On Wednesday 23rd June, four Purcell pupils took part in a masterclass given by Louise Winter at the Camden School for Girls, as part of the 2010 London Song Festival. The pupils are all first study singers at the School taught by Tom Marandola and Cassie White: Beatrice Marshall, Leila Hills, Melissa Davies and Harim Oh.

An unprecedented nine pupils are gearing up for the School's annual concerto finals which will be held on 2nd July, starting at 2pm.  Normally up to six take part in the final, but this year the jury on the first round felt that there were so many potential winners that they put another three names forward.  The distinguished visiting adjudicator who has the uneviable task of choosing the winner is George Caird.

Following study in London and Cambridge, George pursued a freelance career as an oboist which included orchestral playing, chamber music and solo engagements. He has worked with many of London’s major orchestras including the London Philharmonic, BBC Symphony and City of London Sinfonia and particularly as a member of The Academy of St Martin in the Fields from 1984 to 1991.

George has been involved in many areas of music education: teaching, devising educational programmes, coaching chamber ensembles, conducting and coaching youth orchestras and teaching. He was appointed a professor of oboe at the Royal Academy of Music in 1984 where he became Head of Woodwind in 1987 and Head of Orchestral Studies in 1991. Since September 1993, George has been Principal of Birmingham Conservatoire.

George has sat on adjudication panels for BBC Young Musician of the Year, the Audi Junior Musician, the Shell-LSO Competition, the YCAT awards and the Chamber Music Competition for Schools.

For more details of the finals, please visit the Concerts page.

A group of lower sixth formers today left on an Outreach tour of Ham, Richmond, Guildford and Southsea. Click here for more details.