Informal concert has distinct seasonal flavour

There was a seasonal flavour to Tuesday afternoon’s informal concert as nervous, but excited children and a large audience gathered in the Chapel for our Christmas Informal Concerts. An ever-popular event on the King’s St Alban’s Arts Calendar, this traditional end of term concert has now grown so much that there are enough items to comfortably fill two separate performances!

Year 1, Year 2 and Year 5 started things off in style, with 22 performances that included a wide mix of styles. Traditional Christmas carols such as Deck the Halls and Jingle Bells rubbed shoulders with a blend of classical and rock music, all finished off with an enthusiastic and accomplished rendition of Santa tell me (Alice and Laura Y5).

After a short break, it was the turn of Year 3, Year 4 and Year 6, who continued to delight an audience refreshed by more tea and mince pies with an equally varied programme of music. The line-up for this concert included carols, folk tunes, film music, classical music and show songs, so there really was something for everyone!

As ever, it was wonderful to welcome a number of first-time performers to the stage, as well as a few more experienced players who were giving their first performance on a new instrument. Special congratulations must go to Teigan(piano), Magson(piano), Thomas (Recorder) and Akshay(piano) in Year 1, Sofia (piano) in Year 2, Mark (bassoon), Ben (drums), Brodie (voice)and Crispin (voice) in Year 4, Sebastian (alto saxophone) Laura (voice) and Aelwen (voice) in Year 5 and Katie (flute) in Year 6, all of whom made a splendid Informal Concert debut. Ben (drums) deserves a special mention for his resilience in coping when the drum kit unexpectedly collapsed during his performance! He stayed remarkably calm and composed and resumed playing with real professionalism. Fantastic growth mindset Ben!!

These concerts were the final event in what, for many, has been a very busy few weeks filled with performances. Both events were a real treat and brilliantly showcased the children’s dedication and hard work. What a wonderful way to end the term – well done everyone!