Weekly Highlights 20th May 2022

A flyer about the department is available below. Please feel free to share it far and wide! We will be accepting applications straight away.

Adebanji Alade Visits Purcell

We were honoured this week to welcome celebrated artist and Vice President of The Royal Institute of Oil Painters Adebanji Alade to Purcell.

Adebanji Alade believes that everything in art begins as a sketch, and his mission is to instil his work with the power and immediacy of a sketch. This inspiring and talented artist, ran a workshop in the Art Studio for Years 10 and 12 with such infectious enthusiasm that students were readily reaching for their pencils, and described the workshop as a ‘once in a lifetime’ experience.

Our thanks to Adebanji Alade for giving his time, energy and experience so unreservedly. It was a day to remember!

Purcell Pianist Performs at Bellapais Spring Music Festival Cyprus

It was wonderful to hear that on 11th May 2022, Year 12 pianist Ozel gave a successful piano recital of works by Bach, Chopin, Ravel and Liszt at the 17th Bellapais Spring Music Festival in Cyprus. Bellapais is an old mountain village whose historic abbey provides the concert hall for this distinguished festival. Congratulations, Ozel.

Purcell Pianist Triumphs at Music Festivals

We were pleased to hear that Year 8 pianist Gabriella recently triumphed in not one but two festival competitions. In her categories, Gabriella achieved Outstanding at the Ealing Festival, and was awarded First Prize at the North London Festival of Music, Speech and Drama. Well done, Gabriella!

Avison House

On Sunday 15th May, Houseparent Mr Brookes and Artist in Residence Ms McEvoy took the Avison boarders to Rickmansworth Aquadrome as a bit of light relief following a week of inspection. This was an adventure for many who had never travelled on the School Minibus, or left Purcell between Exeats and term ends due to Covid restrictions. The trip was great fun and the bird life was very popular. The group walked around Bury Lake watching the sailing, and then along the Grand Union Canal bank admiring the Canal boats, stopping only for an ice cream before returning to Avison.

Thank you to the Avison boarders for providing us with the fantastic photographs below.

Alumnus Wins Sheepdrove Piano Competition

Pianist and alumnus Thomas Kelly has been awarded the Kindersley Prize as winner of the 2022 Sheepdrove Piano Competition. Thomas, who studied at Purcell under Andrew Ball, was also awarded the Audience Prize, voted for by a capacity audience attending the competition as part of the Newbury Spring Festival. Our congratulations to Thomas!
 

Forthcoming Events

 
Wednesday 25 May – Creative Ensemble Concert
Time: 19.00
Venue: The Purcell School, Recital Room
Tickets: Free admission

Composer Daniel Fardon teaches at Purcell, and this year has run an innovative and unusual ensemble of very varied instruments that would not normally be played together. There is almost no repertoire written for this group, so our 6th form instrumentalists and singers improvise, devise and compose their own material for each other as they go. The result is often beautiful and dramatic, and always unpredictable!
 
Friday 27 May – Studio Ghibli Concert: Middle School Orchestra
Time: 13.00
Venue: The Purcell School, CP Hall
Tickets: Free admission

What is a better way to enjoy Friday lunchtime than with the colourful fantasy world of music from Studio Ghibli films? Music by Joe Hisaishi, which accompanies many of these animated films, is particularly memorable for its picturesque character. Studio Ghibli was founded in 1985, after the success of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984), by the directors Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata and the producer Toshio Suzuki. Six of Studio Ghibli’s films are among the 10 most successful anime films made in Japan, with Spirited Away (2001) at the top, and remain among the favourites of audiences of all ages. The composer Joe Hisaishi was recommended in 1983 to create an image album for Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, and Hisaishi and the director Hayao Miyazaki subsequently became great friends. Castle in the Sky in 1986 was their first collaboration project under the Studio Ghibli title, followed by many others throughout the 1980s and 90s. This lunchtime we’ll take you through some wonderful tunes from Howl’s Moving Castle, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Spirited Away, Castle in the Sky, and Princess Mononoke!.
 
Wednesday 8 June – Performance Platform: Years 7-10
Time: 19.00
Venue: The Purcell School, CP Hall
Tickets: Free admission

A fantastic chance to hear some of our younger students in solo and chamber repertoire, programme, alongside the Junior Choir, conducted by Irina Walters.
 
Wednesday 15 June – Piano Recital: William Fong
Time: 19.00
Venue: The Purcell School, CP Hall
Tickets: Free admission. Donations to our instrument fund welcome here

Beethoven | Sonata No 21 in C major op 53 ‘Waldstein’
Chopin | Ballade No 4 in f minor op 52
Debussy | Estampes

The Purcell School is fortunate to have William Fong as full time Head of Keyboard, and any solo recital from him is a special occasion. His international career was launched in 1984 when he won the first prize, gold medal and Rosa Sabater prize at the Concurso Internacional de Piano in Jaén, Spain. His concerto début at St. John’s Smith Square with the Philharmonia Orchestra followed soon after. He subsequently added successes in the Busoni, Cleveland, Iturbi, and Scottish International Competitions. William now maintains a busy schedule of recitals and masterclasses, teaching and lecturing both in the UK and abroad, as well as regular commitments to some of the finest international piano summer schools. His students’ achievements have included scholarships to study all over the world, including at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, and conservatoires in Berlin, Vienna, Glasgow and London.
 
Friday 24 June – Two Worlds Concert
Time: 17.30
Venue: Watford Palace Theatre
Tickets: From £19.50 via the Watford Palace Theatre box office here
NB: Use Purcell’s promo code 2WORLDSCHOOL to reduce ticket cost to £10

During his year as High Sheriff of Hertfordshire, Lionel Wallace was a passionate advocate for young people in the county. He conceived the idea of bringing together the contrasting worlds of his two favourite arts organisations – The Purcell School and the London Community Gospel Choir – in a charitable fundraising event. This ‘Friday night is music night’ programme of classical, gospel, jazz and Broadway is the result.