The Lent Concert

One of the jewels in Lancing’s music calendar, nearly 80 of Lancing’s pupils performed in the annual Lent Concert in front of a packed audience.

This was a remarkable celebration of all that is best about Lancing’s music, from the magnificence and opulence of Lancing’s Symphony Orchestra to the serenity and beauteous singing of the Choral Scholars; from the humour and jest of String Chamber Orchestra’s Pizzicato Polka to the boisterousness and sheer groove of Big Band’s rendition of Sing, Sing, Sing. This was truly a concert to remember, and an impressive representation of both the talent and versatility of our pupils and the dedication and sheer flair of our music teachers. Bravo to all!

Christopher Langworthy

Assistant Director of Music & Head of Academic Music

Theo Almond (Lower Sixth) writes: ‘It was wonderful to be able to have the Lent Concert in Great School once more. I played the bassoon in Symphony Orchestra and Concert Band and I sang with the Choral Scholars, A Cappella Club and Big Band (in which I was lucky enough to sing Frank Sinatra’s The Tender Trap as a soloist). Concert Band played a suite of Marimba Reflections by Benoit Chantry with excellent performances by marimba soloist Kevin Ng and conductor Jimmy Fan; the Choral Scholars sang Sure on This Shining Night by Lauridsen, and A Cappella Club sang Ain’t Got Far To Go by Jess Glynne and Permission To Dance by BTS. My favourite performances of the night were both played by Big Band: Sing, Sing, Sing as popularised by Benny Goodman and Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree performed by Ally Yuen, Elodie Banham and Kate Pinnell – complete with period costume!’

Audrey Ngan (Lower Sixth) adds: ‘As always, the Lent Concert has been a long-awaited event for everyone, especially the musicians of Lancing College. The concert started off with String Chamber Orchestra playing the piece Pizzicato Polka from Britten’s Simple Symphony which, I have to say, was one of my favourite pieces in the concert due to the constant and humorous use of pizzicato. As a tuba player, I was involved in Symphony Orchestra and Trombone Choir, in which I performed LaRocca’s Tiger Rag, and Symphony Orchestra which an evocative programme of Dvořák and Holst. Ending the concert was, of course, Big Band, which was spectacular as usual, with soloists singing alongside the band as well, giving an attractive twist to the evening. Of course, the acoustic of Great School was the cherry on top, giving the audience an enhanced listening experience.’

Chamber Music Concert

The Chamber Music Concert was a real highlight of the Lent Term, showcasing many of Lancing’s top musicians, including performances from a range of chamber groups along with highlights from the recent A Level recitals. It was wonderful to hear some of the more recently formed chamber ensembles, including the ‘CIC Trio’ of Christian Tang, Isaac Hussey and Chris Clay, and a flute duet by Ian Lau and Gigi Kwan, along with some established Lancing ensembles, including Honk!, and Kristy Wong and Vivi Li’s piano duet. The concert was a display of the breadth of Lancing’s musical talent, and it was fantastic to hear such a range of performances.

Emilie Harlow, Teacher of Music

Amelie Lyne (Lower Sixth) writes: ‘The musicians at Lancing College performed a wonderful Chamber Music Concert in Great School which was full of many dramatic and exciting pieces. I played 1st violin in the String Quartet and we performed Mendelson’s Canzonetta No.1 (for String Quartet) It is a technically challenging piece to play; however, it is very atmospheric, full of many energetic and rhythmic passages. It was a joy to perform.

Overall, it was a very enjoyable evening, it was lovely to hear what the chamber groups had been working on these past two terms.’

Felix Gautier (Lower Sixth) also enjoyed being a part of the concert: ‘It was a great pleasure to take part in the Chamber Concert. Jimmy Fan was a highlight for me, playing Beethoven’s Opus 27 Presto Agitato, at such an incredibly high calibre, and without music to read from ... dazzling! Many kinds of music were performed, from Peter’s Sea Fever to the ragtime of Honk!’s 12th Street Rag, which was one of my favourite performances. Being one of the College’s few bassoonists, I was lucky enough to take part in two performances on the evening. The Bassoon Trio played a couple of pieces by Ludwig Milde, and the Wind Quintet playing a range of music, from Haydn to a tango by Denes Agay, which was a real highlight.

I greatly enjoyed performing in this concert, and enjoyed listening to the skill and talent of my friends.’