SUMMER TERM 2020/2021
THE BRITISH SCHOOL AL KHUBAIRAT
MUSIC NEWSLETTER britishschool.sch.ae
CONTENT MUSIC NEWSLETTER 2020/2021 Term 3 P03 P05 P06 P09 P11 P12 P15 P19 P21
Message from the Director of Music Summer Showcase Photos Primary Music Secondary Music Music Theory Brass Guitar Piano Singing
P24 P28 P31 P37 P38 P39 P40 P41 P42
Rock’n’ Pop Strings Woodwind Concerts: Cello & Piano Concerts: Flute & Guitar Concerts: Rock’n Pop & Sixth Form Sonatas Concerts: Strings & Brass Bonanza Concerts: You Will be Found & Unplugged Summer Showcase Promo Video
A MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR OF MUSIC As I was preparing our final Music Staff Team Meeting of the year, I thought I would close it by saying ‘let’s hope for a better year next year’, but somehow that didn’t seem quite right. It soon dawned on me that, in actual fact, we have had an amazing year full of imagination, flair, adaptability and ultimately, many musical successes. This Newsletter will focus on some of the many highlights that have taken place this term despite the challenges of all the various learning models to which we, and of course ‘ some of the photos, the ever-changing the students, have had to adapt. As you will see from circumstances have certainly had an affect on people’s sanity and it seems that some students have taken drastic measures to ensure they maintain their practice routines! Throughout the year more and more students have elected to sit the online ABRSM and Trinity exams which have been designed to replace the examiner visits whilst travel remains restricted. Ranging from Initial Grades up to Grade 8 the exams have to be recorded in one take and then submitted online to the examination board. At the time of writing, around 40 students have received their results and a staggering 80% of these have been Merits or Distinctions. This is a phenomenal achievement for our students, and of course their inspirational teachers. Last week I also had the privilege of hosting our Internal Exams for those who preferred to have a face-to-face exam. I was bowled over by the standard of performance and I hope that the feedback given to those students proves to be beneficial for their long-term progress. However it hasn’t only been the practical exams that have had to move online this year. The Theory exams have also been adapted to the current climate and are now hosted via specially-designed software. My thanks and congratulations go to Mrs Willson who has led the delivery of Theory lessons via Zoom and then invigilated the 5 exams that have taken place. This has been something new for everyone involved and will no doubt continue to develop in the future. Earlier in the term we had a bumper number of students audition to become part of the Music Scholars Programme from September. With the gradual reintroduction of co-curricular activities which will hopefully take place next year, we thought it appropriate to relaunch the scheme after the enforced hiatus of the past 18 months or so. I am delighted that 25 students will join the 14 who are already on the Programme and we look forward to providing a range of new opportunities designed to stretch and challenge them as well as broaden their musical horizons.
