‘One of a Kind’: The Autumn Concert

Aidan’s playing a piece by Rossini in a rehearsal with the Symphony Orchestra. The most prestigious of the Habs ensembles, he’s worked hard to be part of it at the age of 12!

In fact, he’s worked so hard that he’s been named Habs Young Musician of the Year and will later be performing Fantasiestücke by Schumann to an audience full of students, staff and parents.

Aidan’s solo aside, the Autumn Concert itself is unique. As our Director of Music, Richard Osmond puts it:

‘It’s really one of a kind. The reason it’s unusual is that it’s much earlier than other schools – before half-term. It really is a spring board and opportunity for our Year 7, an example of what they can aspire to.’

This year, we will have close to 300 boys playing a range of pieces, including:

• 160 Year 7 in the school choir
• 60 boys in the Senior Guitar Orchestra
• 25 boys in the Big Band

We spoke with three of the boys during their rehearsals to try and get their view on the night’s proceedings. 

Alex

Rows of Year 7 are singing their hearts out.

Alex is one of our leading young musicians and first set his eyes on music in the Prep School.

‘I was asked to join the Senior School choir and it was really big! We were supposed to sing in the Spring concert in Year 5 and sang Leonard Bernstein. In Year 6, we then sang Zadok the Priest by Handel at the Barbican.’

The boys break into an arrangement of I Got Rhythm, a song by Gershwin. The soprano, alto, tenor and bass are each given direction as the piece begins to come together.

Choir aside, Alex is most interested in Concert Band:

‘We’re playing James Bond music. We’re playing a version of the main tune, there’s from Russia with Love, and Nobody Does It Better. I really enjoy film music in general, especially things like John Williams and Hans Zimmer.’

Film music isn’t the only thing that’s on offer tonight; alongside more classical pieces, there’s a range of Jazz. We talked to Joshua to learn more about Habs Jazz.

Joshua

The Big Band rehearsal is in full swing as ‘More legato’ is called from the conductor. Joshua’s on the piano, waiting patiently for the Trombones to perfect their section.

His first introduction to jazz was back in Year 7, when he saw Big Band play a piece by Thad Jones and Mel Lewis.

‘It was one of the first Autumn concerts when I saw the band playing. The song was called Groove Merchant. It just clicked. I knew then I really wanted to be in it, so picked up a bit of jazz piano and got in.’

Music was a key factor for Joshua when joining Habs; even amongst leading London schools, Joshua knew Habs had a reputation for musical excellence. Now a key member of Symphony Orchestra and a regular at our Jazz Summer School, his interest in jazz has developed in breadth and sophistication since the early days of Big Band.

‘Before I listened to Jazz before purely out of pleasure. Now it’s a requirement – Jazz is like a language. I like Bill Evans, Herby Hancock, Oscar Peterson – Herby Hancock especially, he’s been on the jazz scene for a long time. More recently, he’s gone into more experimental music.’

Experimentation is something our Music Department actively encourage, and the breadth of musical clubs and societies is really astounding. Whilst we were on the subject of experimentation, Joshua suggested we check back in with Aidan to make sure he was ready for his coming solo.

Aidan

Working with his accompanist, Isabel Mair, Aidan’s just putting the finishing touches on his solo.

But for Aidan, the solo isn’t simply a chance to show off his talent; it’s a chance to showcase his instrument and what it is capable of:

‘The piece is really fun with both fast and slow bits. But I want to show people how good the cello is. It’s so much better than the violin, because it resonates more!’

This pride in his instrument really showcases the lifelong passion for learning that many of our students have developed over the course of their careers. And indeed, alongside the music, Aidan also comments on the wider skills that Habs music has offered him.

‘I think in the Autumn Concert, that’s when the Year 7 really do something – it’s the starting concert. It makes people feel like they want to do more. It was really nice because we were learning it all together. I’ve made quite a few friends since then, mostly through cello and symphony orchestra. The whole group in Symphony Orchestra know each other really well.’

Clearly these concerts aren’t just a chance to play good music: they’re a chance to learn new skills, make new friends and truly enjoy the benefits of a well-rounded education.

We wish all our musicians the absolute best of luck for the Autumn Concert and warmly invite you to our future performances!