At the end of the Lent term the combined massed choirs of the
Choral Society and Parents’ Choir performed the epic St John
Passion by Bach. I sang as an alto in the chorus and had one of the
best nights of my life.
I joined Sevenoaks this year in the Lower Sixth. Not only was
I new to the school, I was also new to the Music department, which
meant I was quite nervous about whether or not I would be able
to integrate with the group. Thankfully, however, I was dragged
along to Choral Society by a friend, and I am glad that I was. Every
well-planned rehearsal after a hurried Friday lunch was different; we
would always learn something new and have a lot of fun doing it.
Mr Heighway, our conductor, brilliantly put the performance
together in the limited amount of time he had to rehearse with
us. By the day of the performance, we were all very familiar with
the music. We rehearsed with a professional orchestra for the first
time. None of us had performed the entire work including soloists
before the actual performance, but it still went flawlessly. I find a
particular beauty in the connection between the conductor, the
orchestra and the choir, and even the connection between the
different parts of a choir. The interaction between the different
sounds (especially the fugal polyphony often seen in Bach’s work)
unites people. Even today I sometimes randomly begin to sing the
different vocal parts in the St John Passion, and miss the chaos of a
Friday lunchtime fast-track.
I came to Sevenoaks as a keen musician, but couldn’t sight-read
and had a limited knowledge of Bach. I am still not the best
sight-reader, but this experience showed me how much I love
singing in choirs, and how much I love Bach’s music. It helped me
improve my skills, meet new people and learn the joy of singing in
a choral ensemble; it was a truly unforgettable experience, and a
memory I will cherish.
SEVENOAKS SCHOOL 2018-2019
Mitika Agarwal, Lower Sixth
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