On 10th and 11th March, the Ruddock Performing Arts Centre hosted the annual series of Choral and Orchestral Concerts. No-one could dispute that this year’s repertoire was one of the most brilliant, though challenging, yet. A prime example of this is the Sibelius Violin Concerto in D minor which featured Charlotte as soloist, accompanied by the KES/KEHS Symphony Orchestra. Charlotte’s virtuosic and striking interpretation, combined with the orchestra’s efforts to support her to the best of their formidable ability, led to a masterful performance and a spellbound audience. The final item of the Sunday concert was the daunting Mozart Requiem, which was performed by Choral Society and accompanied by select members from Symphony Orchestra. This year was the first performance of the piece with soloists comprised entirely of KES/KEHS pupils – Rosy (soprano), Lucia (mezzo-soprano), Arun (tenor) and Joe (bass). The choir’s hard work since September came to fruition in a glorious and memorable performance that highlighted the timeless nature of the Requiem. The concerts were concluded on Monday, with Symphony Orchestra’s final appearance this academic year in the form of Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2. It was a deceptively complex piece for the orchestra, and as a result, hearing all the subtle intricacies which had been polished through months of practice was a rewarding experience for orchestra and audience alike. The closing performance of this year’s concerts was an utterly enchanting experience. All the members of Choral Society and Symphony Orchestra would like to thank the music departments of KES and KEHS for all their work which has resulted in a spectacular series of concerts.
German exchange trip to Hamburg
When we were not out on trips, our pupils were attending lessons with their exchange partners in our partner school, the Gymnasium Oldenfelde in Hamburg-Rahlstedt. It was fascinating to see the many differences between the English and German school systems.
