MUSIC NEWS
Advent Term in Music There have been some amazing musical highlights this term – the Late Summer Concert in September ... ... the Choir singing at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle in October, the Advent Concert at the end of November, and a candlelit performance of Britten’s Ceremony of Carols with harp as part of choral vespers on Advent Sunday. Alongside these major musical moments have been lunchtime concerts, a lecture for the Music Scholars given by Meurig Bowen, CEO of the Britten Sinfonia, and a series of choral evensongs in the Chapel. ALEX MASON Director of Music
The Advent Concert
There was a palpable sense of excitement on the evening of 25 November as Lancing’s musicians got ready to showcase their talents in the Advent Concert – the first event of this scale since March 2020. Concert Band opened the evening, once again showcasing Mr Dummer’s conducting students – Marnix Harman, Ben Krauss, Theo Almond and Jimmy Fan. They all showed mature control over the ensemble, and the players responded well to their clear direction. This was followed by Sinfonia who gave a long-anticipated performance of Into the Clouds! – a piece originally programmed for the marking of the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Britain in 2020. This energetic performance was contrasted by the lyricism and control displayed in Risk Everything for a Dream. A Cappella Club performed an uplifting and lively set, showcasing Mr Langworthy’s arrangement of I Just Can’t Wait to Be King, before Honk! got us all in the Christmas spirit with their Jazz Christmas Medley.
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ADVENT 2021
Big Band finished the first half of the concert with a varied set, showcasing the versatility of the performers – from Peter Harrison’s Pink Panther tenor saxophone solo, to the toe-tapping cheese of Gloria Estefan’s Morning Train. The second half of the concert began with the sopranos and altos of the Choir giving a preview of two items from Britten’s Ceremony of Carols, perfectly conveying both the pureness of There is no Rose, and the energy and drive of Adam Lay Ybounden. This was followed by the Flute Ensemble’s sparkling rendition of the Overture from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite, and the Trombone Choir’s festive performance of Christmas classics arranged by Dave Whitson. The String Chamber Orchestra then gave a spritely performance of the Allegro from Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, contrasted by the lyricism of Rachmaninoff’s Vocalise. The evening concluded with a performance from the Symphony Orchestra, expertly led by Grace Shearing.
They performed rousing renditions of Brahms’ Hungarian Dance no. 5 and Dvořák’s Slavonic Dances no. 3 and 8, before ending the concert in a festive spirit, inviting the audience to sing along to Silent Night. The evening was a huge success and a celebration not only of the talents of the performers, but also the fun and excitement of a return to live concerts!
EMILIE HARLOW Teacher of Music
