Summer Soirée

Despite the preceding week of heavy rain, accuracy of forecasting these days left everyone in no doubt that the sun would be setting over the ‘Pringle’ on the evening of this year’s Summer Soirée. The evolution of the Soirée from a simple open air concert on a few stage blocks, to a mini festival complete with dome as well as professional sound and lighting has been extraordinary. This year the Summer Soirée drew 22 ensembles onto the tiered outdoor stage for what has become one of the highlights of the school’s musical calendar.

String Sensation, the largest of the school’s instrumental ensembles, opened the evening with an impressive performance of Karl Jenkins’s Palladio, and as festival goers settled in to their picnics, they were able to enjoy performances by the smaller ensembles, as well as tap their toes to the beat of the rock groups and jazz bands performing later in the evening.

Performers of all ages graced the stage, from Junior Choir involving every child in Years 3 and 4, to the close harmony groups made up of children in Years 7 and 8. For the first time ever, the Soirée drew on the talent in the Pre-Prep, featuring William in Year 1 who made his festival debut on his double bass as part of Green Shoots.

As dusk descended, the stage lights cast a soft glow on the faces of the 90+ children in Senior Choir who brought the evening to a close with their rendition of Freddie Mercury’s Don’t Stop Me Now, a wonderfully fitting grand finale to an incredible evening of music.

Huge thanks go to all the music teachers, the catering team, the maintenance team, and Mr Reeves who made the whole evening come together, and especial thanks to all the children for their fantastic energy, resulting in such sparkling performances on the night.

Teresa Henderson