A packed Prospect Theatre played host to the College’s Chamber Orchestra and Big Band on Friday 1 May. Tackling a varied and demanding programme, over 100 students from across the College combined together to enthral the audience with the maturity and musicality of their playing.

In the first half, Chamber Orchestra began with the Pulse 3A movement from American Steve Reich’s Music for 18 Musicians. The minimalist work, with a precise delivery powered by three central percussionists, proved a visual and musical spectacle thanks to the images of New York City playing on a big screen behind the orchestra.

AS student Jamie Taylor’s solo piano performance made an effective contrast, with his magnificently phrased Chopin ‘Raindrop’ prelude. Bizet’s L’Arléssienne Suite No. 2 followed, the orchestra conveying the romantic nature of the incidental music through both its sweet minuet and energetic Farandole movements.

Following was AS students Sam Fang and Catherine Porter and A2 student Tom Balch’s Mendelssohn’s Piano Trio No. 1 in D, a truly jaw-dropping performance that left the audience amazed. A passionate interpretation of the orchestrated version of Ravel’s Pavane pour une infant défunte gave the brass section the focus, before the first half ended with two J.S. Bach works; AS student Yasmin Chu and A2 student Emily Blayney’s violins finely complemented each other in the first movement of Concerto for two Violins, while the Allegro of Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 saw the flute work of A2 student Madeleine Jewell and AS student Marta Mungai combining for a fresh and spritely precursor to the interval.

Big Band began the second half on a stylistically contrasting yet no less lively note. With a modern focus to save the Glenn Miller-era standards for the 1940’s themed Dinner Dance the following month, performances of Goodwin’s Hit the Bricks and Wolpe’s Raw Bones and G Whiz showed students Chris Brewster, James Akers, Dom Clarke and Jack Jones give effortless solos. A new version of Dave Brubeck’s jazz favourite ‘Blue Rondo à la Turk’ injected more of a sense of swing to the original, with AS student Eilidh Reid a confident soloist.

Jazz Ensemble, directed by James Akers, took centre stage in the middle of the second half, with a stylistic yet virtuosic ‘Softly as in a Morning Sunrise’ (Hammerstein), a highly rhythmically controlled ‘Footprints’ (Shorter) and a vibrant ‘Happy Go Lucky Total’ (Ellington).

Giacchino’s music from ‘The Incredibles’ saw the Big Band return with great energy, while Van Morrison’s ‘Moondance’ provided a gentle swing. To end, Cole’s ‘Orange Colored Sky’ and Kidd’s arrangement of ‘When Johnny Comes Swingin’ Home’ were big hits, the former featuring A2 student Francesca Newton singing the night’s only vocal number with great character and repeating it for an encore to the delight of a packed audience.

Speaking after the event, Curriculum Manager Harry White said, “Only two weeks into the half term, tonight clearly evinces the outstanding and unique talent of the hundreds of students across our College who take part in music-making activities. To deliver performances of such demanding works in the manner they did is truly remarkable.”