Musical highlights

Midsummer Night's Dream in Rouen

There are many extraordinary opportunities for the Trinity Boys’ Choir but, with a long and distinguished history of performing this opera professionally, A Midsummer Night’s Dream is one of the most special.

Twenty young members of the choir spent three and a half weeks in January rehearsing and performing Britten’s reimagining of Shakespeare’s play at Opera de Rouen in Normandy.

The music is challenging and makes no allowances for it being sung by children. The choreography, by Matthew Bourne, is detailed and exacting. The rehearsals were intensive and the students, as ever, were entrusted to perform at the highest professional level. The boys were also challenged in other ways: living away from home, sharing rooms in pairs, having to keep themselves healthy and on top of schoolwork.

As with all challenges, there is a tremendous opportunity for growth and the students did themselves and the school proud. Reviews of the opera called them, “absolutely stunning in terms of precision and musicality!”

Trinity music concerts

The Music Department provides regular opportunities for budding musicians of every level to work towards and perform in front of an audience. Over 50 instrumental groups meet every week and perform in the termly concerts including Senior Gala, New Generation, Chamber Music, Classical Guitar and Jazz Evening.

The Spring Senior Gala Concert is an opportunity to bid farewell to the senior musicians of the school before they leave and thank them for their incredible contributions to Music at Trinity over the years.

Celebrity concert series

This year, we have been privileged to welcome many talented professional musicians to perform at school. Exposing students to the highest level of musical talent can be inspirational as well as providing evenings of entertainment for the whole school community.

International Piano competition winner Wakana Marlene Tanaka made her UK debut here during Autumn term.

UK singer-songwriter Joanna Eden presented her breath-taking show in celebration of her hero Joni Mitchell.

Trinity alumni and internationally renowned cellist Paul Marleyn and concert pianist Nigel Clayton ran a masterclass for students and presented a Slavic Soul concert.

Senior musicians tour Venice

Four of Trinity’s top musicians returned to Venice during the October half term to resume the annual recital series, which has been postponed in recent years due to Covid.

The recital series is a remarkable opportunity for our talented young musicians to experience the professional lives of performing artists. The trip is educational: students live away from home, must eat and sleep well, manage different acoustics and instruments as they perform in various venues to paying audiences.

Congratulations to Upper Sixth students

Edward Warner (our Steinway Scholar 2021), Alexander Chan and Jenson Wong as well as returning student Ming-Ho Cheung – who was last year’s Trinity Musician of the Year –who gave outstanding performances throughout the tour. They performed in many prestigious venues including the Venetian Conservatoire.

Creativity

The Music Department offers many educational and enriching opportunities for students to express themselves. This could be as a member of the worldrenowned Trinity Boys’ Choir or performing in one of the many instrumental groups, for students of all levels.