MUSIC AT SEVENOAKS ORCHESTRAL CONCERT
Is it Dvořák or the theme tune from Jaws ?
The orchestral concert opened with the Foundation Orchestra ’ s performance of a medley of the best and most recognisable parts of Antonin Dvořák ’ s New World Symphony , including the part that everyone in the orchestra ( including me ) thought was from Jaws . It was quite an experience to play such a grand piece of music in a big hall in front of such a large audience . In the Wind Band , we played a medley of George Gershwin ’ s music , some Beach Boys songs , and Vanquish by Bruce W . Tippette , all of which were a lot of fun . I hadn ’ t heard of Vanquish before rehearsing it in Wind Band , but I liked it a lot . Tippette is an American composer and teacher ; he was born in 1985 and is still alive and composing .
Sevenoaks Strings performed a second Dvořák piece , Serenade for Strings , and also Edvard Grieg ’ s Wedding Day at Troldhaugen . Like Dvořák , Grieg used folk tunes from his native country – in his case Norway instead of Bohemia . The last performance before the interval was the Flute Choir performing Solace and The Strenuous Life , both by Scott Joplin . Joplin was dubbed the ‘ king of ragtime ’ because he composed over 40 ragtime pieces over the course of his career – but he probably never heard them played by 15 flutes !
The second half of the concert was the Symphony Orchestra playing two movements from Kashperova ’ s Symphony in B Minor . Leokadiya Kashperova was a Russian pianist and Romantic composer who was born near Yaroslavl in 1872 and taught Igor Stravinsky the piano . She was taught by Anton Rubinstein , despite him not originally wanting to teach her – it was rare at that time for female composers to get places at conservatoires . She was so good however , she managed to get into the special class for his most skilled students . The Music department love to perform music by lesser-known or forgotten composers , and they have struck gold once again .
I participated in the Wind Band and Foundation Orchestra and thoroughly enjoyed watching the other performances throughout the concert .
Seth Taylor , Year 9
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