Autumn Term in the Music Department
11 December 2024 - All
The anticipation for the start of the year was even greater than usual as we had reached the end of over a year of major refurbishments in the Music School. The building has seen significant change and remodelling, and at the heart of the works is a new two-story atrium space equipped with a new grand piano and a live digital wall displaying notices and live streams from the Archer Recital Hall. This has proved to be a valuable new social, rehearsal and performance space. We have also gained new individual teaching rooms, a chamber music rehearsal room and a recording studio. Pre-existing spaces such as the classrooms and Britten and Holst have been refurbished and enlarged, and instrumental storage for pupils has been expanded and improved. We now have a soundproof drum room, and the seating and AV in the Archer Recital Hall have been replaced and reorganised, providing us with a refreshed modern performance space. The changes have enriched our programme and continue improving our offering of specialist rehearsal spaces, enabling more simultaneous activities to occur.
As always, the Autumn Term is a busy term, and we have heard over 60 solo performances in Lunchtime Concerts, Music Award Holders’ Concerts, Performance Showcases and Chapel Services, and five rock bands performed alongside bands from Harrow at a successful joint Rock Soc concert at the beginning of November. The Annual Archer Concert on Remembrance Sunday included Symphony and Chamber Orchestras, Chapel Choir, Holst Singers, Junior Concert Band and fantastic solos from five of our Sixth Form. It was a real celebration of the breadth and quality of music-making at Wycombe Abbey, with a programme ranging from Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto to Brian Wilson’s God Only Knows. Towards the end of November, Holst Singers travelled to Great Missenden to perform with soloists from other schools in a Charity Concert in aid of the Buckinghamshire Historic Churches Trust, singing and playing to an appreciative and enthusiastic full house.
One of the highlights of this term has been the focus on House Music. Two of the three rounds of this competition took place this term, with the final round, the House Singing Competition, being held in the last week of the Spring Term. The first round is our annual solo performance competition, the Wycombe Abbey Competitive Music Festival. Held over three days, this included over 200 individual performances. The adjudicator for the finals was Hilary Sturt, Head of Chamber Music at the Junior Royal Academy of Music. The House gaining the highest marks overall was Butler. The House Ensemble Competition was held in Chapel the last Friday in November. There were some well-prepared entries and enthusiastic participation, and Wendover’s performance was awarded first place by unanimous vote from all adjudicators.
In the final week, the School was ringing with the sound of Christmas music. Celebrations started with the ever-popular Carol Prac, accompanied by the Junior Concert Band. Every attempt was made to raise the roof in Big School with the enthusiastic renditions of The Charterhouse Carol and The Twelve Days of Christmas. UIII performed superbly in the Junior Carol Service, singing Rutter’s Carol of the Children and Gardener’s The Holly and the Ivy. The End of Term Carol Services heard music from Chapel Choir, Chancel Choir and Holst Singers, with beautiful solos from our Clarence choir members and including music by Chilcott, Darke, Britten and, of course, more Rutter – a fitting end to a busy and musically rewarding term.
Mr Stefan Reid
Director of Music
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