On Wednesday night, the much anticipated official opening of the Art and Music block took place, followed by the equally anticipated first school concert of the year. Ex England and Middlesbrough football payer, Colin Cooper attended the event in order cut the official ribbon. All proceeds from the concert tickets will be going to the Finlay Cooper Fund, a children’s charity set up by Colin and his wife Julie after the tragic death of their son Finlay. It is a wonderful charity that benefits many children and their website is well worth a visit: http://www.finlaycooperfund.co.uk
After cheese and wine, kindly supplied by our PTA, the large crowd gathered to listen to a speech given by our Headmaster before watching the ‘cutting of the ribbon’. It was then time for the concert.
Mrs Wormald, our Head of Music, has organised and delivered some very memorable concerts in her time here at Fyling Hall, so expectations were high. As usual, Mrs Wormald and the children did not disappoint.
After a moving few words from Colin Cooper, who told the packed out audience a little about The Finlay Cooper Charity, the concert began.
The concert opened with some of our youngest pianists who were given the opportunity to become confident in performing for an audience while still young. Tomas and Toby Richardson, Ruby, Wormald, Olivia Coates, Luca Park and Ola El Hawary, (who are from our Junior School) and then Phoebe Russel (Year 7) all made their school and parents very proud!
This youthful enthusiasm set the mood for a varied and talented running order for the evening:
Su Kim (Year 10) played ‘At Sunset’ on the piano.
The Year 10 music GCSE class performed their own arrangement of ‘Largo’, which featured Harrison Langton on guitar.
Rory McAdam (Year 7) performed ‘Moonriver’ on the saxophone.
Ailsa Legg (Year 9) played solo flute piece ‘Annie Darwin’ (proudly accompanied by her mum, Ms Hornung, on piano!)
There were saxophone and clarinet duets from Zoe Catlett (Year 11) and Maeve Sutterby (Year 9) and then later sisters, Niamh (Year 12) and Anna Sweeney (Year 11), set toes tapping with a jazz composition.
A newly formed school band (who do not have a name as yet), performed some of 6th former George Ulyott’s own compositions.
Solo singers, Meghan Chandler (Year 10) and Charlotte McAdam (Year 13), accompanied by Marion Terry (Year 11), sang “Riptide” and “How Long Will I Love You?” respectively.
Marion and Anna Sweeney reappeared to play guitar and sing their own composition.
There was then an interlude from the music of our talented pupils, when Fyling Friends and Family (a combination of some very accomplished musicians from the local area) sang two ‘a capella’ folk songs.
The concert ended with the group of students, who had performed with the band Maia during Musicport Festival in the Spa, reprising 2 of the numbers that they had worked on with the band: ‘Small High Whistle From a Bird’ and ‘In the Springtime’.
The concert was a great success and reflected the hard work of our young musicians over the first half of our term. However, the evening would not have taken place without the encouragement, teaching and organisation of Mrs Wormald and the support of Ms Hornung and Ms Stewart.
Thank you to all who attended, the children, our supportive PTA, and to special guests Colin and Julie Cooper and Fyling Friends and Family, for attending the first of many inspiring musical concerts of the year.