We have continued to provide a wealth of opportunities for students to submit online performances to be included in Virtual Concerts, and I am delighted that no fewer than 10 concerts are released with this Newsletter. This is an exceptional achievement, particularly in a term which has been stop-start and where many students have been more focused on their academic studies, or have taken vital assessments and/or school exams. To also collaborate with the Drama Department in a Summer Showcase was awe-inspiring and brought home to me just how vital the Arts subjects are. I was very close to tears when we first rehearsed the band and I know that some of those involved in the brilliant Unplugged shared that feeling too. The breadth of provision at BSAK really is first-class and I am full of admiration for the students and staff; the staff provide the opportunities but the way in which the students not only accept, but throw their hearts and souls into them, is just wonderful to witness. As ever as we approach the end of the school year, we have to say goodbye to students and colleagues. I would like to thank and pay tribute to all the children and young adults who are leaving for pastures new. Thank you for contributing so much to the musical life at BSAK and we wish you well for the future - please stay in touch! Philip Townley, our dynamic Head of Singing is also sadly leaving us after two years. Having not lived in the UK for several years, he has decided it is time to move closer to family and friends back home. Phil has been a fantastic singer teacher and Head of Singing during his time with us and it is such a shame that he wasn’t able to build further on the fantastic choral work that had begun to take place pre-Covid. One of the many highlights of his short time with us was the incredible collaboration with the Al Khubairat Singers and String Orchestra in performing Schubert’s Mass in G, both in a concert setting but later, as part of a church service for which the music was originally composed. We will certainly miss his caring, warm approach and we wish him (and his beloved Ipswich Town FC) all the very best of luck for the future. Returning to my opening statement and the wish for a ‘better’ year next year, I decided to settle upon a desire for a ‘less challenging year’ in which we can hopefully re-establish many of the activities that we all enjoy and that make our job as teachers so pleasurable. As ever I would like to thank all our incredible students, you as parents, our colleagues across both Primary and Secondary schools, the academic music teachers Sascha, Claire and Sarah and our amazing instrumental team, of whom there are simply too many to mention individually. My final word of thanks goes to Karen, our administrator, who does so much work behind the scenes to ensure the smooth running of the department. Have a great summer and we hope to see you back safe and sound in September.
Rob Hall Director of Music
SUMMER SHOWCASE 2021
PRIMARY CURRICULUM
Mrs Claire Dodds Mrs Sarah Smith
Year 6 have been exploring Instruments of the orchestra and have learnt about the composer John Williams and his music for movies. They have also been busy having fun using Music Technology. They have learnt about different layers of sound and have composed songs using Incredibox and Songmaker, copying and composing their own “ memes”!
YEAR 6 Year 5 have been learning all about Beethoven and have had lots of fun learning how to use a virtual keyboard. They have been learning the notes on the piano and can perform Beethoven’s well known ‘song’, Ode to Joy from his Ninth Symphony.
YEAR 5
Year 4 have been busy composing their own songs using Music Technology on song maker. They have also been having lots of fun learning about duration of notes dancing along to body percussion songs and playing our online “Rhythm Imposter” quiz!
YEAR 4 Year 3 have loved learning and performing our new song “Believe in Me” this term. They have also been thinking about the summer holidays and we’ve had lots of fun singing this wonderful uplifting song “ Let’s go Fly a Kite!”
YEAR 3 Year 2 have been learning about the four different families of the symphony orchestra. With a little help from the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, they have listened to, and identified the wonderful world of the orchestra. This introduction will help them to decide which instruments they might like to try and potentially learn as they move up to Year 3.
YEAR 2
Y1 have continued with the Space theme in Music, practising and perfecting the songs for a collaborative video for the end of term. They are so confident with the actions and melodies it’s sure to be a real treat. The whole year group singing sessions have taken part on zoom.
YEAR 1 In the Nursery the children have been playing a variety of classroom instruments. Exploring the sounds and the different ways they can be played. Reception and Nursery really enjoyed our African drumming, using different animal footsteps to create quiet/loud, fast/slow, long/short sounds on the drums.
EYFS
HEAD OF SECONDARY ACADEMIC MUSIC Mrs Sascha Dallas You may remember me telling you about our Podcasting topic in last term’s newsletter. Well this term our KS3 students have been busy composing a ‘jingle’ to accompany their podcast.
WHAT MAKES A GREAT JINGLE? Music has a way of somehow embedding itself into your psyche doesn’t it? Perhaps this is why companies use jingles to help sell their products to us. A catchy jingle is short and easy to remember, making them perfect for advertising products and making us want to spend our money. Over the past few weeks our KS3 students have been listening to famous jingles and identifying exactly what makes them so catchy and memorable. Students were aiming to compose something short and simple that would be instantly recognisable to the listener. We are so fortunate to have access to online composing software programs like soundtrap.com and flat.io, which means that, despite not being able to access the Music Department at the moment, students can still compose in the classroom each week. We have been really impressed by the standard of composition this year, many students have stepped out of their comfort zone and challenged themselves to compose music despite not necessarily being a practising musician. If you have a child in KS3 then please do take the time to listen to their work.
