Welcome to the latest edition of Purcell’s Weekly Highlights!
Last weekend, Year 8 pianist Luca was in Milan, Italy for the International Piano Talents Competition. Luca studies under Florian Mitrea here at Purcell, and Florian was thrilled to let us know that Luca had triumphed in the competition taking 1st Prize in his age category.
Our congratulations to Luca! We are all hugely proud of and pleased for you.
We were delighted to hear that on Sunday 11th June, the professional choir of St John’s Church, Hampstead, under the direction of Dr. Geoffrey Webber, sung Year 13 organ and composition student Samuel’s composition ‘Preces and Responses’.
The piece was written for the 2023 London Festival of Contemporary Church Music and was performed in an evensong in conjunction with works by Charles Villiers Stanford and Olivier Messiaen.
Congratulations, Samuel.
Earlier this week, Purcell played host to renowned musician Craig Ogden for a Guitar Masterclass.
Craig Ogden is one of the best classical guitarists of our generation and treated us to a masterclass that not only reflected his versatile style and vast experience but stretched, encouraged and inspired our students.
We would like to thank Craig for all his hard work and hope to see him again soon!
In a bid to keep the heat at bay, last Sunday the Avision houseparents took the full boarders to Bushey Grove leisure centre to enjoy the afternoon fun session in the swimming pool. Perhaps not quite a ‘pool party’ but all who went had a fantastic time.
Not content with aquatic fun, on Wednesday night the Avison houseparents arranged an outdoor fun session with giant board games (a gratefully received loan from New Boarding House). The boarders thoroughly enjoyed themselves and Assistant Houseparent Annette Cook can attest that not once during the evening was a laptop requested.
Back in September 2022, our brilliantly creative Art Department took the Art studio social with the launch of their own dedicated Instagram account – the_purcell_art_department. For those who have yet to ‘like’ it, it is packed with fantastic examples of student work and is a wonderful expression of Purcell’s artistic creativity.
Head over to Instagram to take a look and follow the Art Department.
In what became a very hot week, we had four incredibly cool lunchtime concerts, including one featuring the Tuesday Band from our Commercial and Popular Music Department.
Well done to all performers for their outstanding playing: Suanoi, Yoko, Kutay, Rowena, Mason, Saule, Yoel, Lucas, Ruby, Clara, Julianna and Yifei.
In addition to those highlighted events below, please visit our new online Concerts and Events Guide here.
Tuesday 20th June – Singers’ Soirée
Time: 6pm
Venue: Recital Room, The Purcell School
Tickets: Free admission. No booking required
Come and hear some of Purcell’s finest singers in a short musical soirée to celebrate the year’s hard work. The concert will feature all first study voice students.
Thursday 22nd June – Class Concert with Pal Banda
Time: 4pm
Venue: The Recital Room, The Purcell School
Tickets: Free admission. No booking required
The cello students of Pal Banda will be performing to one another in celebration of their hard work and progress this academic year.
Performers: Josh, Ken, Teresa, Jessie, Emma and Ivanna
Friday 23rd June – Lower School Concert
Time: 3pm
Venue: CP Hall, The Purcell School
Tickets: Free admission. No booking required
This concert will feature a selection of talented soloists from the Lower School.
Monday 26th June – Brass Department Concert
Time: 7pm
Venue: CP Hall, The Purcell School
Tickets: Free admission. No booking required
Wednesday 28th June – Piano Department Concert at St James’ Piccadilly
Time: 7pm
Venue: St James’s Piccadilly, 197 Piccadilly, St. James’s, London W1J 9LL, UK
Tickets: Free admission. No booking required
Progamme announced!
Students will perform a richa and varied pianistic feast of works by Beethoven, Ravel, Chopin, Faurè, Haydn and Liszt.
Please be aware that the programme is subject to change.
Wednesday 28th June – Purcell Plays Jazz Funk
Time: 7pm
Venue: Watford Palace Theatre, 20 Clarendon Rd, Watford WD17 1JZ
Tickets: Tickets are £8 to £15 and available to purchase from the Watford Palace Theatre box office here
A Jazz Department concert featuring The Purcell School Jazz Ensembles and Big Band (plus strings and vocalists), playing the music of Austrian bass guitarist Stefan Redtenbacher. Stefan will be joining us for the concert to direct and play with the ensembles.
Thursday 29th June – Proms at St Jude’s
Time: 7.30pm
Venue: St Jude’s Church, Hampstead, Central Square, London NW11 7AH, UK
Tickets: Tickets are £25 to £35 and available from Proms at St Jude’s box office here
Featuring:
James Gilchrist, tenor
Chloe Harrison, horn
Paul Hoskins, conductor
Programme:
Elgar | Serenade for Strings
Britten | Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings
Mahler | Adagietto from Symphony No. 5
Beethoven | Symphony No. 2
Monday 3rd July – Purell Parallels III: Midsummer Meze
Time: 7pm
Venue: CP Hall, The Purcell School
Tickets: Free admission. No booking required
The third concert in the Purcell Parallels series, entitled Midsummer Meze, features new works by Maddie (Year 13), Robert Saxton, Antonia (Year 12), Phil Dutton, Aaron (Year 11), Gareth Moorcraft, Sylvia Lim, Cole (Year 11) with preludes and encores by Tim and Leyla (Year 10), Nemunis (Year 9) and Kaelan (Year 10).
Monday 3rd July – Commercial and Popular Music Dept LIVE at The Horns
Time: 7pm
Venue: The Horns, 1 Hempstead Rd, Watford WD17 3RL, UK
Tickets: Free entry
Come along to the very first gig featuring students from our new Commercial & Popular Music Department!
Expect to hear 60’s Motown hits, funk, rock and original music from our students as they perform in The Horns, a local established music venue.
Dancing is most definitely permitted!
Tuesday 4th July – Rachmaninoff 150 Concert
Time: 7pm
Venue: CP Hall, The Purcell School
Tickets: Free admission. No booking required
In Rachmaninov’s 150th birthday year, join us in the CP Hall for a concert featuring the Purcell Chamber Choir, Symphonic Wind Orchestra and Sixth Form Pianists.
Wednesday 5th July – Upper Sixth Piano Recital
Time: 7pm
Venue: Recital Room, The Purcell School
Tickets: Free admission. No booking required
Student-led concert featuring, for the final time as Purcell students, Djordje, Rujie, Benji, Ozel, Anastasia and Thomas.
Programme:
Mendelssohn | Variation Sérieuses Op.54
Brahms | Intermezzos Op.118, No.1 & No.2
Liszt | Vallee D’Obermann
Rachmaninoff | Études-Tableaux Op.39, No.8, No.9
Scriabin | Étude Op.42 No.5
Prokofiev | Vision Fugitives Op.22 – No.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 14, 16
Kreisler, arr. Rachmaninoff | Liebesleid
Liszt | Deuxieme Annee V; Sonetto 104 del Petracha
Schumann | Träumerei
Thursday 6th July – Sound, Image, Movement Concert
Time: 7.30pm
Venue: CP Hall, The Purcell School
Tickets: Free admission. No booking required
Come along to the CP Hall for the final concert of the year – Sound, Image, Movement!
