Music
Bob Chilcott was a chorister at King's College, Cambridge, as
a boy, and has since become one of the most highly regarded
composers of contemporary choral music.
Very much in keeping with the two settings by Bach, the
narrative is led by a tenor soloist, the Evangelist, and was sung
in this performance by Ben Alden. The vocal range is typically
and consistently high, but Ben's ethereal sound floated around
the Chapel at King's, providing moments of great beauty.
The soprano soloist was Naomi Harvey, who has enjoyed a long
association with Welsh National Opera, as well as teaching
singing at King's. Her wonderful sound was a joy throughout,
but came particularly to the fore in the Meditation: Christ, my
Beloved, when her radiant tone soared over the Choir. The part
of Jesus was sung by Gareth Dayus-Jones, a professional singer
and Director of Music at King's Hall School since January 2013.
His wonderful resonance in the lower registers gave an aura of
calm dignity in poignant and haunting moments.
Sixth Former Patrick Cartwright sang the part of Pontius Pilate,
a substantial role for someone still at school, but he excelled with
a thoroughly professional performance of weight and conviction.
Organ accompaniment was provided by James Campbell,
sympathetic and tasteful throughout, and there were beautifully
judged contributions from solo cellist Sara Lovell.
The Choir was in terrific form, powerful when needed, but
also thoughtful and sensitive, particularly in the Miserere, my
Maker. The opening minutes featured a great wall of sound
filling the entire Chapel, as did the closing hymn When I survey
the Wondrous Cross, which ended the work with uplifting
confidence, and brought the concert to a thrilling close.
The Staf Charity Concert, June
O
n a pleasant evening in June members of staff held
a charity concert to raise money for those affected by
last winter's floods in Somerset. Stuart Smith and Sadie
Foster from Somerset Emergency Volunteers spoke at the
beginning of the concert, explaining how work still continued
on the Somerset Levels, even though it no longer dominates the
news headlines.
Highlights of the concert included Chaplain Father Mark Smith's
moving rendition of Leonard Cohen's song Dance Me To The
End Of Love, Anna Butler and Chris Mason with The Song That
Goes Like This from the Monty Python musical Spamalot, and
English teacher Emma Forward's Jazz Club, in which she was
clearly very much in charge of her male backing band!
Trumpet teacher Stuart Paul dazzled the audience with the
virtuosity of Bellini's Theme and Variations on Norma, and the
concert ended with the staff rock band performing an extremely
authentic version of Deep Purple's Smoke on the Water.
Bob Chilcott conducts his St John Passion
Tara Bell singing in the St John Passion
Choristers Jasper Narbert, Ed Keeling, Tom Frankham, Alexandra Smith, Robyn
Deeks and Lillie Grant sing the St John Passion
Father Mark sings Leonard Cohen at the Staf Concert
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