Look at these famous company logos. Would you recognise their JINGLES?
Exams Exams Exams… WHAT DOES AN ACADEMIC MUSIC EXAM ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE? Over the past few weeks all of our secondary students have been busy preparing for and sitting their end of year exams, and Music is no different. You might be wondering what an academic Music exam actually looks like for a student? Well, this year we were able to offer an online listening exam to all of our KS3 students, which involved listening to 5 pieces of music from various styles and genres, including Musical Theatre, Film Music, Blues, Minimalism and orchestral music. Students then answered questions about what they were hearing, using musical terminology like Dynamics, Tempo, Pitch and Texture. Why not test yourself by clicking on this link and answering the questions below: click here to try an exam question
1. 3.
Which FAMILY of instruments plays throughout this extract? 2. Can you describe the PITCH at the start of this extract? Which GENRE of film do you think this extract was taken from?
Due to the challenges of the past year our GCSE and A level students had a slightly different approach to their exam series this term. BSAK were able to provide a rigorous and thorough assessment program for these students which has enabled them to prove their abilities, despite not being able to sit their exams under normal conditions. We have been so impressed by the way our students have handled the disruption of the past year, and commend them on their resilience.
MUSIC THEORY Mrs Hanneke Willson
GRADE 5 ABRSM MUSIC THEORY This year has been quite challenging for the 5 students who completed the Grade 5 online exam in June. Because of the different year groups involved, most of the learning and teaching took place via Zoom over the course of the year. The major change in the structure of the paper is that the exam is online using the RPNow software and the writing of the exam is also videoed. Students can do the exam from the comfort of their own home, but the students and parents decided that it would be easier and more convenient to sit the exam at school. A special word of thanks goes to George Mathews and the school’s IT department for setting up a computer with a camera and software for the students to sit this exam. Well done to Vinuth Ratnayake, Raphael Duthie, Mathew Lomax, Advay Gupta and Savanna Stewart for being the pioneers in the new method of writing the exam. The results are not available yet, so we are holding thumbs, or crossing fingers for a good result.
HEAD OF BRASS Mrs Alison Bryce
Despite this year being one of many challenges, our Brass and Piano Team has continued to thrive, with new Brass scholars, a fantastic Sonata concert given by Caleb and Will (insert link) and a Virtual Brass Bonanza given by nearly all of our amazing Brass students! Congratulations to Caleb, Kesu and Harry, who will join the Scholars Programme from September. For those of you who were unsuccessful this time around, I am immensely proud of you and your dedication, and please do reapply next time!
Well done to all of you who have taken either an online exam or an internal exam this year. Everyone has achieved a merit so far, so well done to Caleb (grade 8 Trumpet), Kesu (Grade 6 Trombone), Fergus (Grade 1 Trumpet), and Ryan (Grade 4 Piano). Congratulations also to Millie, Harry, Miles and Rishan who sat their internal exams last week. This term it has been a joy to be able to get our BSAK Brass Quintet together for a few socially distanced sessions. How wonderful to be able to play in an ensemble together after so long! We have also had some rehearsals with our Year 7 Trumpet Trio and I look forward to more exciting projects with these two groups once we are able to run ensembles properly again. Thank you all for your fabulous “Extreme Brass photos” I have laughed so much seeing them (look out for who got in the shower and turned it on...) and some of the dare-devil positions you managed to get yourselves into are amazing. I hope everyone enjoys seeing them as much as I have - you are all legends! I’m pleased to report that no instruments were harmed in the making of these photos.e to come to work every day!
