Ratcliffian 2016 (LOWRES)

PREPARATORY SCHOOL
SPRING CONCERT
The Preparatory School staged its
first Spring Concert in March.
It featured a whole host of different
acts beginning with a dazzling
performance of Lord of the Rings by the Senior Orchestra
collaborating with Year 5 singers. We were also treated to
a performance of four pieces by children who had been
learning string instruments as part of their Year 4 string scheme,
demonstrating the huge amount of progress they have made on
their instruments this year. Lower Prep pupils enjoyed entertaining
the audience with some of the lovely songs they had learned
with Mrs Markham, and a great show by the String Ensemble
concluded proceedings in an impressive fashion.
PREPARATORY SCHOOL
The audience was treated to a string of stunning performances
by individual children and by the two Preparatory School
choirs, in addition to the inaugural performance of the Year 6
Ukulele group, who led the audience in a rendition of Rudolph
the Red Nosed Reindeer. The Wind Ensemble accompanied
the carols throughout the concert and a particular highlight
of the concert was the singing of Silent Night in four different
languages. The afternoon finished with a suitable finale with
everyone joining in to sing a hearty rendition of, The Twelve
Days of Christmas, which helped to get everyone in the
festive spirit.
In the Carols by Candlelight service at the end of term, the
congregation were treated to a beautiful service in which all
children in the Upper Prep performed a selection of festive
carols and songs, including Ding Dong Merrily on High!,
Mary did you know? and Stille Nacht.
Harvey Henderson sang the first
verse of Once in Royal David’s City
as a solo and Katy Shaw impressed
us with her rendition of a jazzy God
Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.
MUSIC
The autumn term kicked off an
action-packed year of music-making
in the Preparatory School. The children
performed a spectacular concert to over
150 parents and guests in the Church.
HOUSE MUSIC
The Preparatory School House Music
competition grew this year! Over 60
children in Upper Prep auditioned for
the competition and scored points for
their houses.
The final comprised three
categories, Beginner, Intermediate
and Advanced. Mrs Angela
McGee, our visiting adjudicator,
chose Zoe Howling, Maddy
Dunstan and Isla Jenks as the
winners of these categories
respectively. The second half
of the concert featured the
culmination of weeks of rehearsing
of four different Beatles’ songs,
one for each house. Children performed their songs,
armed with a host of props ranging from glow sticks to
wigs in their houses and, after much deliberation, Arundel
were awarded first place for their singing. Overall winners
of the competition were De Lisle.
SUMMER SERENADE
The Preparatory School Summer Serenade
concluded the term beautifully.
Performed out
in the open air
to around a
hundred visitors,
children enjoyed
performances
of songs from
Sister Act, Les
Misérables, Oliver
and The Sound of
Music in addition
to high quality
solos from some of our House Music winners. The
recorder group showed off the fruits of their term’s work
and all joined in for a rendition of Summer Holiday led
by the Ukulele band. A huge amount of fun was had by
all in an afternoon that really showcased the best of the
musical talent at the Preparatory School.
PICNIC
CONCERT
Preparatory
School pupils in
the Chapel Choir
were invited to
perform as part of
the Senior School
Picnic Concert.
They sang two songs as a choir and two girls even sang
solos at other points in the evening, which was a huge
task at such a prestigious event.
Mr D Jones
Assistant Director of Music
Recorded and released in December 2015, the
Preparatory School’s first ever CD, ‘It’s Christmas!’,
was a triumph and sold over 200 copies. Children
and staff featured on the CD performing a selection
of their favourite Christmas hits from the festive
season – a lovely finale to a very busy term.
Mr D Jones
Assistant Director of Music
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