Year 6 pupil Ruaraidh M (6H) had a musical adventure over the half term break! He spent an incredibly enriching weekend with the National Children’s Orchestras (NCO) at Goldsmiths, University of London, and had a wonderful time.

As one of four talented viola players, Ruaraidh immersed himself in the world of orchestral music, participating in both full orchestra rehearsals and focused viola sectionals led by a specialist teacher. He relished the opportunity to hone his skills and collaborate with fellow young musicians.

The culmination of the weekend was a delightful “sharing” performance for parents. The repertoire was diverse and impressive, showcasing the children’s hard work and dedication. The audience was treated to captivating renditions of:

• Also Sprach Zarathustra (Strauss)
• Mars from The Planets (Holst)
• Sailing By (Binge)
• Deep River (Coleridge-Taylor)
• Under the Sea (Mencken)
• And a brand-new, exciting piece titled “BANG!” by Thomas Metcalf (who was present) and Mingdu Li.

It was particularly special to have Thomas Metcalf, one of the composers of “BANG!”, in attendance, adding an extra layer of excitement to the performance.

Any parents wishing to find out more about the scheme are encouraged to visit the NCO website at https://www.nco.org.uk/programmes/at-a-glance

Related Posts

  • There were plenty of House events this week, and in Pre-Prep, Pancake Day was celebrated with a House pancake relay, where each team had to run and pass the pancake in the pan without dropping it! Then, it was fastest fingers first in button-buttoning and tie-tying! Points will be added to the House points, [...]

  • On Shrove Tuesday, an excited group of Prep School pupils gathered in the playground, eager to take part in the annual House Pancake Tossing competition. Assisted by score-keeper Mrs Mates and some willing volunteers, pupils were challenged to flip their pancake as many times as they could in 20 seconds. The crowd of spectators [...]

  • On a beautiful, sunny Monday, all 68 GCSE History pupils travelled to the Imperial War Museum at Duxford, to investigate the development of aircraft and warfare in the 20th century. Pupils explored the main hangar, walking through Concorde and a luxury BOAC, before visiting the Airborne section celebrating the Paratroopers, complete with a stuffed [...]