The end of the summer term is always a time when we say a sad and fond farewell to our leavers. This year, Will is leaving us to head to university in Manchester. Will has been a fabulous student to teach piano (and more recently trumpet!) to, and he has made my job so easy and rewarding. He got through to the second round at YMOG this year on piano (and won the Plucked Strings award for the 4th time) and more recently performed the entire Pathetique Sonata by Beethoven live in Secondary Reception and for a virtual Sonata Concert. I wish Will all the best for his new chapter and will miss him. Keep in touch - we will watch your musical journey with huge interest. All that remains for me to do is wish you all a happy and restful summer, whether you are travelling or not. If possible, please keep playing in the summer holidays. This will avoid us having to start all over again in September. Many students come back after not playing for the entire summer holiday and find that their instrument valves have seized up or they are unable to play a note which then makes them want to quit. This is because embouchure muscles are muscles that need to be exercised regularly or they forget what they are supposed to do. It doesn’t take long for playing to come back, but it can be frustrating. So… please play when you can!!! Have a wonderful summer and thank you all for your support and enthusiasm this year in often difficult circumstances. You make it a joy for me to come to work every day!
Have a great holiday!! Ali Bryce Head of Brass
A MESSAGE FROM THE GUITAR DEPARTMENT Mr Kalana De Silva HEAD OF GUITAR Mr Dennis Lopez GUITAR TEACHER
This has been a constantly changing term for all of us with switches between distance and face to face learning taking place, often at short notice, but the students’ resilience to adapt was remarkable. We are so impressed with all the guitar students for their dedication and desire to progress. Their enthusiasm to participate in online concerts and exams has been extremely positive. We have an enormous amount of talented students and we enjoy teaching them so much. We are delighted with their performances in the Guitar Concert, Rock & Pop Bands Concert and Unplugged. It was wonderful to see our guitarist involved in collaborative work, such as playing in bands and duets. Congratulations to James, Liya, Sreya and Sophie who have been accepted onto the Music Scholars Programme from September. I am sure we will hear much more from them in due course. This term there were a number of students who have been working diligently towards their music exams. The internal exams had a huge impact on the students as they had the opportunity to experience face to face music exams. Well done to Finlay, Max, Casper, Michael, Misha, Sam, Alexander and Charlie for their dedication and hard work towards this. Good luck also to Matthew, Ruixi, Keera, Dan and Reuben for their upcoming ABRSM and Trinity online exams. We would also like to welcome Bartholomew, Will, Iris and Harrison to BSAK Guitar Department. We hope they will continue to enjoy learning to play the guitar at BSAK.
It was really enjoyable to work with some Rock and Pop bands in a ‘Virtual’ Jam session and live video performance. Well done to Rock 60, Maj 2nd, The Jas, Humongous Fungus, Black Thundereboltz, and The Blues Band. I am looking forward to working with these talented groups next year. Dennis Lopez
At this time every year we have to say farewell to some of our students. We would like to wish them all the best with their future endeavours, especial mention to Abdulla, George, Jacqueline, Ryan and William.
