A Spectacular Evening of Song and Celebration!
As The Four Seasons once sang, Oh What A Night! Tuesday evening’s ‘Sing, Sing, Sing’ concert was advertised as a ‘celebration of singing’ and this is exactly what the audience, and performers, were treated to in Worcester Cathedral, with tickets sold-out for the event. As well as excellent songs from choirs from RGS The Grange, Springfield and Dodderhill, RGS Worcester choirs were out in force, starting with Junior Choir who sang two reflective pieces in the first half: ‘Tears in Heaven’ and then a more recent piece by Will Todd called ‘All Will Be Well’. The choir sang really confidently, with piano and percussion accompaniment from some Year Ten boys.
In the second half, the RGS Chamber Choir sang an exquisite arrangement of Laura Mvula’s ‘Sing To The Moon’ after they had joined with a choir from Vermont in a powerful arrangement of the hymn ‘Hear My Prayer’. Having had only two short rehearsals together, this unique international choir, conducted by Mr Caleb Pillsbury from the US, sang with an impressive depth and space which was quite moving to hear.
The concert’s first half ended with an extraordinary arrangement of the 1930s classic ‘Sing Sing Sing’, by Louis Prima, arranged by Lower Sixth Music Scholar Ivan Innocent. Performed by the RGS Orchestra, this adventurous arrangement gradually built from a quiet start and blew the roof off the Cathedral by the end with its wall of carefully layered sound and amazing pulsating percussion. Ivan’s arrangement was first class and showed off the orchestra to it’s very best. Of having his piece played in the concert, Ivan said: ‘It was great for me to have my ideas on the page realised in sound by the orchestra. The Cathedral was a grand venue for this piece, and it gave it more power as the big chords echoed around. I am thrilled with how it all turned out’.
The concert ended with a fifteen-minute ABBA medley sung by the 250-strong mass choir built from pupils from all four RGS schools. Featuring a superb accompanying band including Year Eleven pupil, Sasha Penlington on piano, Year Ten pupil, Lucas Wood on drums and Lower Sixth Student, Theo Mason on tenor sax, the medley included the songs ‘I Have A Dream’, ‘Mamma Mia’, ‘Thank You For The Music’ and ended with ‘Waterloo’. Some pupils donned sequins and sparkles for the finale, which ended with an encore of ‘Dancing Queen’ where the whole 600-strong audience were on their feet, dancing and singing with the musicians.
The whole concert, from start to end, was of the highest quality and truly celebrated singing and song. I sincerely congratulate all the pupils who performed and all of my colleagues (from all four RGS Schools) who made this such a memorable and special evening.
Mr J Soman, Director of Music