Composers Concert 24th April 2009

The first Friday Lunchtime Recital of the term was the Composers’ Concert.  Images of the scores were projected, using Sibelius Software, on a screen which had been put up for the occasion in Cheap Street Church; the audience, numbering some 80 enjoyed following the scores where possible, or otherwise watching pictures and movie clips which had inspired the compositions.

Talented GCSE composers included Toby Mackean (5f), Alex Macey-Dare (5b), and Anthony Pollen (5m), variously offering some fascinating serialist techniques, variations, and an original composition in the Oasis/Britpop style.

A Level musician William Smibert (U6a) presented a film score entitled “The Mist”, scored for piano and string orchestra with timpani, with much luscious writing in very romantic and sentimental style, while A Level Music Technologist Olly Gardner (U6d) presented “Moonscape” for full orchestra which had been sequenced using the extensive colour palette of Pro Tools in the Recording Suite.

James Henderson, Director of Music, thanked the appreciative audience for their support and made clear that without the sophisticated technology which the Recording Studio contains – allowing performances to be created using sampled sounds of live instruments – most of the music heard in the concert would never have been given a public airing.  The event was a great success and will hopefully be repeated each year.

Posted: Wednesday, April 29, 2009