One of the treats of working in a school is turning corners to discover pupils absorbed in rehearsing music together. Walking near the Holst Hall at lunchtimes or before and after school, it’s a joy to hear the beautiful sound of the grand piano, and especially in the lead up to the Piano Festival in mid-February.

The experience of the Festival gives pupils the chance to hear different repertoire and approaches to playing by their peers. Somehow the Music department achieves the perfect balance: it’s not a competition between the musicians, but there’s enough adrenalin surge for a real sense of performance in a supportive, friendly and relaxed atmosphere.

Timothy Barratt, Professor at the Royal Academy of Music and Head of Keyboard at Dulwich College, was delighted with the 80 performances and spoke very personally to individual players after each group, offering practical advice and encouragement as well as recognition of the skills displayed. He appreciated the interpretations and the expressive responses to the music, and frequently played parts of the wide-ranging repertoire himself to demonstrate his points about left and right hand balance, and pedalling ‘with your ears’; no small feat!

What a repertoire! We listened to marches, waltzes, nocturnes, toccatas, sonatas, allegros and honey-toned jazz – and more. They were all good performances, but my personal favourites included Laura Akehurst’s confident Oscar Peterson, Jessie Kolvin’s sensitive Chopin, Dorothy Tang’s exuberant Gershwin and the duet Rose Gleadell and Eve Marlow, who played Schumann’s ‘Impromptu’ with a strong sense of passion and changing mood and rhythm. The Festival ended with a delightfully fresh interpretation of ‘Tea For Two’, delivered with great panache by Eleanor Makower and Frederica Onslow. Congratulations to all the performers. The audience of parents, pupils and teachers loved it.