Music

The academic year of 2020-21 posed some signifi cant challenges for our musicians in school!

MUSIC

For obvious and important reasons, restrictions in place to help tackle the Covid-19 pandemic forced our musicians to be ever more creative, yet despite the unusual year and lack of live events, Kingswood’s musicians still shone through as tenacious and resilient artistes.

OUTSTANDING EXAMINATION RESULTS

The Music Department were delighted to celebrate the following students who achieved their Grade 8 or above this year:

ARSM

Joe Randolph

Cello with Merit

Mia Randolph

Piano with Merit

ATCL

Sonia Sung

Harp with Distinction

Grade 8

Imogen Hall

Piano with Merit

Janice Ng

Clarinet Performance

Gordon Tse

Piano with Distinction

Jayden Yip

Viola Performance

Naomi Waheed

Singing with Merit

YEAR 13 MUSIC SCHOLARS

• Byron Chan cello • Timothy Green clarinet, piano, voice • Dominic Lambert Rose cello, piano, saxophone • Tayo Sawyerr trumpet

This year’s Year 13 Music Scholars were a distinguished group of the finest instrumentalists. Over the years, they have each contributed in hugely significant ways, from performing as soloists and in ensembles, to touring with the Department, leading sections in rehearsals and being a positive influence for our younger musicians. As fantastic ambassadors for the Department, they set the tone and balance of hard work and fun, and were the most reliable and resilient group of musicians. Faced with unique musical challenges in the Sixth Form, they each contributed in their own way to the Department’s virtual activities. Their final performance at the KATS awards showcased their musical talent and community spirit!

MUSICAL MINUTE MAKER

During the Spring term lockdown, musicians were encouraged to log their practice hours on the Musical Minute Maker. Well done to everyone who contributed, but particularly to Year 8 who logged over 15,000 practice minutes!

Whilst our usual programme of trips and events were suspended, new avenues of exploration emerged. Technology became a real feature of the Music Department’s activities and we were fortunate to benefit from our wonderful studio facilities to record virtual concerts.

• Autumn Term Virtual Concert – released in support of Help

Musicians UK, this fundraising concert helped to raise important funds for those in the industry experiencing financial hardship. • Whole School Service Hymn Recordings – our classes got to work recording hymns to be used in Whole School Services, including highlights from 7D singing Tell Out My Soul and our

GCSE musicians singing In Christ Alone. • Solo Recordings For Services – part of the Department’s usual weekly activity includes solo performers providing reflective music for services. This year, each reflection was recorded in the studio, ready for broadcast across Teams. • Christmas Concert – the most ambitious recording project undertaken, the whole Christmas Concert was recorded in the studio, and skilfully edited by Mr Cheston, our Graduate

Music Assistant for the year. Members of Senior Orchestra,

KJO, Chamber Choir, Westwood Orchestra & Westwood Voices all contributed to a variety of festive and entertaining items which were streamed and enjoyed from the comfort of our own homes.

• Carol Service – Year 12 Chamber Choir provided stunning recordings of music retelling the Christmas Story. • The Scholars’ Concert – another new online venture, featuring the Department’s Music Scholars: Year 7 – Beth Dinnis, Leo

Muscroft, Santiago Tankard, Elfriede Wong; Year 8 – Alexander

Kirkwood, Max Wilson, Jayden Yip; Year 9 – Anna Haldenby,

William Greig; Year 10 – Katie Green, Joe Randolph, Aurora

Vergani; Year 11 – Elsa France, Freddie Stockton, Sonia Sung,

Emily Watkins; Year 12 – Colby Chu, Larissa Man, Storm Neech,

Mia Randolph, Izzy Vaughan; Year 13 – Byron Chan, Timothy

Green, Dominic Lambert Rose, Tayo Sawyerr. • KATS – the first live event to be hosted in many months,

Year 13 Music and Drama students joined together to celebrate their combined creative talents. Read more about it elsewhere in this edition!

• Prize Giving and Final Assembly – a combination of live music and recorded pieces, with AyoOluwa Thomas stunning the audience with her rendition of True Colours, and the Year 12

Chamber Choir providing a moment of reflection, singing two settings of classic Wesley texts: Goodall’s Love Divine and

Forrest’s And Can It Be.

• Autumn and Spring Term Informal Concerts – featuring performances from musicians across all year groups.

After such an unusual year and with so little live music-making, we look forward excitedly to the coming academic year, which sees the return of concerts and events for all to enjoy!

CHRISTMAS CONCERT 2020

Use the QR Codes to view the 2020/21 Virtual Concert Series

Christmas Scholar

INFORMAL CONCERTS

MUSIC EVENTS 2020-21