A Night of Contemporary Music featuring the works of Toby Roundell

It is not often that one can hear global premieres of pioneering contemporary compositions played in China, and even less often that one can hear such pieces played in Tianjin, and then even less often that the composer permits their work to be premiered by amateur musicians and senior school students at a school recital.

However, it was on the evening of Saturday 22nd November 2014, that students, parents and staff of Wellington College International Tianjin were fortunate enough to experience what might only be described as a series of musical compositions of unquestionable authenticity and uniqueness. Composed in their entirety by Mr. Toby Roundell, the evening entitled A Night of Contemporary Music featuring the works of Toby Roundell was both memorable in its resonance and thrilling in appeal, attracting an audience that spanned many musical generations, all intimately located in the Black Box Theatre at Wellington Tianjin.

As Housemaster of the Stanley House in the Senior School, Roundell is a key member of the pastoral system that is fundamentally integrated within the entire Wellington community. A father of two, he finds his solace in his music, transforming the emotions and sentiments of all around him into a truly distinctive and personal style that encompasses a wide range of performance techniques.

Held entirely in the Black Box Theatre – one of Wellington College’s main locations for the staging of both theatrical and musical events, the audience and the performers found themselves separated only by the beams of the stage lights, sitting within breathing distance of the musicians as they played. Roundell opted to make use of this space, as opposed to the relative expanses and grandiosity of the Seldon Theatre, due to the closeness and subsequent intensity of the whole experience.  The accompanying notions of the hospitable and comfortable, combined with an underlying ambience of both confidentiality and profundity, provided an ideal performance platform for the pieces to have maximum effect on the senses of all onlookers.

Former student of the Royal Academy of Music, and now the Director of Studies and Head of Geography at Wellington College International Tianjin – Mr. Gudmundur Jonsson, performed a solo piece for low voice, with Roundell himself accompanying him on the piano. The two songs – based on the poetic works Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience by William Blake, showcased one of many strong juxtapositions common in Roundell’s compositions using the romanticism of Blake’s work in combination with the haunting and frenetic vocals of the bass voice.

With so many exceptional performances, it would be both difficult and fairly unscrupulous to merely highlight stand-out renditions of Roundell’s rich concoctions, but mention must be made of both Ms. Madeleine Churchill on the solo violin, as well as Wellington Music Teacher, Ms. Emma Chen, performing pieces entitled In Search of Virtuosity and Little Suite respectively. Senior school students Annie Song and Tina Guo entertained with their piano duet, emphasising the dramatic changes in pace and rhythm which are ultimately a characteristic of Roundell’s musical invention.

It is in both the exposure to such innovation in the arts, in addition to the rehearsal and performance that a young student is able to truly enhance their own personal abilities and skills – both in thought and in action. Whilst partaking and spectating in such special occasions can be a positive learning experience for all involved, requiring maturity in both discipline and poise are only two of many essential facets to all working professionals. From the ingenuity of Toby Roundell, to the commitment of the members of the performance troupe, to the seizing of the opportunity to take part in something just a little bit special, the event symbolized some areas crucial to education in the modern day. A final congratulations must go to all involved, as members of the Wellington and Tianjin community wait in earnest for the next rendition from an increasingly talented and individual school community.