Our final concert of the year is dedicated to the Founder and is always a chance to say au revoir and thank you individually to the Year 13 musicians. Sitting in the audience on the percussion side of the Symphony Orchestra was a thrilling experience. The Founder’s Concert programme included two movements from Holst’s The Planets, with plenty of opportunity for the timpani and drums to add to the swelling feeling that something tremendous was going on. ‘Mars’ and ‘Jupiter’. What a landscape of huge, stirring music! It was hard not to rise to our feet.

The Founder’s Concert is always a particularly powerful near- end to the term, and we have the chance to say au revoir individually to the Year 13 musicians. We know we’ll see them again! Director of Music, Mr Leigh O’Hara, thanked them, and all the other Year 13 musicians not present, who’ve contributed to Jazz Night and other concerts, for their hours of commitment to music-making at JAGS. They’ve given us so much pleasure and inspiration.

With a delightful Gershwin piece from the Recorder Consort, Rutter’s ‘Gaelic Blessing’, sung beautifully by the Chamber Choir, the Concert Orchestra’s rendition of Rossini’s ‘Overture to the Thieving Magpie’, and the Cello Ensemble’s Villa-Lobos pieces, it was an evening for smiles and wonder. Particular inspiration came from Year 13 soloist, Margaret Lund, who displayed an outstanding level of skill in Copland’s ‘Concerto for Clarinet’, a surprising piece, soothing and twisting in turn.

We enjoyed lovely music in the End of Year services at Christ’s Chapel, including a beautiful solo, Herbert Howells’ King David, from leaver Sacha Smith. Year 11 Dorothy Tang played an organ solo, Toccata in F, Buxtehude; both she and Maria Young played organ music before last Sunday’s Choral Evensong for Dulwich College, which was received very well.

Music-making doesn’t stop here at the end of term! We are delighted to be hosting a primary Schools’ Singing festival on 13 July. Senior girls are all geared up to help the music department to rehearse the 7 schools in the day, leading towards a concert for the children’s parents in the afternoon. Lunchtime picnics in the lovely grounds here should also be a treat!

Then for four days in August numbers of older, enthusiastic orchestral musicians from all over South London will be unleashing their talents with experienced conductors on the first holiday course with SLYO (South London Youth Orchestra) www.jags.org.uk/jasspa/slyo/ , an exciting new initiative.

You can read more about it and the music department at: www.jags.org.uk/jags/teaching_learning/music/

Keep up with our school news at: www.jags.org.uk