The Purcell School > News > Weekly Highlights > Weekly Highlights 11th March 2022

Weekly Highlights 11th March 2022

Welcome to the latest edition of Purcell’s Weekly Highlights!

Purcell Pianist Wins Age Category at AADTG Young Musician Competition

We were thrilled to hear earlier this week that Year 7 pianist Kevin has won his age category in the American Association for Development of the Gifted and Talented (AADTG) Young Musician Competition. As such, he has been invited to New York this summer, where he will make a professional video recording of one of his competition pieces. Kevin studies at Purcell under Florian Mitrea.

Congratulations to Kevin on a fantastic achievement!

Godalming Performing Arts Festival

Year 12 oboist and flautist Tom took part and triumphed in the Wind section of the Godalming Performing Arts Festival on Wednesday 9th March 2022. Tom came joint first in the Oboe Class, and first in the Flute Class. We are so very pleased for him!

Tom studies the oboe under James Turnbull and the flute with Clare Jefferis.

Purcell Students Perform at Marlborough House

Last week, four of Purcell’s young musicians were delighted and privileged to be able to perform their own specially-themed compositions to a large and distinguished audience at Marlborough House.

This musical performance was part of a conference organised by the Commonwealth Blue Charter on Thursday 3rd March 2022 for High Commissioners and Commonwealth Delegates. The students, all sixth formers, created and performed pieces linked to the health of the world’s oceans, inspired by themes such as climate change, coral reefs and rising sea levels, amongst other things.

Warm congratulations to Andrea (Year 12, violin), Connor (Year 13, bassoon), Lewis (Year 13, keyboard) and Mikhail (Year 12, accordion) for their beautiful pieces and performances. Special thanks also to Ms Whitty for her help and support for this event.

The audience listened carefully to the music and warmly complimented the young people for their pieces and performances.

UKMT Intermediate Maths Challenge Results 2021/22

Last month over 250,000 students from more than 3,000 schools across the UK participated in the Intermediate Maths Challenge aimed at Years 9, 10 and 11. Students who performed in the top 5% of the country achieved a gold certificate, those in the top 10% achieved silver and those in the top 25% a bronze certificate.

The Purcell School’s results are just in, and Head of Maths Ms Stone is thrilled to announce that we have recorded our biggest haul of medal winners ever – beating our previous record of last year by another 6 medal winners!

Huge congratulations to the students listed below for achieving outstanding scores in a challenging set of maths problems.

Gold Medals: Herman (Year 11), Grace (Year 11), Jihyo (Year 10) and Ken Ros (Year 9)

Silver Medals: Momo (Year 11), Rocco (Year 11), Yu-Wei (Year 11), Chloe (Year 10), Phoebe (Year 10) and Edward (Year 11)

Bronze Medals: Dexter (Year 11), Lucien (Year 11), Melody (Year 10), Da In (Year 11), Rebecca (Year 10), Polina (Year 10), Aaron (Year 10) and Amanda (Year 11)

All of our Gold medal winners qualify for the follow on round of this prestigious maths competition, which will take place next week. We wish them the very best of luck.

Composition Concerts

On Wednesday 9th March, Purcell’s CP Hall and Recital Room hosted three outstandingly creative concerts which showcased the works of a group of first study composers. These projects had been inspired by Robert Saxton, Purcell’s Composer-in-Association, who worked with each group and gave fascinating starting points for their compositions. The resulting concerts were rich with creativity, something which was so wholeheartedly carried through to their student-led internal promotion.

We would like to take this opportunity to share the stunning posters which have been adorning the halls (doorways, noticeboards, boarding houses . . .) of Purcell over the last few weeks.

Concert 1 Poster designed by Nemunis (Year 8)
Concert 2 Poster designed by Maddie (Year 11)
Concert 3 Poster designed by Jakob (Year 12)

(Please click on each image to expand)

Noah Max Debut Album Release

On 5th March 2022, alumnus and composer Noah Max released his debut album, Songs of Loneliness – Solos, Duos and Trios, with Toccata Classics.

Of the album, Noah writes that ‘The spirit of chamber music is at the heart of everything I do and imbues the music I write. This contrasts with the threads of solitude and introspection which weave the pieces together’. Further information about Noah, the album and the artists who have brought his music to life can be found in the PDF below.

Songs of Loneliness: Noah Max

Songs of Loneliness can be listened to on Spotify and YouTube, and is available to purchase through Toccata Classics, Naxos or Amazon.

Imminent Purcell Events

Performance dates for your diaries:

Wednesday 16th March: Jazz concert
Time: 19.00
Venue: The Purcell School, CP Hall
Tickets: Free admission. Please email concerts@purcell-school.org to register interest
Trumpeter Mark Armstrong comes in as a special guest to lead the school’s various jazz ensembles and big band, alongside Simon Allen, our Head of Jazz. A renowned arranger and band leader, Mark is Artistic and Music Director of National Youth Jazz Orchestra, and Jazz Professor at the Royal College of Music.

Thursday 17th March: Piano Department Concert at St James’
Time: 19.00
Venue: St James’ Church, 197 Piccadilly, St. James’s, London W1J 9LL
Tickets: Please email concerts@purcell-school.org for further ticketing information and to register interest
The piano works of Alexander Scriabin, born 150 years ago this year, were the focus of our piano course this year, and this concert will showcase the work of our pianists in this extraordinary repertoire, alongside students from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

Friday 18th March: Purcell School Chamber Choir Concert
Time: 19.30
Venue: St Mary’s Church, Church Street, Watford WD18 0EG
Tickets: Free admission
Bernstein – Chichester Psalms
Britten – Rejoice in the Lamb
Following an outstanding performance of Christmas and Advent music in December, the Purcell Chamber Choir can now be heard in two masterpieces of the 20th Century, conducted by Ryan Hepburn.

Monday 21st March – Purcell School Symphony Orchestra at Cadogan Hall
Time: 19.30
Venue: Cadogan Hall, 5 Sloane Terrace, London SW1X 9DQ
Tickets: Tickets available via cadoganhall.com box office
Philip Theodorou – Blue Speck (world premiere)
Lili Boulanger – D’un matin de printemps
Prokofiev – Violin Concerto no 1 in D
Sibelius – Symphony no 1 in e minor

Violin – Yinong Xiao
Conductor – Paul Hoskins

A thrilling programme of four beautiful and dramatic symphonic works, all written by young composers, played by young people all too glad to be back on stage in a very big orchestra.

Monday 28th March – Brundibár
Time: 19.30
Venue: The Purcell School, CP Hall
Tickets: Free admission. Please email concerts@purcell-school.org to register interest
Brundibár is a children’s opera in two acts by Hans Krása and librettist Adolf Hoffmeister, composed in 1938 for a competition in the former Czechoslovakia. Today it is one of the most widely performed youth operas in the world. The production is particularly poignant this year because it marks the 80th anniversary of its secret premiere at a Jewish orphanage in Prague, which happened after the composer was deported to the Terezín concentration camp.