UK
Tickets: Tickets are £5 to £20 and available to purchase here

Performers:
Purcell School Symphony Orchestra
Paul Mann, Conductor
Hana McDowell, Violin
Ekaterina Chunikhina, Oboe

Programme:
Laila Arafah – Slacktide, Warbling (Purcell Parallels, WP)
Daniel Fardon – August Tune: Running Music (Purcell Parallels, WP)
Bartók – Violin Rhapsody No 1
Martinu – Oboe Concerto
Brahms, arr. Robin Holloway – Symphony in F minor

Tuesday 21st November – Purcell Symphony Orchestra at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire
Time: 1.05pm
Venue: Bradshaw Hall, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, 200 Jennens Rd, Birmingham B4 7XR, UK
Tickets: Free admission. Booking, however, is required. Please book here.

Performers:
Purcell School Symphony Orchestra

Programme:
Laila Arafah – Slacktide, Warbling (Purcell Parallels, WP)
Daniel Fardon – August Tune: Running Music (Purcell Parallels, WP)
Brahms, arr. Robin Holloway – Symphony in F minor

Wednesday 29th November – Wigmore Hall
Time: 7.30pm
Venue: Wigmore Hall, 36 Wigmore Street, London W1U 2BP
Tickets: £18 and available here.

There is always much excitement for our annual soloists’ concert at Wigmore Hall! An astonishing proportion of students audition for the opportunity to perform and an external adjudicator has the difficult task of selecting the final programme. This concert is definitely not one to miss.

Programme:
Rebecca Clarke – Viola Sonata, I. Impetuoso
York Bowen – Flute Sonata Op. 120, I. Allegro non troppo
Martinů – Sonatina for Clarinet and Piano H. 356
Kodály – Duo for Violin and Cello Op. 7, I. Allegro serioso, non troppo
Eric Sammut – Libertango
Nebojša Živković – Ilijaš
Debussy – Étude No.11
Toru Takemitsu – Rain Tree Sketch No.2
Ravel – Jeux D’Eau
Fauré– Nocturne
Liszt – Vallée d’Obermamm from Années de Pélerinage
Liszt – Concert Étude S.144 No.2

Performers:
Mina, Suanoi, Birce, Dominic, Lindsey, Ali, Nancy and Grace