The Philharmonia Orchestra at Wilson's
The first week of February was another very busy week in the Music Department.
On Tuesday, the department hosted visitors from the Philharmonia Orchestra and Sutton Music Trust, which led a series of talks and workshops for GCSE and A Level Music students. Students learned about the many varied career paths related to an organisation like the Philharmonia, from Orchestral Management to Outreach, from Artist Management to Programming. A composer with the Philharmonia illuminated the multi-faceted nature of the job, and encouraged students to invest time in the activity of composition itself—practice and experimentation are the best way to see results!
After lunch, a group of performers from the Philharmonia gave a short concert, showcasing a range of national styles and approaches to arrangement—the task whereby a composer or arranging redistributes an existing piece of music for a new instrument or instruments. This led into a rotation of breakout groups focussing on writing for strings and wind instruments, and on the age-old question of where to start when writing a new piece. It’s safe to say that our students came away with many top tips! Dr Burton would like to thank Claire at the Sutton Music Trust and Adam at the Philharmonia for organising the event.
On Thursday, an audience of friends, family and staff were treated to delightful performances by a selection of our Year 7 students. As ever, the range of instruments and styles was vast, and the level of musical talent on dsiplay was truly remarkable. From Beethoven to Massenet, Nirvana to Florence Price, students impressed with their technical dexterity and sensitive expression. A truly wonderful evening was enjoyed by all. Well done, Year 7!