Music

The quantity and quality of music-making has been undiminished by the Pandemic, as the many YouTube

‘broadcasts ’ on the School’ s website and on social media testify. Since returning to something approaching ‘ normal’ music-making it has also been the Music School’ s policy to film-record almost every concert — one step short of livestreaming and a process which Shirburnian musicians completely take in their stride.

One of the wonderful aspects of the return to ‘ normality ’ has been the return of Abbey and Chapel services, the first since March 2020. The choirs moved back to

‘live ’ situations after endless individual recording compilations and new Music Scholars and Exhibitioners have continued largely to be ex-cathedral or Abbey choristers and, despite their uncertain musical times during lockdowns prior to their arrival at Sherborne, have adopted the Sherborne musical way with enthusiasm and rigour. There are again a huge number of musical ensembles rehearsing each week, supported by a staff that works unusual hours (there being staff-led ensemble coaching from 8.50-9.50pm four evenings a week alongside more spontaneous pupil-led music-making).

JAmES hENDERSON director of Music, Sherborne School and Sherborne Abbey

Daniel marks, our new Assistant Director of music (since September 2020) here writes of his first impressions of Sherborne’s music, and of a year of teaching and rehearsing music in circumstances which are hopefully behind us all:

When I came to my interview at Sherborne in February 2020, I was met by a department that fostered the same kind of culture I had previously encountered whilst studying at Chetham ’ s School of Music and Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance – you could easily be mistaken for thinking that the Music School at Sherborne was a specialist institution, such is the range of talent and passion for music that was on display. It was only a month later, in March 2020, at the start of the first COVID lockdown, that the schools closed nationally and Sherborne would not again receive boys in person until September 2020. Despite that, the department, led by Jamie Henderson, ensured that our many Shirburnian musicians enjoyed as much opportunity to make music despite the ever-changing pandemic restrictions.

The year began with the Choir, not as a 119-boy behemoth as in previous years, but split into four separate groups, further separated by Perspex screens, creating an aerosol safe environment for the boys to sing in. What most struck me about my first term at Sherborne was the impressive perseverance of the Shirburnian, determined to sing, and the way the Choir continued in this way – despite all these obstacles. In this first term, the Chamber Choir took on the responsibility of recording anthems and hymns every Thursday evening in time for a recorded service each Sunday. This rehearse-record setup is something you could expect professionals to be able to cope with, but the Shirburnians took it within their stride, the evidence of which can be found on YouTube. When the second school closures took hold in January 2021, remote learning and ensembles took hold once again. A full programme of Zoom ensembles took place, complete with sectionals and ‘break-out rooms ’ to facilitate the full range of groups and tuition to take place. All of the music staff were very proud of the boys for the way they adapted so well to this way of learning.

The achievement of the Shirburnians in this period cannot be understated. Not only did the boys maintain their ensemble schedules, but also took on a busy recording schedule, regularly recording themselves to accompaniments and click tracks – many boys doing upwards of 3-4 recordings per week! Putting together these recordings through Logic Pro X and editing them became a weekly activity for the music staff, with sometimes upwards of 35 separate tracks to compile. Although no substitute for the real thing, these efforts by both boys and staff kept the music alive during this difficult time.

Weekly lunchtime recitals also continued with no interruption, accompanists and boys working together remotely to prepare their performances in time for publishing every Friday. This added a whole new dimension to the boys ’ performances and split-screen videos enabled through Filmora software, become the norm! You can see the archive of concerts on the Sherborne School YouTube channel, now being added to on a weekly basis as we have decided to continue with recording our concerts.

The return of the boys in the Trinity Term presented the opportunity to resume sectional rehearsals and full socially distanced, screen separated, Choir rehearsals in the Chapel, to prepare for the end of term musical events. After nearly a year of sectional rehearsals, the Music School took over the BSR for the final week of term to allow for full ensemble recordings of the Wind Band, Concert Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra and Brass Band in preparation for the Virtual Gala Concert. It was a proud moment for me, amongst other performances directed by members of the team, to be able to conduct the full Concert Orchestra through a performance of Bernstein ’ s Mambo, with a result worthy of any live concert performance –made particularly impressive through battling through all those screens! The Gala Concert is also on the YouTube channel.