Head's Newsletter 26 November 2021

Autumn ensembles concert 2021

The Autumn Ensembles Concert on Tuesday 16th November 2021 was our first opportunity of the new school year to hear the school ’ s instrumental groups perform together, some of them rehearsing and performing together for the first time since restrictions were lifted. The Swing Band opened the concert with energetic performances of the Peanut Vendor and Floral Fury. The String Orchestra, having welcomed many new members at the beginning of the academic year, gave an impressive performance of Warlock ’ s Pavane from the Capriol Suite and the James Bond theme by Monty Norman. The Wind Chamber Ensemble is the first of two new ensembles formed this year. Performing Serenade in E flat by Richard Strauss, this group has given us some of the best wind playing heard at the school in recent years, an achievement in which pupils joining Tiffin in Year 12 from neighbouring schools have played a huge part. Autumn Leaves and The Chicken were the two numbers performed by the Jazz Combo, including some impressive solos, not least those by Taro and William on drums and bass. The student - led piano trio performance, for which Tong, Alan and Lois selected and prepared Schubert ’ s Trio No.2 themselves, was especially memorable. The second of our newly formed groups, the Concert Band, includes our dedicated former Wind Band members who have graduated to ever more challenging music. Following their reprise of three numbers by Stevie Wonder, with the Wind Band they performed arrangements of spirituals Swing Low, Sometimes I Feel and Go Down Moses. The Chamber Orchestra then followed with the opening movements of Purcell ’ s incidental

music to Abdelazer. The finale to the concert was two movements from Dvorak ’ s Symphony No.9 ‘ New World ’ played by the orchestra, ending with the most famous of this symphony ’ s quasi American - folk melodies played by solo woodwind.