A Musical Farewell: Leavers Recital Celebrates Talent

Monday 23 June marked a bittersweet evening as our leavers took to the stage one final time for the annual Leavers Recital, showcasing the remarkable musical talent that will be greatly missed next year.

The evening opened with Rachel's elegant piano performance of Thomas Peter-Horas, setting the tone for what would be an emotionally charged and technically impressive showcase. Sanna's moving rendition of Gabriel Fauré's Elegie, Op. 24 on cello was followed by Trisha's beautiful vocal performance of Johannes Brahms's Wie Melodien zieht es mir.

Head Girl Verity delivered a standout performance of Beethoven's Sonata No. 8 Op. 13 Pathetique (2nd Movement), demonstrating the leadership and musical excellence that has defined her time here. The classical repertoire continued with Heather's masterful interpretation of Bach's Violin Concerto in A minor, BWV 1041 (1st movement), and Katherine's delicate flute performance of Eugene Bozza's Aria for Flute and Piano.

The evening took on added poignancy with several violin performances, as Head of Music Jasmine Nicholson noted her sadness at losing so many talented string players from the orchestra. "I'm really going to miss their quality playing," she reflected, as Chelini performed Rachmaninoff's Vocalise No. 14 and Heather joined Mr. Scott for a beautiful violin duet of Corelli's Violin Duet Sonata in A Allegro.

The recital showcased impressive diversity, from Amy's enchanting harp performance of Deborah Hanson's Nataliana to Connie's electrifying rendition of Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode" on electric guitar. Christine's passionate piano performance of Ernesto Lecuona's Ante el Escorial and Amelia's soulful vocal performance of "When Sunny Gets Blue" by Johnny Mathis rounded out an unforgettable evening.

As these talented musicians prepare to embark on their next chapters, their final performances served as a beautiful reminder of the musical legacy they leave behind.