This year’s much anticipated annual Bryanston London Concert returned to the stage at the renowned Smith Square Hall. The event, in aid of ‘Over the Wall’, a charitable organisation offering residential camps for children with serious illnesses, brought together an impressive range of musical talent from the school’s Senior and Prep schools, featuring performances by pupils ranging from Year 6 to Year 13 (A2).
The concert opened with a captivating performance by the Concert Band, conducted by Xavier Iles, Director of Music, featuring Duke Ellington’s classic jazz standard Caravan, with a special arrangement that showcased a percussive duel between the percussionists and the band.
The evening progressed with a variety of musical genres, from Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla’s Oblivion to the modern rhythms of Daft Punk’s Get Lucky, performed by the newly formed Percussion Group.
The performances reflected the school’s breadth of musical talent, with both solo performances and large ensembles creating a dynamic atmosphere. Edward H in Year 11 (B) took centre stage as the trumpet soloist in Oblivion, while the Prep School Choir performed a heartfelt rendition of Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon & Garfunkel, conducted by Katy Donegan.
The concert also featured an exceptional a cappella performance of Gotye’s Somebody That I Used to Know, arranged by Pentatonix, as well as stirring orchestral renditions of iconic film scores by John Williams. The Combined Choirs and Orchestra closed the first half with a show-stopping performance of One Day More from Les Misérables.
After a brief interval, the audience enjoyed a range of music, including a performance of Can’t Take My Eyes Off You by the Soul Band, and classical pieces such as Bruckner’s Locus iste and Moritz Moszkowski’s Suite in G minor. The concert reached its grand finale with the Bryanston Orchestra’s emotive rendition of Montagues & Capulets from Romeo and Juliet by Prokofiev, and the majestic Pas de Deux from Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker.
Xavier Iles, Director of Music, praised the dedication and commitment of the pupils saying, “I am extremely proud of everyone who performed this evening. A huge amount of work goes on in the background for this concert and I would like to thank those music staff who have brilliantly led rehearsals in preparing our pupils for this wonderful evening.”
The London Concert was not only a night of memorable music but also a testament to Bryanston’s talent and community spirit through music.
Find out more about music at Bryanston.
