Wednesday 24th March 7pmWednesday 24th March 7pmS t r e a m e d l i v e o n P l a n e t e S t r e a m
SpringSpringSpring ConcertConcertConcert
WelcomeThe Shrewsbury High School Music Department is delighted to welcome you to an evening of musical entertainment at our Spring Concert 2021.
Due to the closure of schools in early January, we have transformed this much-loved event in our calendar year to create greater opportunities for our young people to gain experience as solo musicians and enjoy the chance to develop new skills in arranging, editing and composing. Once again, we are so proud of our pupils for responding and adapting superbly to the different challenges of recording music at home, as well as producing music for a virtual world.
As ever, the Music Department is also very grateful to all our superb peripatetic teachers who have prepared their pupils for their solo performances, as well as our colleagues who help to make such virtual events possible through their expertise and assistance, particularly Mrs Pardoe for her beautiful programme and graphic designs, and Mr Petford for his IT prowess.
It is no secret that the 2020-21 academic year has provided challenges for the Arts due to the ever-developing national scene. Nevertheless, Music remains alive and strong at Shrewsbury High School and this is because of the resilience and adaptability of all our pupils from prep to seniors. It says so much about their character and endeavour that we have still been able to enjoy our Autumn Concert, Carol Service and now our Spring Concert. To all our pupils, we want to say the biggest and most heart-felt thank you. We are, as always, extremely proud of you all.
With the merging together of our two fantastic schools in September, the Performing Arts Team have many exciting plans. There is so much to look forward to on our horizon and we are excited to share these wonderful opportunities with you all very soon.
Have a wonderful evening.
Mr J DeakinDirector of Music at Seniors
Mr C BunnDirector of Music at Prep
Mr D NevilleAssistant Head & Director of Sixth Form
Artwork by Francia Besterman Year 10, Shrewsbury High School
Virtual Super ChoirYou’ll Never Walk Alone
Rogers & Hammersmith
Lily Atkin - SaxophoneSonata for Alto Sax and Piano
Phil Woods
You’ll Never Walk Alone originates from the second act of the 1945 Rogers and Hammerstein music
Carousel, performed when the husband of the main protagonist dies under tragic circumstances. It
subsequently went on to achieve great success in the 1963 charts through the Liverpool based band Gerry
and the Pacemakers and is now more commonly recognised as the adopted anthems of football clubs
such as Liverpool F.C and Celtic F.C. Its message of resilience, togetherness and overcoming adversity has
arguably never been more powerful. This virtual performance is brought to you by pupils and teachers
from prep and seniors.
Composer and saxophonist Phil Woods (1931-2015) was a prolific jazz musician who toured and
performed with some of the finest artists of his day, such as Billy Joel, Quincy Jones and Dizzy Gillespie.
The Sonata for Alto Sax and Piano, originally titled Four Moods, was dedicated by Woods to his close
friend Victor Morosco, who premiered the work in in1962 at Carnegie Hall. Although it is entitled Sonata,
connoting classical forms and conventions, the heavy influence of jazz permeates the entire work from its
complex harmonic palette, exciting and unpredictable rhythmic energy and improvisatory nature. We will
hear the first movement of the sonata, performed by Music Prefect Lily Atkin.
Light of Sothis1. Grace
Amy Quate
This beautiful work is dedicated to saxophonist Debra Richtmeyer, who commissioned the work and
premiered it at the Seventh World Saxophone Congress in Nurnberg, Germany.
Sothis, now called Sirius, is the brightest star in heaven. The ancient Egyptian calendar, called the Sothic
Year, was based on the heliacal rising of this lovely, shining star. Sothis is also the star aspect of the great
goddess Isis, whose light circumscribes the cycles of nature that bring beauty, prosperity and life.
Senior StringsPalladio
Karl Jenkins
Tara Taylor - VocalsConsider Yourself
Lionel Bart
Palladio is a composition for string orchestra by Welsh composer Karl Jenkins, written in 1995, with the
title referring to the Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio (1508–1580). The work is in three
movements and follows the forms and conventions of a concerto grosso, one of the most popular styles of
the Baroque period. We will hear the first movement performed by the Senior Strings.
