Music scholars impress at this year's New Entrants' Concert

After the festival of activities that make up Foundation Fortnight, Shrewsbury School welcomed back parents and families to celebrate with a concert featuring performances by the entire Third Form.

This year’s concert was the most diverse and eclectic to date, showcasing solos on the accordion, tuba, piano, voice, and drums.

The concert began with a delicate and colourful performance by Aaron W (SH) on the piano, setting a graceful tone for the evening.

Joe E-B’s (S) flute solo was languid, bluesy, and effortlessly classy. Another woodwind star, Annabelle D (QEH), gave a beautifully serene rendition of Gabriel’s Oboe. On the brass side, Alex P (R) brought cheerful pomp to his performance of The Happy Farmer on the tuba.

Jerry W (S), taught by his grandmother, played the accordion with wonderful musicality and a sense of nostalgia—a first for Shrewsbury School!

Next, Kirsten L (M) and Kate R (EDH) took to the stage. Kirsten, on violin, performed a graceful rendition of The Swan, followed by Kate on piano with a quirky and fun piece, Terminal 2 by Nathalie Bera-Tagrine.

The vocal performances were equally impressive. Catherine J (QEH) delivered a deeply moving rendition of I'm Not That Girl from Wicked, while Monty P’s (SH) version of Alicia Keys’ If I Ain’t Got You brought the house down. Another highlight was Ethan B-T’s (R) performance of Here Comes the Sun, which he sang while playing drums with precision and energy.

Howard H’s (R) cover of Stevie Wonder’s Superstition was driven, dynamic, and entertaining from start to finish.

The solo section concluded with two performances of Beethoven: Eric L (Ch) playing the second movement of Sonata No. 8, and Zara W (M) bringing fire and panache to the third movement.

The evening closed with the entire Third Form belting out the Beatles classic Let It Be, sending the crowd into rapturous applause.

A huge thanks to all the music staff for organising the evening, especially to James Kellas for his beautiful accompaniment, and to Shelley Oliver for her administrative genius!

Congratulations to all involved, and a special well done to our soloists, whom we look forward to hearing from in the years to come.

Richard Robbins

Head of Choral Music and Singing Teacher

You can watch the concert here: