Founder's Concert at Emmanuel Church
On Wednesday 7th July, musicians from St. Helen's celebrated the end of term in style when they performed at the Founder's Concert held at Emmanuel Church in Northwood.
What a fantastic concert by a hundred multi-talented St. Helen’s girls! On the evening of breaking up from school, they performed all types of music for two hours - and every group, from the clarinet choir, through the Year 9 own modern compositions, to the full Wind, Jazz and Concert Bands excelled themselves.
The Clarinet choir played modern music by Gordon Jacob – the energetic Scherzetto, the stately Pavane, and the rustic Gopak. All sizes of recorders followed in a Reel and a Jig from Paul Clark’s Irish Suite, rhythmic and balanced. Then the Saxophone Quintet coped admirably with the difficult syncopation of Laurie Holloway’s Britannia Rag. String quartets followed – the Intermediates playing Haydn, and the Seniors the familiar Prince Igor theme from Borodin’s Polovtsian Dances.
Our two major soloists then performed – Sophie needed significant breath control for the lilting Allegro from Bach’s E Major Sonata for flute and piano, and Emily did professional justice to Fauré’s captivating Apres un Reve for mezzo-soprano. Both these top class musicians will be missed, as will all the many Year 13 girls who have helped to drive standards up again this year.
St. Helen’s Chorale voices swelled and serenaded us to Music when Soft Voices Die, and the St. Helen’s Singers were spot on with their rendering of Mendelssohn’s Lift Thine Eyes and the simple harmonies of Misty.
An innovation has been the Year 9 song writing and performance project, which the girls loved – three examples were played with equal talent and variety – first Isobel, Shivani and Elizabeth, then Bethanie and Clara, and finally Melissa, Jessica and Lily . They all demonstrated eye-opening composition and rhythm capabilities.
The four school bands completed the programme of just under two hours – first the Dixieland Band, totally at ease with Swing Low, Sweet Chariot; then the Wind Band, with the variety of Tijuana Taxi; the Jazz Band then gave us four numbers, from the classic Grapevine, through the difficult syncopation of Pick up the Pieces, the contrasting and jolly Cute, finishing (with clapping) with Elation . . . all very tuneful and enjoyable.
The big Concert Band completed our concert with selections from The Lion King, Pirates of the Caribbean and The Great Escape.
A retiring collection was made in aid of the Montgomery Heights Orphanage, Zimbabwe, where an Old Girl of St. Helen’s is currently working.
