It is always a joyous event when we are able to share our music with others, but last Sunday was of particular note as we welcomed many friends, both new and old, to The Menuhin Hall stage for Come and Sing: Mozart's Requiem.
The day was led successfully by Malcolm Singer, Director of Music, who prepared the orchestra and directed the rehearsals and concert. Malcolm showed a wonderful balance between asking for the most exacting musical standards and ensuring that everybody had fun and enjoyed themselves fully.
The choir was made up of a mix of our own students, numerous Friends of the School, and members of the public who came to enjoy the chance to rehearse and perform Mozart's masterpiece alongside such excellent young musicians.
The day was crowned with a fantastic performance in a completely full house of a programme that also included Mozart's Ave Verum Corpus KV618 and Beethoven's Piano Trio Op1 No 3 performed by Louisa Staples, Joe Pritchard and Can Arisoy.
For the occasion, the YMS orchestra were joined by players from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. The four vocal soloists comprised young professionals Rachel Thomas and David Condry, as well as our own Headmaster Richard Hillier and the School's Music Administrator Cathy Whitnall.
We love opening the School to our community, and the high attendance, together with the enthusiastic comments from the audience (both in person and on social media!), are proof of how much everyone enjoys the opportunity to share a day of communal music-making.