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Chiswick Choral Group invited to sing at King's College Cambridge University
On Monday 13th November, Chiswick Voices, our senior choir, had the privilege of singing a joint service of Choral Evensong with King's Voices, the mixed choir of King's College Cambridge. Choral Evensong is a staple part of life at most Oxford and Cambridge Colleges, many of which offer it in their chapels two or three times a week for students to pause from daily work pressures and reflect quietly in an inspiring space. Many colleges also invite schools to sing alongside the college choir for a one- off service, but this has been a dying custom for many years, as increasingly more schools in the country are moving away from traditional choral music, much of which requires both a strong vocal technique, and a musical ear. Chiswick Voices, though only started up in January 2022, has not shied away from tackling the most challenging choral repertoire. In March, we sang the whole of Vivaldi's Gloria with Hounslow Youth Choir, and have subsequently performed works by John Rutter, Imogen Holst, Gabriel Faure, and Thomas Tallis. Preparation for this evensong started on day one of term, and rehearsals have happened every day before school starts, even if sometimes the students were half asleep, they have been determined to turn up and start their days with singing great music.
Mrs Emmett, who accompanied the students on the trip said "I was quite emotional during the service. The children have been so hardworking, often balancing choir rehearsals with a rigorous academic programme, and the beauty of their sound was such a testament to their efforts. I will remember it for a long time."
Chiswick Voices' next concert will be Faure Requiem with Hounslow Symphony Orchestra on 16 March 2024. For the first time, we are pleased to announce that the performance is open for local Chiswick residents to join in - a new venture called 'Chiswick Community Choir'. If you are interested in joining us for the performance as a singer, you can sign up here.
This is not the only cause for celebration in the arts. Mr Robinson and the Drama department have again been shortlisted for 'Drama Department of the Year' at the UK Music and Drama awards, and more recently, Mr Dubois, music teacher and Steel Band tutor has been voted the UK's Number 1 Steel Pan player by the British Association of Steel Bands. This is a very prestigious award, and he was voted in by a panel of 200 of the UK's best players. Mr Dubois will collect his award at a ceremony next month.
We are so grateful to have such a talented and diverse team of creative arts teachers at Chiswick, and there is always something on offer for every pupil's interests.
If you want to hear more of our excellent Steel Bands, you can come to Chiswick House and Gardens on Sunday 3rd December at 12pm for an outdoor show, and at Chiswick School Hall (open to the public) on Thursday 14th December at 6:30pm for the Steel Band Christmas show.