Weekly Highlights 21st April 2023

British Biology Olympiad Competition 2023

The British Biology Olympiad (BBO) challenges and stimulates students with an interest in biology to expand and extend their talents. Students are presented with topics and ideas which they are not familiar with, so will compete with their problem solving skills and understanding of core principles.

Over 13,000 students from more than 800 schools worldwide took part in this year’s British Biology Olympiad. They completed two 45-minute papers covering familiar and novel topics across the entirety of biology from ecology to biotechnology!

We usually enter Year 13 students, as they will have completed more of the A Level Biology specification, but in a change with convention this year we entered two Year 12 students . . . and we are delighted to announce that both students received BBO medals.

Lindsey was awarded a Bronze Medal (she was less than 1% from achieving a Silver Medal!)
Amanda was awarded a Silver Medal

From the 13,000 students entered only 10% achieved a Silver Medal and 15% a Bronze Medal. This is an outstanding result for both of our students. We look forward to Lindsey and Amanda going for GOLD in 2024! Very well done to both of them.
 

Junior Composer in Association

Thanks to the generous funding of the Sue Knussen Composers Fund, we are thrilled to have appointed composer Michael Small as our new Junior Composer in Association.

Michael joined Purcell following the Easter break and will be working closely with our students under the direction of Alison Cox, Head of Composition, Paul Hoskins, Director of Music, and in consultation with Robert Saxton, Composer in Association. He will not only support existing composition projects, but lead new creative projects exploring the connections between music and other art forms such as art and literature. Michael‘s first seminar at Purcell will take place on the 3rd May.

Of his appointment, Michael commented ‘I’m absolutely thrilled to be able to join Purcell as the 2023-24 Junior Composer in Association. At this difficult time for classical music in the UK, Purcell is a true beacon of hope for the future with its incredibly gifted and imaginative young composers. Wherever composing has taken me, I’ve always found it inspiring to be part of a community of creative thinkers, in any art form – I always find it very energizing, and I’m sure I stand to learn just as much from the young composers as I hope to share with them.’

Michael joins Purcell from the Royal Holloway, where he is a visiting lecturer, following his 2020 win of the inaugural Royal Over Seas League Composition Award.

His music is bright, full of vivid colours, and explores themes of memory and narrative. His works have been performed by some of the finest soloists and ensembles in the world, including the London Sinfonietta – with the commission which resulted from his winning the Royal Over Seas League Composition Award – and Grammy Award winning pianist Gloria Cheng.

Further information about Michael is available here.

Concerts Week in Review

In our first week of summer term, the Purcell Chamber Choir sang at Evensong at St. Albans Cathedral and a few of our chamber groups performed at the Elgar Concert Hall at University of Birmingham. At Purcell, we enjoyed a Lower and Middle School Choir Concert, a grand final of the Senior Concerto Competition and a Lunchtime Concert.

Well done to all performers for their brilliant performances: Members of the Lower and Middle School Choirs, members of the Chamber Choir, Dominic, Tifany, Lindsey, Benji, Henrietta, Sebastian, Fiona, Ella, Thomas, Nathaniel, Ekaterina, Emma, Hana, Francisca and Chloe.
 

Choral Conducting Class Visit Royal Opera House

On Wednesday 19th April, the Sixth Form members of Irina Walters choral conducting class travelled into Covent Garden to visit the Royal Opera House. The students met with William Spaulding, chorus master of the Royal Opera House, and were able to take in a chorus rehearsal.

A full account of the trip will be published in a forthcoming edition of the Weekly Highlights. Until then, our thanks to William Spaulding for his time and generosity, and to Irina Walters for making this happen!

Alumnus Alexis Ffrench to Perform at Coronation Concert

Composer, pianist, broadcaster and alumnus Alexis Ffrench is among the artists performing at the coronation concert in the grounds of Windsor Castle on 7th May 2023.

In a segment of the concert dedicated to conservation and the environment, Ffrench will play a short section of his piece ‘Guiding Light’ during a video tape of King Charles speaking. He will also join Freya Ridings to perform another piece entitled ‘Don’t You Forget About Me’ for the Environmental spectacular part of the show.
 

Alumnus to Perform at St James’s Piccadilly

On Wednesday 14th June at 1.10pm, violinist and alumnus Yinong Ziao will perform a lunchtime concert of Bach, Ernst and Ysaÿe at St James’s Piccadilly. Further information, as well as a link to stream online, is available here.
 

Forthcoming Events

In addition to those highlighted events below, please visit our new online Concerts and Events Guide here.

Sunday 23 April – Senior Concerto Competition: Grand Final
Time: 6.30pm
Venue: CP Hall, The Purcell School
Tickets: Free admission. No booking necessary

Programme:
Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue – Benji
Korngold Viollin Concerto – Francisca
Bartok Rhapsody for Violin and Orchestra – Hana
Gliere Horn Concerto – Chloe
Martinu Oboe Concerto – Ekaterina
Lalo Cello Concerto – Emma

Tuesday 25 April – Wigmore Hall Lunchtime Concert
Time: 1pm
Venue: Wigmore Hall, 36 Wigmore St, London W1U 2BP
Tickets: Tickets are £16 (£14 concessions) and are available from the Wigmore Hall website

Programme:
Ernst von Dohnányi | Serenade in C Major, Op. 10, I. Marcia: Allegro, II. Romanza: Adagio non troppo and V. Rondo (Finale): Allegro vivace
Rachmaninoff | Trio élégiaque No. 1
Danzi | Wind Quintet in B-Flat Major, Op. 56, I. Allegretto
Franck | Piano Quintet in F minor, I. Molto moderato quasi lento – Allegro

Performers:
Dominic, Tifany, Lindsey, Benji, Henrietta, Sebastian, Chonchanok, Birce, Tom, Sacha, Chloe, Fiona, Ella and Thomas

Tuesday 25 April – Viola Recital: Sarah-Jane Bradley
Time: 5.30pm
Venue: Liszt Room, The Purcell School
Tickets: Fee admission. No booking necessary

Wednesday 26 April – Cello Masterclass and Q&A with Julian Lloyd Webber
Time: 3pm
Venue: CP Hal, The Purcell School
Tickets: Closed audience. Open to Purcell students, members of staff and parents.

Internationally renowned cellist, music educator, broadcaster and Purcell Patron Julian Lloyd Webber, will be leading masterclasses with Purcell’s young cellists and reflecting upon his life in music in an intimate Q&A session.

Wednesday 10 May – Middle School Concert
Time: 7.00pm
Venue: CP Hall, The Purcell School
Tickets: Fee admission. No booking necessary

Saturday 13 May – Chiltern Arts Festival: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik
Time: 7.30pm
Venue: St Mary’s Church, Church Ave, Henley-on-Thames RG9 2BY, UK
Tickets: Available from the Chiltern Arts website here

Critically-acclaimed tenor James Gilchrist and BBC Young Musician of the Year 2022 Finalist Jaren Ziegler join a group of outstanding young musicians to perform a programme of music by Elgar, Walton, Woolrich and Britten, interspersed with new works by young composers from The Purcell School and culminating in an all-time favourite: Mozart’s beautiful serenade, Eine Kleine Nachtmusik.

Performers:
James Gilchrist, tenor
Jaren Ziegler, viola
Chloe Harrison, horn
Paul Hoskins, conductor

Programme:
Elgar | Serenade for Strings
Britten | Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings
John Woolrich | Ulysses Awakes
Walton | Two Pieces from Henry V
Mozart | Eine Kleine Nachtmusik