LATEST NEWS

National Drama and Music Awards

The annual Drama and Music in Education Awards is the premier Award ceremony for the Performing Arts, and for the third time in row our Drama department was shortlisted for Drama Department of the Year. In addition to this Mr Robinson, Head of Performing Arts, was shortlisted for the Inspiration in Drama award. This came on the back of another bumper year for the Performing Arts with 25 shows and outstanding results.

On the night we put on our best frocks and dinner suits and set off for the awards venue. The evening was presented by Aled Jones, who joked his way through the ceremony. On the night we didn't win our category but we are still delighted to be recognised as one of the best 4 schools for Drama in the country. Mr Robinson was, however, awarded a 'highly commended' for the inspiration award for his work with the school. To say he was "walking on air" to be presented would be an understatement.

Favourites

In February this year we contacted the staff and asked them to tell us what their favourite song was and why. We took these songs, and reimagined them into our first show of the year, "Favourites".

The students presented the staff with specially made invites (in brown paper packages tied up with string) much to the delight of the staff.

The students rehearsed evenings and weekends for the show, and by the evening were ready!

In total we performed 18 songs, from Fame to Freedom and Complicated to Valerie (on the Ukulele), and finished the evening with an audience participation song, "Freedom" by WHAM! (Mrs Ellener's choice!)

During the evening we presented small films starring the staff who choose the songs, and the reason why they choose them.

Vivaldi/Gershwin

On Wednesday 22nd March, Chiswick had one of its most exciting concerts to date. Chiswick Voices and Hounslow Youth Choir teamed up to sing the whole of Vivaldi’s Gloria. We had 60 boys and girls filling the stage singing one of the finest ever baroque works, and it was a real triumph, showing that high quality choral music is available to anyone who loves singing and wants to give hard things a go.

In the second half, Xing in Year 13 blew us all away as he performed the whole of Rhapsody in Blue from memory with Hounslow youth concert band. A famously difficult piano work, the soloist has to combine many technically tricky passages that you would find in a Mozart concerto, with the enduring feeling of being in a New York Jazz club in the 1920s. Xing pulled it off with huge professionalism and we are all so proud of how much he has developed as a musician since he arrived at Chiswick seven years ago. Alongside Xing, many thanks must go to our other soloists, Thalyta and Josephine, as well as their teachers, Ms James and Mr Jurkiewicz.

Dates for your diary

• "12" - At the end of April our 6th Form Performing Arts will be performing "12", an adaptation of the 1950s film 12 Angry Men, at Waterman Arts Centre. Tickets are available form the Theatre Box Office.
• Tuesday 16 May, 6pm - Junior Recital Evening 1, C15
• Wednesday 17 May, 6pm - Junior Recital Evening 2, C15
• Wednesday 24 May, 6:30pm – Live Music at the City Barge, featuring Dark Riders and Kaos
• Wednesday 21 June, 6:30pm – Live Music at the City Barge, featuring Chiswick Steel Band
• Thursday 29 June, 6:30-8pm (changed from Weds 28 June) – Summer Concert at St Nicholas’ Church, Chiswick
• Charlie - Rehearsals have started for our big big big end of year show, Charlie! The show will be on the 17th and 18th July.