Music Extravaganza Hits All the Right Notes
JC Chalmers Hall was brimming at capacity for the Boys’ School Music Extravaganza, as parents, families, and staff gathered to enjoy one of the year’s most anticipated musical showcases. Every type of ensemble from Year 2 to 8 was represented on stage, performing pieces that showcased the depth and diversity of the school’s music programme under the direction of Head of Music, Georgina Jarvis.
The audience were welcomed into the school gates by a polished Boys’ School Pipe Band. Once inside, the audience waited in anticipation, before all three choirs opened the evening with an upbeat Fanga Alafia, aptly meaning, ‘we welcome you’. The professional performance from the Drum Corps of the Drum salute then set the scene for a lively sequence of choral and instrumental performances spanning genres and eras. Performances included Broadway’s New York New York, an exquisite string performance of Fantasia on Greensleeves, Steam Train with our Pipers playing in five parts, and the rock sounds of Oasis.
Beginners and advanced players and singers alike produced top quality performances showing how far they have come this year. The group ensembles were interspersed with some of our more advanced individuals. Austin Watson gave a polished trumpet rendition of Café 1930 and Cyrus Tong’s spirited take on Pirates of the Caribbean cleverly combined with Croatian Rhapsody drew thunderous applause.
The Jazz ensembles also did not disappoint as they continue to go from strength to strength, led with maturity by seasoned Senior players. And when the audience thought there couldn’t possibly be more to come, the Ten Hands Piano Club surprised the room with a superb performance, complete with sparkly top hats, in equal doses of showmanship and skill.
To bring the night to a close, two mega collaborations pieces took to the stage. First, every instrumentalist combined with the Pipe Band for a strong performance of Hector the Hero. The finale, Coldplay’s Viva La Vida, a dramatic and sweeping song fit for the finale of an evening overflowing with vibrancy and talent.
