Shrewsbury
'Awe-inspiring' St Cecilia concerts showcase talents of over 200 Salopian musicians
In the third century, Roman noblewoman Cecilia was martyred for her beliefs. Today, we still celebrate her as the patron saint of music.
I strongly suspect that after the two St Cecilia Concerts this past weekend, she was sitting in heaven with a smile on her face that you would not have knocked off with a sledgehammer!
The Shrewsbury School Music Faculty produced two hugely contrasting, but equally awe-inspiring concerts on Friday and Saturday night. Over 200 Salopian musicians in six different ensembles performed over the two nights. Although this quantity is amazing, it was the sheer quality of musicianship on display that was simply breath-taking.
It is difficult to isolate only a few highlights, but mention must be made of the effervescent vibrancy of East Coast Pictures by Higel Hess, performed by the Wind Orchestra. Their bubbling virtuosity cajoled us along with some distinct “LOL” moments. Talking of virtuosity, Marina K (EDH, UVI) was the epitome of sophisticated, elegant musicality in her performance of Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto no.3 (1st movement). The maturity of her interpretation belied her youth, and the Symphony Orchestra did very well to keep up with her. That same orchestra deserve huge kudos for a very creditable rendition of the demanding but rewarding Tchaikovsky 5th Symphony (1st movement). It should also be noted that the Friday night featured no less than three female conductors, Mrs McKenzie, Mrs Landon and Ms Almaz Razif. A veritable display of “Woman Power.”
On the Saturday night, Mr Robbins stepped up to the podium to deliver a glorious smorgasbord of choral delights. The Chamber Choir startled us by arriving on stage with wine glasses (filled sadly only with water), which then became the source of an ethereal luminescent sound to complement their beautiful singing of Stars by Ēriks Ešenvalds. Not only did they make us look up, but also around us with Frank Ticheli’s Earth Song when they came and stood amongst the audience to surround us with a warm, generosity-of-spirit sound. The Chapel Choir also arrived to enfold us in a blanket of joyous positivity with a charming rendition of John Rutter’s Look At the World.
Undoubtedly, the highlight of the Saturday night was Christopher Tin’s To Shiver the Sky performed by the Community Choir, Chamber Choir and Symphony Orchestra. This story about the history of flight, and mankind's quest to conquer the heavens, is an interesting, challenging, fascinating and eclectic work of art, told using six languages. There was even an air raid siren and a lion’s roar at some stage, but nothing was quite as riveting as Aoife B (EDH, UVI) singing the 8th Movement solo, appropriately entitled Courage. Not only was she courageous, but those beautiful, angelic bell-like top notes are still afloat near the Alington hall ceiling.
The final word must be one of gratitude to two people. To the Choral Director, Mr Richard Robbins, for his relentless joie de vivre and limitless warmth of musicality that he pours so generously over all his singers, and to the indefatigable, inimitable, superbly professional, bullet-proof Director of Music, Mrs Maria McKenzie. I hope the students know how lucky they are to have these two looking after them.
Mike Skipper
Head of Academic Music
You can watch Friday night's St Cecilia Concert below:
