soon after – an excellent start ! All the performances in the first half of the concert were impressively thought-provoking and conveyed that music really can be used as a means of subversion and for campaigning .
Following the interval , several truly brilliant performances were heard . These included the solo piano work ‘ Sailing the Seas depends upon the Helmsman ’, by Cornelius Cardew , performed by Daisy Liu . This piece aims to salute the Chinese communist revolutionary Mao Zedong . Then , a nicely reflective and poignant moment in the concert was brought about thanks to Alex Shin ’ s excellent performance of a piano arrangement of Radiohead ’ s ‘ No Surprises ’. This famous song , written by the band ’ s vocalist , Thom Yorke , laments the futility of governments in harsh political situations .
To close the concert , a large orchestral ensemble comprised of all the performers delivered a stirring rendition of Louis Andriessen ’ s Volkslied , conducted by Mika Curson . This minimalistic work consists of ostinatos from the Dutch national anthem and the socialist hymn ‘ The Internationale ’. The composer aimed to expose the rallying political overtones of this work through using extensive repetition and emphasising the value of collective labour through the use of a large orchestral ensemble .
In summary , the success of the impressive programme of this concert worked in convincing the audience that music can be a potent force for social change and challenged most of everyone ’ s previously held ideas about music and entertainment . A big thank you to Mr Wey , who masterminded and coached all of the fantastic performances .
James King , Year 11
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