C hamber M usic
Chamber music grants every student an
opportunity to perform a wide range of repertoire
and to collaborate with other musicians.
This not only develops the critical listening skills
required of any performer, but is also really fun.
This year we were fortunate enough to play in two
chamber groups and to take part in many wonderful
experiences.
At the start of the year, we were delighted to form a
flute quartet with Annabel Liu and Agnes Wu. We all
loved experimenting with new pieces and eventually
decided to enter Pro Corda’s national chamber music
festival with Bozza’s ‘Jour d’été à la montagne’. We
were lucky enough to progress to the finals along with
three other groups from Sevenoaks – a cello quintet
and two piano trios (Isla McCulloch, Eliza Ruffle, Tess
Hunter, Sophia Whitby-Smith, Allegra Cuomo, Lachlan
Edwards, Nicholas Peh – who all qualified in the U12
category). After an invigorating day performing and
listening to the beautiful renditions of the other
groups, we were thrilled to be awarded the title
of Chamber Champions, together with four other
ensembles! We are excited about the performance
opportunities this will give us throughout the year.
Left: The Pro Corda
Chamber Champions
We were also fortunate to take part in a workshop
with the internationally award-winning Fournier
Trio. The advice given by the violinist Sulki Yu to our
piano trio with Madeleine Brown really helped us
to improve our playing, not only as individuals but
as an ensemble, with particular emphasis on the
importance of phrasing and communication between
the different melodic layers. The day culminated in a
public masterclass, commencing with an outstanding
performance of Tchaikovsky’s Piano Trio by the
Fournier Trio, and finishing with workshops on
performances from two piano trios from Sevenoaks.
Throughout this year we have had many opportunities
to perform, ranging from the three Chamber
Musicians’ Platform Concerts held in the Recital
Room to the Alan Adler Concert in the Pamoja Hall.
Despite the inevitable performance nerves, it is
the moments when, on approaching a challenging
passage, somebody catches another’s eye and
smiles in reassurance, that make chamber music
such a wonderful and immersive experience for the
performers and hopefully for the audience too!
Overall, this has been yet another year of exceptional
and enjoyable chamber music. This would not be
possible without the enormous contribution made by
each member of staff in the Music department who
dedicate their time to helping us individually.
Anna Power and Aria Baker, Year 11
54
MUSIC REVIEW
SEVENOAKS SCHOOL 2017-2018
55