We give a special mention to William who leaves a tremendous legacy at BSAK. He has excelled in all the areas: 4-times YMoG best guitarist, a distinction in his Diploma and a Rock Guitar album released, to name but a few. We hope to hear about his continued success in music. Thank you for the Music Will!! If you missed his interview with Mr Hall in the last Newsletter, please see the link below: https://youtu.be/oZk9IVqhU4g
Many thanks to all the parents for their support and understanding throughout this year. We could not have done without you. We also would like to mention Calum Mowat our bsak former guitarist for the support he has offered. Finally congratulation to all our amazing students for their resilience throughout this year. We wish you all a safe and enjoyable summer. We wish you all a restful break! Kalana De Silva Head of Guitar Sarah Irfan- BSAK Parent
A MESSAGE FROM THE PIANO DEPARTMENT Mr Alex Tchobanov | HEAD OF PIANO Mr Ramzi Hakim | PIANO TEACHER Mrs Ali Bryce | PIANO TEACHER Mrs Hanneke Willson | PIANO TEACHER
In spite of the limitations in place due to covid, the Piano Department has managed to keep busy and achieve positive results. My heartfelt gratitude goes to Nuoze Han, Heidi Cheah, and William Hargreaves for participating in a Virtual Piano Master Class with Dr. Roberta Rust, a Concert Pianist and Head of Piano Department at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida for over twenty years. She was my own piano professor in college and we were all delighted to have this amazing experience. Congratulations to Mohammad Shote and Zayed Shote for their top prizes at the Kaleidoscope online competition based in Poland. In addition, I would like to compliment Kenodh De Silva, George Bennell, Hailey Schwindt, Ryan Hamood, Alexander Clarke, Alexander Davis, and Jiaming Lu for their high marks in the ABRSM remote assessment examinations. Our Summer Virtual Piano Concert (link is towards the back of the Newsletter) includes a number of videos made by our wonderful pianists. Last but not least, we are extremely proud of William Hargreaves, who has been an outstanding piano student this year , working extremely hard and getting through to the second round at the YMOG Competition on the piano. Good luck for your very exciting future Will, and keep in touch. We will miss you! Many thanks to Ali Bryce, Ramzi Hakim and Hanneke Willson for their hard work and dedication throughout the school year. Congratulations to all students and teachers!
Our Head of Keyboard, Alexander Tchobanov is delighted to share his recordings of piano works by the Russian composers Scriabin and Rachmaninoff, which have recently been released by the Ulysses Arts label in the UK. They are available on more than 60 digital service providers worldwide. Please feel free to click on the links below to listen: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7srbt3tLIOX5XCRom0p2y9? https://youtube.com/channel/UC9zaQNWNAhpbIYITCZwkPAw https://music.apple.com/ae/artist/alexander-tchobanov/1559061 768?ls
HEAD OF SINGING Mr Philip Townley
This year, the singing students have shown just how resilient they are. It was wonderful to welcome so many of them back and I must say how impressed I was with their constant, focussed attitude to singing lessons whether face to face or on Zoom. The big project for this term has been the departmental-wide “You will be found” project. Ten of our singers took part and the recording is available for viewing via the link at the back of the Newsletter. This was only possible due to the hard work and dedication of so many members of staff within the department. It has been wonderful that three of our singers have been accepted onto the Music Scholars Programme and they will benefit hugely from this. Congratulations to Ava, Maya and Zain. This term there have also been numerous exam successes. Congratulations to Ava, Maya and Seren. In the final week of term Adele, Eva, Jac, Rose and Zain will record their online exams with us. We wish them all the very best. The end of an academic year marks the moment when students venture to pastures new. Adele, Amelie and Rose (Year 13) are off to university where they will be able to experience singing in Europe and the huge benefits that brings. We also say goodbye to Jac, who is off to one of the most prestigious boarding schools in the US. In the lower years Maggie and Saoirse, who have just started their promising musical journey, are leaving the UAE. Another star of the department, Silvie, is also sadly leaving the UAE. We wish you all the best for what is to come. As this is my last term at BSAK, I would like to thank all my students and parents for all the support that has been given to me over the past two years. It has been an absolute pleasure to teach this wonderful group of students and I wish them all the very best for the next chapter. I would also like to thank Briana Corrigan for all of her hard work, humour and dedication to the Singing Department. It has been wonderful being able to work with you.
