JAGS alumna Joanna Tudor (Year of 2000) wanted to give her fiancé, Richard Blakeway, a very special surprise present on their wedding day, Friday 2 December 2011.

Her first idea was to commission an original piece of music for him, but after discussions with Leigh O’Hara, JAGS Director of Music, she settled on an innovative arrangement of one of Richard’s favourite pieces, Bruckner’s 7th symphony.  Leigh wrote a very moving arrangement of the opening section, to be performed as a string sextet.   A bound copy of the score was presented in a special box and then five JAGS girls, led by our Head of Strings, Caroline Davis, appeared and played the piece beautifully to the spellbound groom and bride and their wedding guests (who included Boris Johnson).  In return Joanna made a donation to our James Allen's Community Music Centre Campaign – an unusual but very appropriate way to offer her support.

Many congratulations to Leigh, Caroline Davis and the JAGS girls who played at the wedding reception: Isabella Schofield, violin; Jessie Kolvin and Katrina Miller, violas; Susannah Lyness and Mair Dew, cellos.

Caroline commented:

“The six of us went by taxi to the Reception at the Oxford and Cambridge Club… it was a bit of a squash with two cellos, but much better that struggling on public transport!

The performance went extremely well and I was very proud of the girls. It was much appreciated by the bride and groom and their guests, who listened attentively and applauded enthusiastically.

Afterwards we were treated to delicious drinks and cakes as we chatted with the assembled company, including the Headmistress, who the girls noted was looking extremely glamorous in purple silk. It was a lovely occasion and we all felt the work we had put in to prepare the music was very worthwhile.”

SLYO 1 is concentrating on their two well-known pieces: ‘William Tell’ and ‘Romeo and Juliet’. Should be as good an experience for the audience as for the players.  Jaspar and Alex are new to the course, but old hands Christopher and Arthur have advice to offer. “It’s a long day (9.45am – 4.15pm), but you get used to it. You can’t get to great performance level in 3 days unless you work hard.” Quite right. It’s all about balance. They should watch SLYO 4 having fun practising their medley of Christmas songs and still enjoying vigorous games outside in their breaks.

Alison Venn
SLYO course, Day 2, Tuesday 20 December

 13 December 2011

Were you at the Choral Concert at St Barnabas with JAGS Choral Society and the Holst Choir yesterday? OK, it’s Advent and it might seem anachronistic to plunge into Bach’s Easter masterpiece, the St John Passion, but what an uplifting performance and what a night! Superb performances from soloists including Emma Simmons, Y13, fresh from her performance in the JAGS production of ‘Sweeney Todd’, singing the alto arias, and from alumna Cathryn McAndrew, singing the soprano arias. It’s a thrill to have soloists of this calibre working so well with our large Choral Society. With the Holst Choir the strength it is, it won’t be long before the next professional soloists emerge.  And with the Brook Street Band playing on early instruments, including a viola da gamba, which I’d never seen before, and the local members of the Choral Society giving their all, it was a wonderful community mix. Congratulations to everyone involved.
Alison Venn
14 December 2011

‘The beating heart of Africa is her people,’ writes Francois le Roux. In the Holst Hall today you could feel the rhythm of life pulsating through the Sparrow Choir from Johannesburg, South Africa, and through the floor on which we stood. Girls and staff en route to lessons stopped, amazed at the power of the group they saw dancing and singing all morning with JAGS Gospel Choir in a joyful, shared passion for music-making.  It was a fantastic reunion, the fourth time the Sparrow Choir has visited us, and the spirited joint performance at lunchtime had everyone in a standing ovation.  What warm personalities shone through the singing of ‘Modimo’ (Praise to God) in Sesotho, and ‘Nonganga’ (Mandela’s Song) in Zulu.  Not to mention the colourful 60s number. “Get on down!” they told us. They laughed. We laughed, bonded by the sheer zest for life.

The Gospel Choir has been raising money for the Sparrow Schools for a decade or more. And JAGS girls have been assisting in the schools during Gap years. Manene claims to have been quite good for Laetitia Lucy.  The only question now from Samantha, one of the Sparrows, is when do they get to show us their school? “We’ve come a long, long way together, through the hard times and the good” sang the Gospel Choir. Founder and General Manager of Sparrow Schools, Jackie Gallagher, says “Africans finally seem to be sitting up and believing that there is hope for their continent.” The Sparrows want to leave a little piece of that hope with their audience. They have.

JAGS Gospel Choir and The Sparrow Choir video, click here and The Sparrows Choir Concert

Forget the rain. About 150 young people from all over South London are making great music here with SLYO 1,2,3 and 4 orchestras, and SLYJO, the Jazz Orchestra. The school is full, spirits are high and the temperature’s rising in SE22!

