Spring Recital

On Wednesday 15 March nearly 100 students took part in our annual Spring Recital.  The aim of the evening was to share the excellent performances that the music enrichment and extra-curricular groups have been rehearsing this term, as well as to showcase a selection of our Year 11 performers who have recently completed their GCSE performance exams.  

It was fantastic to see so many parents attending the evening, which raised nearly £150.  This money will go towards purchasing equipment and music for use in future performances.  We are looking forward to seeing many of you at our next event, the Summer Showcase on Thursday 29 June.

Below are some of the students’ experiences of the evening.

During the performance on Wednesday, the Orchestra (which I play the clarinet in), played two pieces called Star Wars by John Williams and The New World Finale by Dvorak.  I think the pieces went well as we played them almost perfectly. We had been rehearsing these pieces since Christmas, and I really enjoyed being part of such a large ensemble made up of students from different year groups (Year 7-Year 12).  I think my favourite performance was the Band Musicianship Group who played a mashup of two songs, Faith and Starman.  These were performed as a tribute to George Michael and David Bowie, and Billy on lead vocals really helped to sell the performance alongside the exciting guitar solos.

Charlie Warwick Year 7 Bow/SBe

On 15 March, the Gospel Choir performed alongside the other performing groups in the Spring Recital.  Everybody put their all into it to provide a wonderful night of Les Miserable, David Bowie, Michael Jackson, and George Michael as well as some amazing solos.  The Gospel Choir had been rehearsing since the amazing Christmas Carol and we were determined to make the recital even better than the last, and we did! The Gospel Choir ended the night with the song 'Happy Days' that had the whole audience smiling and clapping along.

Angelina Sparksman and Anna Farace Year 8 Strand/JLe

The Spring Recital was a great opportunity for students in bands, the Orchestra, Choirs, and Soloists to give a variety of musical performances, including Jazz, Classical, Gospel and Pop tributes, to parents, carers and friends. On the day, instead of enrichment we went to the hall to begin the rehearsal process.  It began with every group playing or singing through their pieces to check that everything was as it should be.  We then had time to eat our dinner and play or talk outside whilst the hall was made ready for the audience to arrive.

During the recital, I really enjoyed listening to the individual performances of GCSE students, watching everyone’s hard work pay off and seeing the enjoyment and appreciation of the audience.  The evening brings all of the musical talents of the Academy together and it is an exciting occasion that should not be missed!

Thomas Hart Year 9 Strand/JHy