VIRTUAL PERFORMANCES
Filling the concert gap
It has not been possible to run our usual extensive concert programme this year . However , for all our young musicians , we recognise that performing is a vital part of their musical education , developing so many aspects of their playing . So how did we go about filling this gap ?
In the Summer term 2020 , we compiled Virtual Musicians ’ Platform concerts , where students sent in video recordings of performances which were put together as a concert . During the Lent term 2021 , we went a step further with our Zoom platform concerts every Wednesday with ‘ live ’ performers and a live audience .
For the Summer term , we introduced the Garden Concert Series , brainchild of Kathryn Ashwell , the Assistant Head of Instrumental and Vocal Studies . The idea was simple : you perform music in your garden at a pre-arranged time , and your neighbours can enjoy some music from their gardens . Five of our young musicians , Lachlan Edwards ( Year 10 ), Safina Baker ( Year 10 ), Jamie Middleburgh ( Year 8 ), Eliza Ruffle ( Year 10 ) and Claudia Shaffie ( Year 8 ), embraced this opportunity to perform in a way they had never done before !
Another idea for focusing interest and providing performance opportunities was the Performance Challenge . During the Michaelmas and Lent terms , the entire cohort of over 740 instrumental students were invited to submit a recording of one piece which could , if they wished , be included in a compilation for the virtual concert series . Our instrumental teachers seized the opportunity this offered for their pupils .
Several of them found it really helped students to understand what they needed to work on . Tau Wey , the Head of Keyboard , said , ‘ Although it seemed like a small ask , once the record button was pressed , the students knew it was a moment set apart for them to demonstrate their playing skills . They learned what their strengths and weaknesses were instantly .’
Teachers found that the Performance Challenge also boosted student confidence . Rebecca Coulthard ( guitar ) described it as particularly valuable for students who didn ’ t feel confident performing in public or who were relative beginners , while Alice Yelf ( tuba and trombone ) said that the pressure was minimal and ‘ we had quite a lot of laughs when things didn ’ t go right !’.
These hugely successful initiatives have provided enormous musical enrichment for all those who participated ; we are immensely proud of all the instrumentalists who have embraced rather different methods of musical performance at this challenging time .
Julia Kiggell
64 MUSIC REVIEW