YOU WILL BE FOUND You Will be Found
YOU WILL BE FOUND
ROCK & POP Mrs Briana Corrigan SINGING TEACHER
It’s been a busy term in Rock and Pop! Our cross collaborative project, “You Will Be Found” dragged us some way back to a sense of “normal” as we explored ways to rehearse and remain Covid compliant and, even more challengingly, manage to get our singers on stage to record a live performance along with full (socially distant) band….which we did. We also resurrected Unplugged after missing three terms due to Covid restrictions. It wasn’t possible to offer Unplugged as the live gig it normally is, instead we recorded it and many thanks go to ex-student, Calum Mowat for his excellent skills and his amazing photos and to Kalana de Silva for his brilliant skills in the editing suite! The criteria for Unplugged was that the students would have a performance focus for the term and an experience of performing within a gig setting; stage, lights, full band etc and so get a flavour of that delicious adrenalin rush performance brings. The fear was that after such a lull in live performance it might feel a little shaky, however this proved to be an utterly groundless fear. In fact, the reality was exactly the opposite. Across the board the performances were stronger than ever, stepping up to the challenge with focus and some fabulous results. The singers were, one and all, amazing and the bands simply excellent. From Yr 5 up to Yr 13, they each gave their all in the most wonderful and assured manner proving yet again the incredible and joyous resilience of our BSAK students. All the favorite tracks were on show, from the epic, spine-tingling, brass flooded drama of Skyfall to the delicate, emotional beauty of Hallelujah; we had Year Six’s pounding rendition of Seven Nation Army, the blistering soul of Aretha’s Natural Woman, the Artic Monkey’s stomping 505, Royals, Billie Eilish’s I Love You and even an original composition, Fishes In The Pond…. All songs from across the spectrum of Rock and Pop and so wonderful to hear alive and kicking in this subdued era we are living through.
We were also treated to two wonderful final BSAK performances, firstly from Will with his storming rendition of the famous guitar solo in Bon Jovi’s Sweet Child of Mine, and secondly from Cora who took Beyonce’s song Spirit and showed Queen Bey just how it should be done. Both Will and Cora have been large presences within the music department and will be sorely missed. Which of course brings me to the sad subject of our leavers. Trinity, have an amazing time in Uni, Amelie, your stunning version of Someone Like You will stay with me! Izzy, a ray of sunshine gone, Sylvie, never stop singing! Saskia, we’d only just begun!, Ella, Little Mix fan of the Year and Lily Mac, your silky tones will be missed! And lastly, a sad goodbye to my singing pal Phil Townley (aka W.D.) And just remember each one of you, “If I’m going to sing like someone else then I don’t need to sing at all” (Billie Holiday.) Wishing you all the luck in the world.
BSAK UNPLUGGED
A MESSAGE FROM THE STRINGS DEPARTMENT Mr Roger Norkie | HEAD OF STRINGS Mr Milan Jankovic | CELLO TEACHER Mrs Hanneke Willson | STRINGS TEACHER
Another year is coming to a close and despite its many challenges, our students managed to make incredible progress on their instruments. We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate them. Participation in our virtual concerts this year received a huge uptake each term in which students demonstrated and showcased their hard work. I really hoped you enjoyed listening to them as much as we enjoyed putting them together. Many of our students completed internal examinations with Mr Hall and Mr Townsley acting as our examiners. They clearly impressed the examiners as we had many students pass with merits and distinctions. A special mention goes to Jiaming Lu who passed his ABRSM Grade 8 examination with a distinction. The string team continued their recruitment drive at the start of the academic year and needless to say, it was a great success. We got a huge uptake of students learning the violin and cello in year 2, 3 and 4. We wish these young learners well on their journey to become proficient players in the future. We hope they will be able to join our beginner groups, ‘Violin time’ and ‘Cello time’ when we resume co-curricular activities, hopefully sometime in the first term, next academic year.
