Mimi Doulton and Olivia Jageurs Inspire Musicians

Pupils of voice and harp from across Caterham School participated in a special workshop day with two visiting professional musicians. Mimi Doulton enjoys a busy career as an operatic soloist and had just returned from the US, where she was singing in the Walt Disney Concert Hall at the LA Phil, conducted by Thomas Ades, one of the most successful British musicians of his generation. Harpist Olivia Jageurs is famous for her Harpy Hour Zoom concerts and 15-Second Harp Commissions where composers may submit works which she performs and records; she also recorded harp for the recent Robbie Williams Netflix documentary. Around 20 singers and seven harpists (from prep and senior school) enjoyed learning new and exciting repertoire, including British folksong, old French troubadour songs from the 10th century, as well as some contemporary works. The harpists learned to improvise and accompany the singers. Parents were invited to join us at the end of the day for a sharing performance of the music they had learned, and pupils were treated to a performance from Mimi and Olivia. This was a fantastic opportunity for pupils to perform side-by-side with professional musicians and inspire them to take an interest in new styles of music.