Millfield Prep pupils raise the roof at the Summer Concert

On Thursday 26th May, over 230 pupils took to the stage for the much-anticipated Summer Concert. The Sports Hall at Millfield Prep was packed with a supportive audience of family and friends and the atmosphere was electric. It had only been six and a half weeks since the Spring Concert, so the fact that our choirs and ensembles were able to learn an entirely new set of repertoire in such a short space of time was hugely impressive. 

The evening began with a rousing performance from our Year 4 orchestra who have been working hard throughout the year in their music lessons, learning to play orchestral instruments. They have done exceptionally well, and they managed to master two pieces - the first, Dancing with Unicorns began with a moving and poignant poem about the importance of inclusivity and kindness, and the second Creeping Up on Grandma showcased some extremely difficult passage work and rhythms as well as some impressive dynamic contrast! The Pre-Prep choir followed, making their debut in a large end of term concert and they left everyone feeling both uplifted and emotional by their heart rending and professional performance of A Thousand Years.

We then moved onto fantastic performances from the String Ensemble, who played Jam Session with poise and musicality, Wind Band, with an energetic, infectious, and technically challenging Sound of Music medley, and Acoustic Rock Band, a newly formed group who performed with an outstanding level of confidence having only rehearsed together for two weeks.

Edgarley Voices then took to the stage with a beautiful three-part rendition of the much-loved Elton John classic Your Song and Percussion Ensemble followed, performing Multitasker with spirit and toe tapping tenacity. Wind Trio were hugely impressive in terms of their poise and musicality and Jazz and Blues Band demonstrated fantastic musicianship and courage on stage, giving the audience an insight into the world of jazz and improvisation. 

It was then the turn of the 115-strong senior choir, made up of pupils in Years 7 and 8, who performed two items. The first, began with an introduction of Amazing Grace (performed by brave soloists and the chamber choir) before moving into the well-known Where the Streets Have No Name by U2 which had the audience singing along in appreciation and feeling slightly nostalgic. The choir followed this with a rendition of Sara Baraeilles’ song Brave, performed with spirited singing and enthusiastic actions.

Flute Ensemble then entertained us with a performance of The Drunken Sailor before the orchestra regaled the audience with two works, the infamous Blue Danube Waltz and the thrilling and dramatic William Tell Overture.

The penultimate item was the Junior Choir, who treated the audience to an infectiously memorable performance of The Rhythm of Life before finally, and after a very patient wait, members of the Young Voices Choir were left to round off the evening in style. Having just returned from an outstanding event in Birmingham, the choir were eager to showcase their Beatles medley, which was one of the many items that they performed at the Genting Arena. They were also keen to get all members of the audience involved at the end of the infamous Hey Jude. The audience rose to the occasion beautifully and the concert closed with the Sports Hall united in jubilant song, amidst thunderous applause.

Seeing just how excited and engaged all the children were during the concert was exceptionally moving and it was clear that they enjoyed their performances every bit as much as the audience! To those who were unable to join us, or those who simply want to enjoy the performances again, the concert is available here.