A Fresh Perspective: 21st Century Music in Concert

In the College’s first ever lunchtime concert, 6 pupils from the 20th Century Music After School Activity programme (ASA) presented an exciting and original programme of 21st Century Music. Opening with a short song by Stephen Chase the ensemble then sipped, swigged and gulped from Perrier bottles in the classic ‘Drinking and Hooting Machine’ by John White. ‘With paper’ by James Saunders followed, a conceptually challenging work in which notation and instrumentation are contained in the actual score sheets. Space and register were then explored by Klara and Crystal in Michael Pisaro’s ‘Rêve’ – a work inspired by the poet Samuel Beckett.  ‘Blues fall’, from the song cycle ‘Tombstones’ also by Pisaro closed the concert with Jasmine’s spine chilling vocals floating across the ensemble to leave an indelible mark on all who attended. Few schools introduce pupils to such a cutting edge repertoire, let alone perform it. It is a testament to the college’s strength in music that the composers performed (two of whom are distinguished Professors of Music in major departments in the USA and UK) mailed to acknowledge our young musicians concert on Friday 13th January 2017.