Sport - Rugby School

Drama & Music
2009/10
Drama
&Music
Diary of a Director of Music
September 2009 – June 2010
September
‘Lead by example’. Us experienced old lags know this is the classic
way to inspire youngsters, so after a nine-week holiday what better
way to kick-start the academic year than present a staff concert as
the first major billing Like many a brilliant idea concocted in the
Merchants Refreshment Emporium at the end of the Trinity term
the cold reality hits all the full-time musos on the first day back.
My pleadings with them to honour their commitment, trips to the
local friendly physio and copious lashings of WD40 (plus promised
lashings of Castlemaine XXXX for after the gig itself), seem to do the
trick and the Staff Concert actually manages to amuse, entertain
and even at times amaze the audience (hopefully for the correct
reasons).
October
Now it’s the turn of the kids to do their stuff and the enticingly named
Blue Note Society gives a rum assortment of crooners, pluckers
and strummers the opportunity to show off their wares to all and
sundry. Now restricted to ticket holders only due to its popularity
I remind Nigel Beavan about the first ever BNS a few years back
when the two staff present somewhat outnumbered the one pupil
who dared turn up. Some muttering about the ‘good old days’ but
I think he is only joking. That chappie from up north, claiming to be
Head of Brass, puts on a Brass Concert (clever title that one) and
a good (and loud) time is had by all – some very impressive talent
here, especially amongst some of the younger brassers (a technical
term I am told). Not to be outdone, a week later the Head of Piano
tippexes out the word ‘brass’ on the posters and inserts ‘piano’ and
hey presto an instant Piano Concert takes place. Cunning lot my
staff – have to keep an eye on these budding Baldricks.
November
Apparently we have rather a lot of folk learning instruments here so it
seems time we had a mega-concert – quickly inspecting my almanac
I have a Baldrick moment and arrange for one of the secretaries, Kim
Thompson, to put some pictures of leaves on a poster and in the
flash of an eye we have an Autumn Concert. Not quite a cast of
thousands but getting close to a quarter of school are to be found
in the Symphony Orchestra, Senior Strings, Concert Band, Ripieno
and Lower Chapel Choir – though to be fair not all were playing at
the same time (now that’s an interesting idea for the future). Quite
a busy month, for within three weeks of this concert we also cram in
an Informal Concert in the NMR, a lunchtime gig in St Andrew’s
Church, another Blue Note Society, all rounded off the month on
Advent Sunday with not one but two big events, carols at Blenheim
Palace and Christian Forshaw in our chapel.
December
The Carol Services seem to be getting earlier in December each
year – maybe we are trying to emulate the shops by preparing
for Christmas in September However, all the punters seem to
be in the festive mood and it appears the Visitors’ Service is now
on everyone’s ‘must do’ list: amazing how well over a thousand
people can fit into the school chapel (the phrase ‘can fit into’
might need reconsidering methinks: time for ticketing perhaps).
The Christmas Concert is quiet, restrained, with an atmosphere
more akin to a chamber recital of late Beethoven quartets – or
maybe not. Glad to see that the chappie from up north has toned
down his taste in dodgy DJs, although everything is relative – we
all agree he is colour blind and so must be forgiven.
January
Peace and quiet at last! Just a Blue Note Society to dust off those
New Year cobwebs and a Wagnerian proportioned production of
Pirates of Penzance perfectly presented.
February
A short month maybe but we still find time for an Informal
Concert, a St Andrew’s Church concert and a Junior Blue Note
Society – the latter is much the same as its big brother except the
alcohol level in the audience is drastically reduced (apparently).
Someone discovers that it’s ages since a CD was made of the choir
and this neatly coincides with a generous parent who thinks the
choir is rather good and offers to help out with the costs – so I
manage to fool the members of the Upper Chapel Choir that Exeat
ends two days earlier than advertised and we spend a merry six
solid hours a day for two days recording in the chapel. Even my
sense of humour is nearly dented when the producer suggests just
one more take after the fifteenth attempt at ‘Jesus Christ the apple
tree’ but the producer, Gary Cole of Regent Records, proves to
be master of charm and persuasion: ‘That was simply wonderful
– why not one more time just so that it becomes outstanding’
Give the man his due, the finished product sounds rather good.
March
This could be turning into a silly month. Every year I swear we will
reduce the number of events in this month and every year more
creep into the calendar: the nostalgic days of three or four events
maximum are evidently long behind us. Just to list them is going to
take up my allotted space but never mind, here goes: the concerts
start on 1 st March with an Informal Concert, swiftly moving
in the same week to a Marshall House Concert, a Blue Note
Society and the Arnold Singers (aka The Arnies) at Edgbaston
Old Church: the latter seems to be a firm fixture in the church’s
calendar – they certainly will not take no for an answer, and as the
proceeds from the concert go to the church appeal and Future
Hope we shouldn’t complain. Hurtling rapidly into week two of
this crazy month I find someone has slipped another Informal
Concert in, followed a few hours later by the annual Singing
Competition – Nicholas Scott-Burt, organist of St Andrew’s
Church is the judge and he manages to keep the punters happy
with his witty and astute observations. A Chamber Music Concert
fills up the midweek slot and then it’s time for the Upper Chapel
Choir to bomb down the M1 to London for the BBC TV Songs
of Praise School Choir of the Year Competition; third time
42