Marie Balzhyk- HarpMatador’s Lament
Fiona Clifton-Welker
Consider Yourself is a song from the 1960 original West End and Broadway musical Oliver! and the 1968
film of the same name. In all versions, Dodger sings it when he first meets Oliver, after offering to get the
destitute orphan food and lodging. Lyrically, it is an enthusiastic gift of friendship from Dodger and his as-
yet-unseen gang to Oliver, assuring him warmly he can consider himself “our mate” and “one of the family”
as “it’s clear we’re going to get along”. The 1968 film builds it to a spectacular extended song-and-dance
routine involving the street crowd, market workers, policemen and chimney sweep boys.
Alice Baker - Electric guitarWonderwall
Oasis
Fiona Clifton-Welker began studying the harp at the age of twelve and went on to graduate from the
University of York with an honours degree in music and then studied for a further year at the Guildhall of
Music and Drama in London. The Matador’s Lament comes from her series of compositions Harping On.
Wonderwall is a song by the English rock band Oasis. The song was produced by Noel Gallagher and Owen
Morris for the band’s second studio album (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? (1995). According to Gallagher,
Wonderwall describes “an imaginary friend who’s gonna come and save you from yourself”. It remains one of
the band’s most popular songs and was voted No. 1 on the Australian alternative music radio station Triple
J’s “20 Years of the Hottest 100” in 2013.
Lucy Humphreys - VocalsTimes are Hard for Dreamers
Daniel Messé
Times are Hard for Dreamers is the opening number from the musical Amelie, based on the 2001 romantic
comedy film of the same name. The song is performed by young Amelie, who lives at home with
germaphobe father, Raphael, and neurotic mother, Amandine, feeling isolated and emotionally distant from
her parents. She takes solace in her telescope, which she uses to view the universe from afar.
Hannah Davies - VocalsThe Lady is a Tramp
Richard Rogers
The Lady Is a Tramp is a show tune from the 1937 Rodgers and Hart musical Babes in Arms, in which it was
introduced by former child star Mitzi Green. This song is a spoof of New York high society and its strict
etiquette (the first line of the verse is “I get too hungry for dinner at eight...”) and phony social pretensions. It
has become a popular music standard.
Holly France-Brookshaw - VocalsMi Todo
Mariah Carey
HelloLionel Richie
Holly is a year 9 pupil at seniors who loves to sing and perform. These are two of her own performances for
guitar and voice. Mi Todo (My All) comes from Mariah Carey’s sixth album Butterfly (1997), while the
much-loved and famous Hello comes from Richie’s second solo album Can’t Slow Down (1983).
Darcy Duhra - ClarinetTico-Tico No Fubà
Zequinha de Abreu
Tico-Tico No Fubà“sparrow in the cornmeal”, or, literally, “rufous-collared sparrow in the cornmeal”)
is a Brazillian Choro song written by Zequinha de Abreu in 1917. Its original title was Tico-Tico no farelo
(“sparrow in the bran”), but since Brazilian guitarist Américo Jacomino “Canhoto” (1889–1928) had a work
with the same title, Abreu’s work was given its present name in 1931. Outside Brazil, the song reached its
peak popularity in the 1940s, with successful recordings by Ethel Smith, The Andrews Sisters (with English-
language lyrics by Ervin Drake), Carmen Miranda and others.
Head Choirister Ensemble - VocalsSeal Lullaby
Eric Whitacre
Eric Whitacre is an American composer and choral conductor, with a predilection for richly dissonant and
evocative choral music. In the spring of 2004, Whitacre was approached by a renowned film studio and
asked if he would like to compose the music to upcoming animated film based on Kipling’s children’s story,
The White Seal, in which Kipling begins his tale with the mother seal singing softly to her young pup: an
opening poem called The Seal Lullaby. Whitacre says he was struck so deeply by those first beautiful words,
that a “simple, sweet Disney-esque song just came gushing out of me.” But when the composer had not
heard back from the studio for weeks, he started to worry. After ringing the studio and begging to know
why his composition had been rejected, he was candidly informed by an executive: “oh, we just decided to
make Kung Fu Panda instead…”
Zaid Al Nasiri - PianoSnurretoppenKarl Nielsen
The Danish Composer Carl Nielsen studied violin and composition at the Copenhagen Conservatory
(1884-86). From 1889 to 1905 he was employed as a violinist in the Danish court orchestra, and later
he worked as a music teacher and conductor in Copenhagen. He often travelled to other European
and Scandinavian countries to direct performances of his own music. This piece is taken from Nielsen’s
Humoreske-Bagateller, Op. 11, of 1897. Bagatelles are short pieces in a light style, and the term ‘humoreske’
gives indication of their contents: they are a set of six short, lively pieces of a fanciful character, reflected in
their titles (‘The Jumping Jack’ and ‘Puppet March’, for example). Snurretoppen – meaning spinning top – uses
the same six-note motif Franz Schubert employed 80 years earlier in his
famous Gretchen at the Spinning Wheel.
Aban Al Nasiri - PianoThe Detective
Pam Wedgwood
British composer Pam Wedgewood is considered one of the top educational composers of the day with a
career spanning over 50 years, after she began composing short pieces for her pupils in the early 1970s.
Wedgewood began her long association with publishers Faber Music in 1988 with the highly acclaimed
series Jazzin’ About, followed by the Up-Grade! series (where this work The Detective was published) and It’s
Never Too Late to Play Piano. Her music is recognised around the world by young instrumentalists.
Benedict Powell-Turner - Vocals You Give Me Something
James Morrison
SaxophonePiece En Forme De Habanera
Maurice Ravel
You Give Me Something is the first single by English singer James Morrison, which was released on
16 July 2006. The song is featured on his debut album, Undiscovered, which was released on 31 July
2006. It reached number one in New Zealand and the top 10 in several nations, including Australia, the
Netherlands, Switzerland, and the UK.
The song was nominated for a BRIT Award in the category Best British Single Shortlist in 2007.
During the late 1800s, a trend developed among the top French composers of the day to compose in the
increasingly popular Spanish style. Ravel, though being something of a rebel in his younger years as a
composer, decided to follow this trend and composed his Piece en Forme de Habanera. Originally written for
wordless voice, it lends itself very well to instrumental performance and has been arranged for numerous
instruments and orchestral settings.
Martha Fletcher - FluteThe Can CanOppenbach
The can-can is a high-energy, physically demanding dance that became a popular music-hall dance in
the 1840s, continuing in popularity in French cabaret to this day. Originally danced by both genders, it is
now traditionally associated with a chorus line of female dancers. The main features of the dance are the
vigorous manipulation of skirts and petticoats, along with high kicks, splits, and cartwheels. Though many
composers have written music for the can-can, this version by French composer Offenbach (1819-1880) is
perhaps the most well-known and famous.
Piers Elves - CelloSicilienneParadis
Maria Theresia von Paradis (1759-1824), was an Austrian musician and composer who lost her sight at an
early age, and for whom Mozart may have written his Piano Concerto No. 18 in B-flat major. A Sicilienne is a
lilting dance in compound time adopted by many Italian composers such as Antonio Vivaldi.
Sixth Form & Gcse Virtual ChoirMiserere
Gregorio Allegri
Yasmin Sanhu - PianoFur Elise
Ludwig van Beethoven
Alice Pearson - ClarinetHinSong for Nigel Hinson
Paul Harvey
Fur Elise – or the Bagatelle No.24 in A minor, as it is more formally known – is one of Ludwig van Beethoven’s
most popular and well-known compositions, despite the fact it was not discovered or published until 1847;
40 years after the composer’s death. Scholars and researchers have since pondered over the true identify
of “Elise”, narrowing this down to three possible young women: Therese Malfatti, Elisabeth Rockel and Elise
Barensfeld, all of whom were either pupils or love interests of Beethoven’ during his life.
Paul Harvey was born in Stoke-on-Trent and studied piano at the Guildhall School of Music. He went on
to become a composer and a concert pianist, appearing on the BBC Home Service in 1964, but decided to
become a music teacher shortly before his eldest son Nick was born. Paul touched the nation late in 2020;
as a sufferer of dementia, he inspired the country with an improvised piano composition which went viral.
This work for clarinet and piano was composed for the Nottingham-based clarinettist Nigel Hinson.
Sophie Balzhyk - PianoOcean’s EmotionsSophie Balzhyk
Sophie is a Year 9 pupil at seniors who loves to compose.
Ocean’s Emotions is her own composition written for solo piano.
Using the words of psalm 50, the text of the Miserere is penitential in tone, meaning ‘Have mercy on me’. In
broadcasts across the world, this motet is most typically sung on Ash Wednesday at the beginning of Lent,
and during Holy Week, most often on Good Friday. The most famous setting of these words was composed
in approximately 1638 by the Italian Baroque composer, Gregorio Allegri.
Such is the fame of this motet, it is known simply as ‘the Allegri’. Its worldwide reputation owes to both its
virtuosic, stratospheric top top C for soprano, as well as its complex history. Originally, it would have been
sung in complete darkness in the Papal Chapel as the Pope and Cardinals knelt before the altar. Allegri’s
composition was so highly regarded by the Vatican that the original manuscript was forbidden from
leaving the Papal Chapel. However, it was believed by some, that almost 150 years later, Mozart was the
first to break this rule when, upon hearing it, he was said to have transcribed the piece from memory on to
manuscript paper, and thus the motet became available more widely. This claim has been largely refuted by
scholars, but the motet remains one of the most treasured pieces of choral music across the world today. In
its original form, it also appears in the sound track of several films, including ‘Chariots of Fire’, as well as ‘The
Two Popes’ but such is its wide appeal that it has even been adapted for more recent musical genres with
drum beats and loops.
Translation: Have mercy on me, O God, after thy great goodness. According to the multitude of thy mercies, do away mine offences. Wash me thoroughly from my wickedness and cleanse me from my sin.
A Gaelic BlessingJohn Rutter
Fiona O’Sullivan - CelloParita from Suite no. 2
J.S Bach
J.S Bach composed 6 suites in total for unaccompanied cello throughout his lifetime and they remain
some of the most frequently performed and recognisable solo compositions for the instrument. Each
suite consists of six smaller movements: a prelude, followed by five movements styled on various baroque
dances. This prelude from Suite No.2 in D minor (a key usually associated with tragedy, loss and strength) is
a particularly emotional work by Bach, evident even from its opening three notes.
The English Choral composer John Rutter composed this sublime setting of the words ‘The Lord bless you
and keep you’ in 1981, using words from Numbers 6:24-26. Written for the memorial service of Edward
Chapman, Director of Music at Highgate School, this biblical benediction is followed by an extended Amen
as the music reaches its beautiful climax.
Cara Bowyer-Nottle - ViolinTheme
Gustav Mahler
Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) was a prolific Austro-German composer from the romantic period, whose orchestral
works are considered to some of the greatest and most epic in the Western canon. This short and melancholic little
theme is taken from the third movement of Mahler’s Symphony no.1 and is currently on the
ABRSM Grade 2 Violin syllabus.
Zoë Jeremy - VocalsNot A Day Goes By
Stephen Sondheim
Rosie Sherpa - PianoCarousel Waltz
Arr. Stephen Hough
Virtual ChoirSee You Again
Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth
Rosie Sherpa - ViolinViolin Sonata in C major
III. LargoIV. Allegro Assai
J.S Bach
The third and last of the Violin Sonatas (BWV1005) by J.S Bach is in the bright key of C major and consists
of four movements: Adagio, Fuga, Largo and Allegro Assai. As always, Bach stretches the technical prowess of
the violinist in every movement. We will, however, start with the third movement, Largo, with its lyrical and
serene melody providing both expressive contrast and necessary relief from the imposing, concentrated
and technically challenging content of the Fuga which preceded it. We will then hear the conclusive fourth
movement of the sonata: the spirited and brilliantly coloured Allegro assai in which Bach, once more, leads
the performer and his instrument towards the limits of possibility.
Olivia Bennett - FluteDanse de la ChèvreArthur Honegger
Danse de la chèvre (French for Dance of the Goat) was written in 1921 as incidental music for dancer Lysana
of Sacha Derek’s play La mauvaise pensée. At the start of the piece, there is a slow dreamlike introduction
consisting of tritone phrases. This soon unwinds into the “goat-like” theme in a chromatically altered
F major in 9/8 that skips along, providing the picture of a dancing goat. Following this theme is a more
melodic theme or idea that gives off a more calming feeling. The goat theme and the calm theme both
reoccur once again, and at the end of the piece the slow dreamlike idea returns and closes off the piece
with a soft and quiet harmonic C for resolution. This challenging work will be performed by Year 13 Music
Scholar Olivia Bennett, which she is also performing as part of her ABRSM Diploma in Flute.
One of the most important figures in 20th-century musical theatre, Sondheim has been praised for having
reinvented the American musical with shows that tackle unexpected themes ranging far beyond traditional
subjects with music and lyrics of unprecedented complexity and sophistication. His shows have been
acclaimed for addressing darker, more harrowing elements of the human experience, with songs often
tinged with ambivalence about various aspects of life.
Not a Day Goes By comes from the musical Merrily We Roll Along (1981) and contains all the hallmarks of
Sondheim’s style with its harmonic, rhythmic and melodic complexity.
