On Tuesday evening, Francis Holland Prep hosted our inaugural Autumn Concert… and what a show it was!
Hosted in the spectacular space at St Luke’s Church, the concert began with the Orchestra playing the classic tune ‘What a Wonderful World’. This was followed by the whole of Year 5 performing ‘Shotgun’ by George Ezra on their Ukuleles, singing their hearts out supported by the Staff Choir. Next we were moved by Year 3 and 4 Chamber Choir singing crowd favourites ‘Edelweiss’ and ‘Do you Want to Build a Snowman?’. Their performance evoked both joy and reflection – truly wonderful!
This was followed by Year 6 on the Steel Pans performing traditional Caribbean melodies ‘Three Note Samba’ and ‘Cool Waters’. They did this with such precision and flair. The Year 5 and 6 Chamber Choir continued the show with excellent renditions of Homeward Bound and Speechless. Their performance left us all inspired!
Year 3 treated us to a percussion extravaganza with their Boom Whacker performance of the ‘The Nutcracker March’. They brought this classic to life with their precise ensemble playing. There are definitely some excellent orchestral players to come from this group! Next to perform were Year 4 on the Xylophones with Carl Orff’s ‘Mbira Jam’. Their steady beat and ensemble playing was a huge accomplishment!
The Staff Choir were the next to take to the stage. Who knew we had so much hidden talent in our teaching staff? I am so pleased that the girls were able to see their teachers produce such a stellar performance.
The String Group led by Vanessa Smith performed ‘King of the Fairies’ with fantastic energy and skill. They truly brought this piece to life!
To close our concert, every pupil of Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 joined us on the stage to perform our three massed choir pieces. First, a stirring rendition of ‘Adiemus’, the powerful theme from Avatar. This was followed by the energetic ‘Wake Me Up’, and showstopping ‘Shine’. They truly dazzled the audience with their powerful voices and dance moves!
I must give a huge thank you to all of the teachers who supported the rehearsals and running of this concert. Thank you to Helen Vickery, Andrew Moore and Vanessa Smith for supporting the accompaniment, and to Benji Page for the technical assistance. I am certainly looking forward to many more incredible concerts to come!
Miss Houlder, Director of Music
