The Chronicle, No. 668, September 2015

14 ST EDWARD’S CHRONICLE

Gaudy Review By Neville Creed, Director of Cultural Activities

Gaudy Week 2015 began with excellent performances given by the leaving musicians in the splendid surroundings of the Holywell Music Room in central Oxford. The leavers entertained us with an impressive range of music: from Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas through Mozart’s Fantasy in C minor to Piazzolla’s Kicho and lighter items by Sondheim and Van Morrison. Music continued with the newly introduced Warden’s Recitals providing a showcase for our finest performers: Aaron Gruen (cello, Munich International ), Ella Davis (voice, Kingston Grammar ) and Tom Powell (trumpet, St Andrew’s, Pangbourne ) representing the Lower School and Lucienne Young (violin, Sophie-Barat, Hamburg ), Sammy Virji (cello, New College ), and James Carter (voice, Dragon ) represented the Sixth Form. Drama featured strongly during the week with the Lower School giving an excellent account of Terry Pratchett’s Mort . Sam Shuker ( St Hugh’s ), Eleanor Bates ( The Brigidine ) and Jack Verschoyle ( Lambrook ) were particularly impressive in their leading roles and Max Brennan ( Dragon ) wore an extraordinary costume to deliver his role as Death. The Sixth Form production, Love and Information , was simply outstanding – see P6 for news of its subsequent run in Edinburgh.

The exhibition spaces were packed with fine pupil work. The leavers were given the prime site of the North Wall Art Gallery and displayed extensive talent through wide-ranging media. The Art and Design Departments were resplendent with the Mixed Years’ Exhibition and both exhibitions were launched with busy receptions. The Dance Showcase was scheduled for one performance but the demand for tickets was overwhelming and a second performance was hastily arranged. In spite of an exhausting schedule the pupils gave dazzling performances. The second half consisted of a wonderful kaleidoscope of dance styles in an item entitled Around the World . The week closed with another sequence of musical performances: the Close Harmony Showcase revealed the extent of singing talent in pupil-led groups from the Lower School and Sixth Form. The Gaudy Concert was split into two. On Thursday evening the Chapel Choirs, Chamber Choir, Concert Band, Chamber Orchestra and Orchestra performed a varied programme. Highlights included Lucienne Young playing Handel’s Harp Concerto , the choirs and orchestra performing Gabrieli’s In ecclesiis , the Chamber Choir amusing the audience with Italian Salad and the Concert

Band expanding its repertoire to include Glinka’s Russlan and Ludmilla . The Friday evening concert featured a choir of leavers dressed in rakish hats performing Gilbert and Sullivan’s Pirates of Penzance as well as excellent jazz items from the Big Band and Modern Jazz Ensemble. The week displayed the quantity and quality of the activities undertaken by pupils across all year groups and it was a fitting end to a magnificent year of music, drama, art, design and dance. Water , a GCSE exam piece by Jemima Littlehales ( Pinewood )

Celia Hodgson (Westbourne House)

Celia Hodgson (Westbourne House)