Stephen Hough is widely regarded as one of the most important and distinctive pianists of his generation.
In addition to his international acclaim as a performer, Hough also enjoys transcribing the works of other
composers into virtuosic showpieces for the piano, such as this Carousel Waltz from the 1945 musical
Carousel by Rodgers and Hammerstein. Hough’s arrangement has been lauded as a ‘giddy romp’ and a ‘tour
de force’ which ‘captures the delicate and the tough’.
See You Again is a song by American rapper Wiz Khalifa, featuring American singer Charlie Puth. The track
was commissioned for the soundtrack of the 2015 action film Furious 7 as a tribute to actor Paul Walker.
This performance is delivered by our Senior Choir, with solo rapping from Year 8 pupil Poppy Besterman.
Imogen Hollins - VocalsDu Bist Di Ruh
Franz Schubert
Du bist die Ruh (You are rest and peace) is a Lied composed by Franz Schubert (1797–1828) in 1823. The
text is from a set of poems by the German poet Friedrich Rückert (1788–1866). It is the third poem in a set
of four. This song is set for solo voice and piano. The simplicity of the melody makes this piece that much
more difficult to sing as it requires perfect legato and breath control. Any inconsistencies in the sound
can disrupt the ‘peace’ of the poem. Schubert sets tender and gentle themes to Rückert’s words, and the
simplicity of the piano line further enhances the meaning of the song.
Virtual ChorYou’ll Never Walk Alone
FluteLottie Barraclough
Milly GreenAmy RushworthOlivia Bennett
Natalie Sheldon da SilvaElsie Anton-Stephens
ClarinetDarcy DuhraChris Bunn
Emma SnelsonTess Inpong-Pirard
ViolinAbigail Kulmeka
Evie PriceRosie SherpaFreya Evans
ViolaFrancesca Hartland
CelloFiona O’SullivanGraham Carter
Lauren MatthewsJane Magee
GuitarSimon Cresswell
TrumpetWendy Jones
Chris BunnFrancia Besterman
Alexandra Sheldon da Silva
SaxophoneLucy Antelo
Serena FordeEvie Mowatt
Karen Lu
Keira Beard, Martha Hearne, Zoë Jeremy, Harriet Ballantyne , Sarah Lee, Poppy Besterman, Franica Besterman,
Lucy Humphreys, Imogen Hollins, Libby Driscoll, Willow Dowd,Keira Tabudji Simo, Nayella Tabudji Simo, Anastasia King,
Yasmin Sandhu, Madeline Anderson, Kitty Littlar,Anastasia Roach
Many thanks to all pupils at prep and seniors who also took part in our virtual choir performance during their Music lessons
with Mr Bunn and Mr Deakin.
Baritone SaxophoneMaria MacKenzie
EnsemblesSenior Strings
Violins
Rosie Sherpa Kitty Littlar
Lottie MeyerAmy Rushworth
Phoebe Pryce-BoutwoodD’arcy Lee
Abigail Kulemeka
Viola
Francesca Hartland
Cello
Fiona O’SullivanLauren Matthews
Megan Davis
Senior Choir
Year 10 Francia Besterman
Year 8Keira Beard
Anastasia King Faye Pritchard
Poppy BestermanEvie Dixon
Evie MowattMartha Hearne
Year 7Keira Tabudji Simo
Nayella Tabudji SimoIsabel LambahJuliet Gibbon
Evie Price
Sixth Form ChoirLibby Driscoll, Imogen Hollins, Lucy Humphreys,
Zoë Jeremy, Kitty Littlar
DrumsIsla Spencer
Singers
Head Chorister Ensemble
Head ChoristerWillow Dowd
DeputyImogen Hollins
ChoristersLucy Humphreys
Kitty LittlarLibby Driscoll
Sixth Form Choir
Lily Atkin, Zoë Jeremy, Kitty Littlar, Emma Sheppard, Lucy ReesAnastasia Roach, Libby Driscoll, Madeline AndersonCharlotte Colman, Lottie Edwards, Lucy Humphreys,
Imogen Hollins, Willow Dowd
www.shrewsburyhigh.gdst.net
Independent Day SchoolGirls aged 3-18 Boys 3-13_____________________
01743 [email protected] Town Walls, Shrewsbury, SY1 1TN
Special Thanks
Thank you to all pupils, parents and peripatetic staff for making tonight such a special occasion.
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