MUSIC AND THEATRE TRIPS

Our musicians started the term with two trips in two days!

HALF SIX FIX

Older pupils enjoyed the incredible opportunity of seeing Sir Simon Rattle conduct the London Symphony Orchestra in a Half Six Fix Concert at the Barbican, featuring a talk before a performance of Brahms's intense Symphony no. 4.

BAROQUEBUSTERS

The next day, our younger pupils attended Baroquebusters at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank, with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. They enjoyed a varied programme of instrumental and vocal music, with performances that made even old favourites like Pachelbel's Canon sound fresh and exciting, and were introduced to lesser-known composer Barbara Strozzi, the Baroque 'natural' trumpet, and the notorious Lully stick method of early conducting (along with the story of the unfortunate foot-related downfall of its 17^th century namesake).

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM

Ten members of the Upper Sixth Form travelled to the Barbican Theatre to watch the RSC's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Having recently completed studying the play as part of their English Literature A Level, this trip was a fantastic opportunity for the students to see how technology is used to adapt the play in the 21^st century. With the fairies portrayed through LED lights that flew around the stage the students gained an invaluable insight into stage craft.