A Wonderful Day of Orchestral Music

On Sunday 12 June, the music department was delighted to welcome over 50 children from 10 schools to take part in the Caterham School Orchestral Open Day.  Musicians, aged between 8-16 years old, and from beginners to Grade Eight, came together for a non-stop day of enjoyable music-making.

After only several hours of rehearsals, the day was rounded off with a wonderful concert for parents and guests. The audience enjoyed a collection of fun and mystical repertoire as the concert began and finished with the full Symphony Orchestra of over fifty children playing original works, written with an atmospheric, film-like quality, conducted by Mr Hall. The string section, led by Mrs Richards, performed a vibrant version of the famous folk tune Shepherd’s Hey, while Mr Hill chose a quirky piece for woodwind, brass and percussion that emulated the musical style of the old black and white Disney cartoons – which invited some audience participation.

Many praise-worthy comments were received:

 “I just wanted to thank you for a fantastic day on Sunday”

“The boys loved it, and the concert was great”

“My daughter, had a fantastic day, thank you for all your hard work, especially on a Sunday!”

An enjoyable day was had by our young musicians, staff and parents.