‘We played flick the tea-bag in our rehearsal today. It’s good fun doing exercises to strengthen our pinkies!’ (Alexandra, SLYO 2)…. ‘We’ve just finished ‘Mr Spock Rocks On’ which is about changing from major to minor. It’s pretty cool but our teacher says it needs a bit of work. If I get lost after the first line, the teacher helps me.’ (Sula, SLYO 2)…… ‘I like having the sectional rehearsals - if you don’t understand what you’re playing the tutors help you.’ (Anna, SLYO 4)…….. ‘Best thing so far was meeting Anna on the first break.’ (Niamh, SLYO 2)……  ‘The clog dance sounds more like a frog dance at the moment!’ (Jessica,  SLYO 4)…… ‘It’s quite hard but it’s rewarding. Mozart’s good.’  (Daniel, SLYO 2).

 For William, age 10, it’s his fifth course and he’s gained experience and confidence. ‘I felt really happy when I knew I was going to be the leader of SLYO 2. Being leader means you have to tune the orchestra and keep them in time. I listen to jazz and modern music at home but also Handel and Mozart. I’d like to be a mini-Mozart.’

Take the good-will and vision of JAGS Music department, throw into the mix 11 choirs from local primary schools, their patient teachers, add distinguished composer/arranger, Alexander L’Estrange and you have the ingredients for a day of great music-making. Several hours of bouncing, hand-clapping, and skilful teaching of notes, dynamics and choreographed gestures later and he had polished four songs for the concert for parents. Were rehearsals ever this much fun?

But first their own performance pieces. The Holst Hall was buzzing and I especially liked the spontaneous, unscheduled warm-up from over 200 excited children of  ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’ before Bessemer Grange, Dulwich Hamlet, Goodrich Community, Goose Green, Heber, JAPS, Langbourne, Rosendale, St Jude’s, St Paul’s, and St John’s and St Clement’s  burst into song. 

In a sea of confident faces and voices, the Goose Green children were particularly impressive with their version of ‘Something Inside So Strong,’ as were Rosendale with ‘Sounds of Silence’.

Alexander’s choices set pulses racing. ‘Siyahamba’ written in Afrikaans, translated into Zulu and then English has become a symbol of determination and optimism. With all the children together humming and beating the rhythm of ‘We are Marching in the Light of God’ on their hearts, it was an amazing percussive start to the performance. Then two –part harmony with Alex’s own arrangements of ‘Oh Shenandoah’ and ‘The Beautiful Simple Gifts’. It was gorgeous and the large groups of parents and supporters clearly relished the buoyant mood. 

The whole school community gathered in front of a giant screen on Founder’s Day and with very little rehearsal created a three-part harmony of rounds that even Director of Music Mr O’Hara thought was passable! The massed adult and junior choir belted out ‘Thank you for the Music’, not exactly as Abba might have sung it, but we were having fun and doing something together, exactly like when the James Allen Community Music Centre is built for enthusiastic local people to make music.

Special thanks also to the six alumnae from Shenandoah who put on a brilliant performance earlier on in the day.

JAGS alumna Joanna Tudor (Yr. of 2000) wanted to give her fiancé, Richard Blakeway, a very special surprise present on their wedding day.  Her first idea was to commission an original piece of music for him, but after discussions with Leigh O’Hara, JAGS Director of Music, she settled on an innovative arrangement of one of Richard’s favourite pieces, Bruckner’s 7th symphony.  Leigh wrote a very moving arrangement of the opening section, to be performed as a string sextet.   A bound copy of the score was presented in a special box and then five JAGS girls, led by our Head of Strings, Caroline Davis, appeared and played the piece beautifully to the spellbound groom and bride and their wedding guests (who included Boris Johnson).  In return Joanna made a donation to our James Allen Community Music Centre Campaign – an unusual but very appropriate way to offer her support.
Many congratulations to Leigh, Caroline Davis and the JAGS girls who played at the wedding reception: Isabella Schofield, violin; Jessie Kolvin and Katrina Miller, violas; Susannah Lyness and Mair Dew, cellos.
Caroline commented:

“The six of us went by taxi to the Reception at the Oxford and Cambridge Club… it was a bit of a squash with two cellos, but much better that struggling on public transport!

The performance went extremely well and I was very proud of the girls. It was much appreciated by the bride and groom and their guests, who listened attentively and applauded enthusiastically.

Afterwards we were treated to delicious drinks and cakes as we chatted with the assembled company, including the Headmistress, who the girls noted was looking extremely glamorous in purple silk. It was a lovely occasion and we all felt the work we had put in to prepare the music was very worthwhile.”

Joanna said that since the wedding day many guests had commented on how fantastic the music was and, as a gift to Richard, it was truly unique.
Joanna’s wedding was also a wonderful opportunity for Mrs Gibbs to catch up with some of our old girls.  Along with Joanna’s sister, Katharine, Mrs Gibbs met Charlotte Urwin, Rosamund Urwin, Livia Murphy, Pia Furtado, Emma Young, Boriana Guimicheva and Naomi Brown.  It was a very special day and a pleasure to see such a radiant bride and truly happy couple.