Joint Easter Concert with Newstead Wood School - April '26

On the evening of Wednesday 29th April the Music Department hosted it's first joint Easter Concert with Newstead Wood School in the Great Hall. The concert showcased the exceptionally talented and committed orchestral and vocal performers from a wide range of year groups.

A group of a Year 7 Newstead girls, conducted by one of their peers began the evening's entertainment with ancient music by Hildegard von Bingen. Then a Newstead vocal trio sang a beautiful rendition of "Lift Thine Eyes" by Mendelssohn. Both schools choirs then.comb8ned to sing "Locus Iste" by Bruckner, "If Ye Love Me" by Tallis and "Ave Maria" by Schubert.

The interval was a wonderful chance for students, staff, governors and other friends and family members from both schools to socialise. Boone. The St. Olave's Viola Quartet, made up of Year 12 Becca, Priya and Florence as well as Year 13 student Thomas, played first after the interval and stunned the audience with their arrangement of "Pavane" by Faure. Tributes were made by both Directors of Music Mr Flanagan and Mrs Attwood to Year 13 school leavers during the course of the evening. "Ave Verum Corpus" by Mozart with organ accompaniment was then sung by combined choirs before the most challenging and final piece in the programme, "Requiem' by Faure.

Newstead's Lucy Barlow and St Olave's Sashank Akella, both in Year 10, sang exposed and technically difficult solo parts with expression and shaping well beyond their years. The combined orchestra accompanying the combined choirs filled the Great Hall with dramatic and haunting sounds.

Huge thanks go to the students, staff, audience members and support staff who made this concert possibly (particularly during an Ofsted inspection for Newstead Wood!)