THE ARTS
N E W S F RO M TO N B RID GE AU T U M N 20 21
08 | 09
The latest Good Schools Guide wrote about Music at Tonbridge in glowing terms, with a few highlights as follows.
Ensembles concert entertains parents The School’s Ensembles Concert took place in June, featuring a hugely varied programme which ranged from the music of Mozart, Haydn and Britten to themes from The Magnificent Seven, James Bond and Doctor Who. A total of 75 boys from the School’s string, wind and brass ensembles performed in the School Chapel, watched by a hugely appreciative audience of parents and staff.
Growing numbers involved in music ... excellent facilities include two recital halls, a suite of teaching practice rooms, music library, rock and percussion suites and a double recording studio. Wide range of orchestras, bands and ensemble groups for all musical styles. Numerous opportunities to perform — Octagon concerts feature a different instrument each week. House Music competition an annual highlight — great gusto from performers and attendees alike. The full review can be read on the Good Schools Guide and Tonbridge websites.
Into The Woods goes into the Gardens The Junior production of Into the Woods took place in the Library Gardens over the Midsummer weekend. The cast of 22, which rehearsed intensively for just two weeks prior to the performances, included pupils from Tonbridge Grammar School, Weald of Kent and Hillview. The principals included Felix Burnett (CH3), who played the Wolf, Nick Samuel (WH3) as Cinderella’s Prince and Ashley Dodd (CH3) as the Baker.
Fireside Shakespeare During the lockdown in the early part of this year, 37 staff and students recorded a monologue from each of Shakespeare’s plays. These hugely inventive pieces were compiled into a short film, placed roughly in the order they were written, for boys and parents to enjoy. Boys recorded their pieces from wherever they happened to be in the world, ranging from the beaches of Cape Town to a snowy Headmaster’s garden. These were all filmed on portable devices and submitted virtually, capturing a sense of what it was like for everyone back in February!
