About Millfield News
Recital honours former Millfield Headmaster
On Monday 25th January, a recital was held at Millfield School in Street, Somerset, to honour the outstanding contribution made by former Headmaster, Peter Johnson, to the school. During the recital, a sign was unveiled, naming the Millfield Concert Hall "The Johnson Hall". During his time as Headmaster of Millfield from 1998 - 2008 Peter Johnson was a passionate supporter of music and it was under his leadership that the new music school and concert hall was built. This is a truly incredible building, with 2 recording studios, an orchestral percussion room, 22 practice rooms, 6 classrooms equipped with iMac computers and state of the art music software, a library and a specially designed 325-seat Concert Hall. Along with the school's 35 full and part time music staff, this provides exceptional opportunities for young people to fulfill their music making potential. It was therefore highly appropriate that the hall was named in his honour, and the evening's entertainment was a fitting tribute to the leadership he had given the school for ten years. As Peter put it, there is now a triangle of incredible facilities dedicated to the arts at the centre of the school - the Meyer Theatre, the Fine Arts Centre with Atkinson Gallery and the Music School with Johnson Hall, underlining Millfield's aim to provide an all round education and to allow young people to develop whatever talent they have.
The recital was a very special event, with former pupils returning to perform to the packed auditorium with current pupils, all of whom had been musicians under Peter's tenure as Headmaster. The recital opened with former pupil Amy Yuan playing "The Morning of Miao Hill" by Gang on the violin, accompanied by current Upper Sixth Form pupil Emma Wang on the piano. This was a very fitting start to the evening, as Amy was the first pupil to perform in the Concert Hall back in 2006 when it opened, and having left the school in 2007, returned for this special event. Amy was Leader of the National Youth Orchestra and after leaving Millfield was awarded a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music in London. Amy was followed by another rising star, current pupil Laura Hammonds, who is the current Principal Cello in the National Youth Orchestra and has also just been awarded a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music, very much following in Amy's footsteps. She gave a beautiful performance of Pezzo Capricciosio by Tchaikovsky. Another former pupil, Emily Ferrie, who left Millfield in 2009, and is another former member of the National Youth Orchestra, performed Rhapsody from Suite Hebraique by Bloch on the viola, followed by Jordan Guan, another current pupil, who won the Best Conductor Prize in Millfield's House Song Competition this year, performing Concerto in B Flat Major, 1st Movement, by Mozart on the Bassoon.
The first half of the recital ended in spectacular style with a spellbinding performance by Amy Yuan, Emily Ferrie, Laura Hammonds and Emma Wang of Schumann's Piano Quartet in E Flat Major, 3rd Movement Op. 47 - Andante Cantabile. The Concert Hall was then dedicated to Peter Johnson, and both the former Headmaster and the Chair of the Governors, Judith Derbyshire, gave brief speeches before the unveiling of the new sign.
Following this brief interlude, Upper Sixth Form pupil Thomas Wills played In the Sandpit by Duncan on the Bass Guitar. Although this was Thomas's first recital it did not show and he gave a great performance. This was followed by Lower Sixth Form pupil Madeline Vaughan singing Dido's Lament by Purcell beautifully. She was accompanied by music tutor Anselm Barker on the harpsichord, an instrument that Millfield is extremely lucky to own, and was made especially for the school following fundraising led by the Old Millfieldian Society. Madeleine's singing accompanied by the harpsichord was truly spectacular. Another recital debut followed, Year 10 pupil Siddhartha Lethbridge performing Cavatine on the trombone. The penultimate act of the evening was Upper Sixth Form pupil Emma Wang performing Étude in C minor, Op. 25, No. 12 by Chopin. This was an absolutely mesmerising performance from beginning to end, making it obvious to her wowed audience why she had been offered places at all the major conservatoires before accepting a place at the Royal College of Music in London. The recital ended with a very enjoyable performance of the St Louis Blues by Handy, performed by the percussion ensemble of current pupils Bruno Zummnorde-Merdes, Laura Myers, Edmund Rhind-Tutt, Jack Hutchcroft and James Oliver.
The evening was a fantastic showcase of the talent that Millfield helps to nurture and develop, with a range of outstanding performances. It was a wonderful way to recognise both Peter Johnson's leadership and Millfield pupils' talent, the first of many wonderful evenings in the newly named Johnson Hall.
Photo 1 (l-r): Cellist Laura Hammonds, Violinist Amy Yuan, Former Headmaster Peter Johnson, Chair of the Governors Judith Derbyshire, Pianist Emma Wang and Violist Emily Ferrie.
Photo 2: Peter Johnson beneath the entrance to the Johnson Hall.
