YEAR 13 MUSICIANS SHINE AT SPRING LEAVERS’ CONCERT

Just before Easter, Richmond School and Sixth Form College musicians put on a fantastic show at one of the musical highlights of the year, the Spring Leavers’ Concert.

The concert provided an opportunity for the school’s musical ensembles to perform pieces they have been working hard on throughout the year. The Concert Band, Chamber Choir, Orchestra and Jazz Band once again showed the incredibly high standard of music they are capable of playing, entertaining the audience with a wide range of pieces including a Shostakovitch waltz, the haunting Scottish Folk song Wild Mountain Thyme, the jazz classic Take Five and a final Jackson Five stomper, I Want You Back, amongst others.

The main focus of the evening, however, was to celebrate the contribution that the Year 13 musicians have made to the continued success and development of music in Richmond, both at the school and in the wider community. This was an opportunity for individuals to shine in solo performances and for the audience to wish the students well as they continue their journeys, both academic and musical, away from Richmond Sixth Form College.

Between the ensemble performances Mr. Boyd, Lead Teacher of Music, introduced each of the Year 13 solo performers, then awarded them a memento of their time at Richmond afterwards. This was a china mug decorated with the Richmond School crest, personalised with the student’s name and the ensembles they had played in during their time at Richmond. These were emotional performances – some of these students have been at the school and college since they were 11 years old!

The solo performers and their pieces are listed below:

Violin: Matilda Knowles. Ashokan Farewell, Jay Ungar

Drumkit: Lucy Denton. Mind The Gaps, Kit Morgan

Vocal: Maisy Forbes. Old Cape Cod, Rothrock, Yakus & Jeffrey

Violin: Annabel Gorman. Ladies in Lavender, Nigel Hess

Piano: Harold Raven. Clair De Lune, Claude Debussy

Vocal: Isla Henderson. Pulled, Andrew Lippa

A link to the concert programme can be found here:

https://tinyurl.com/SpringLeaversConcert2024

After the concert, Mr. Boyd said: “The students across the school music community have again excelled themselves in the spotlight. The quality of performance was outstanding and I am very grateful for all the hard work and practise they have undertaken in preparing for this concert. A special thanks goes to our Year 13 students for their service to the Music department and our local community over many years. They have been terrific role models and this evening’s concert was such a wonderful culmination and celebration of their achievements at Richmond School and Sixth Form College. We wish them all the best in their next adventures and hope they continue making music and delighting audiences for a long time to come!”

Thanks to all the players for their fantastic efforts practising for and performing at the concert. Thanks also to the staff members who contributed: Mr. Boyd, Mrs. Noble, Mrs. Howard, Mr. McCormack, Mr. Lunn and Mr. Harris.

Finally, thanks to members of the audience, first of all for supporting our amazing musicians, but also for contributing the generous sum of £170 at the collection after the concert. This, along with Richmond Rotary Club’s recent generous and substantial donation (thank you!), will go towards one of the music department’s next big adventures – their music tour to Heidleberg, Germany. Watch this space for much more information about this trip!

These pictures are just a selection – more can be found at this link:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/zj8aM4moCvtC1LMr9