As our ensembles were not allowed to rehearse during the pandemic, we formed a number of smaller groups to play chamber music. For the first time in over a year, our students were able to play some live music in groups, allowing them to enjoy the social aspect of learning an instrument. This did give them that extra incentive to practise, having something to work towards. A special mention to those students who will leave us at the end of the academic year. Some of you joined BSAK in Primary School and spent your entire school career with us. Thank you for the countless concerts, rehearsals and fond memories we have made together. Continue making music and all the best for your futures. We say goodbye to William Hargreaves, Cora Bridgeman, Amelie Popplewell, Katie Popplewell, Savanna Stewart and Jemima Meah. The link to our Virtual Summer Concert is towards the back of the Newsletter. As I’m sure you'll all agree, the progress is evident across the year, so please sit back and enjoy. From the string team we hope you all have a wonderful summer, keep up the practising and see you in September. Roger, Hanneke and Milan Strings Department
A MESSAGE FROM THE WOODWIND DEPARTMENT
Mrs Claire Day HEAD OF WOODWIND Mr Steve Kerr WOODWIND SPECIALIST
Rather than thinking of all the things musically that haven't happened this term, I am choosing to reflect on being thankful for face to face lessons, for the fresh enthusiasm of new students, for successful scholar applications and for the amazing ABRSM exam results achieved. As we approach the summer break I would like to wish all students a happy holiday, safe travels (if able to do so) and good luck to those who are leaving permanently - you shall be sadly missed, thought of often, and remembered for your music. It’s never easy saying goodbye; and when we have taught a student over many years it is particularly heart wrenching saying farewell and adieu! Best wishes to the following students who will no longer be with us at BSAK Izzy Moorhouse, Emma High and Eugenie El-Chayeb. Here are some thoughts from one of our scholars, Emma High, as she heads off to University…
SPOTLIGHT ON A SCHOLAR Emma High is a Year 13 Music Scholar who plays the flute at diploma level. Emma started learning the flute at BSAK when she was in Year 4 and is now ready for university in September we thought it would be nice to get her perspective on Music at BSAK as we prepare to say farewell to one of the brightest stars of the Woodwind Department What do you enjoy about music Emma? Music to me is extremely personal and a way to escape a busy day. It is so peaceful and gives me a sense of control, as well as being extremely rewarding when learning a new piece. What difference has being a Scholar made to you? It has allowed many new opportunities that have developed me as a musician, for example the workshops. They have built my confidence and the recognition of being a Scholar motivated me with my progression with flute. It also allowed me to build stronger relationships with the music teachers which was a highlight of my school experience. As you say goodbye to BSAK what musical memories do you have? My first memory of flute is one of the first primary concerts I was in. I was too nervous to actually play so I just pretended the whole time. My fondest memory was at Young Musician of the Gulf when we found out that ‘Zig Zag Zoo’ got into the semifinal and Mrs Day was so proud and happy. Where do you see yourself taking music in the future when you go to university? Do you think you will continue? At university I will definitely continue to play as it’s something I’m extremely passionate about. I will most likely join some uni ensembles (depending on covid) and continue working towards my diploma in flute.
Bravo to Viraj (flute) Grade 7, Munachi 7, Sehansa 5, Aaliya 3, Izzy 3, and Viraj again (this time on clarinet) 7, for taking their ABRSM exams this term - we look forward to all the results being in during the next few weeks - the Woodwind Department is really proud of you! STOP PRESS Results just in….Sehansa Grade 5 Flute Distinction 142/150 Viraj Grade 7 Flute Distinction 136/150 Congratulations also to Munachi, Viraj, Ryan, Sehansa, Avishi, Raphael, Clodagh, Scarlett and Kirstie on passing the rigorous audition process required to be accepted onto the Music Scholars Programme at BSAK...you join an already strong team of woodwind scholars - Mia, Zoya, Maisie and Dautari look forward to working with you! For some fun and fabulous flutey facts please use the link at the back of the Newsletter
Best wishes to you all for a safe and happy holiday from myself and Mr Kerr Keep up with your studies and always remember to play for pleasure, Claire Day Head of Woodwind
CELLO SUMMER CONCERT
PIANO SUMMER CONCERT
FLUTE SUMMER CONCERT
GUITAR SUMMER CONCERT
ROCK’N POP BAND
SIXTH FORM SONATAS
UPPER STRINGS SUMMER CONCERT
BRASS BONANZA
YOU WILL BE FOUND
BSAK UNPLUGGED
SUMMER SHOWCASE - Promo Video
