Britten Music Course students are "show stoppers"
Published on isbi School News dated Friday 19th of July 2013
Thirty-one young musicians from across Europe recently attended the third annual International Britten Music Course at Gresham's. With the target of performing three concerts in four days, the students were presented with an intense timetable of choral and instrumental rehearsals, led by Tom Appleton (guest conductor of the National Youth Choir of Great Britain) and Gresham's own team of experienced music staff. Students also had access to the School's beautiful grounds and excellent sports facilities with an exciting range of outdoor activities including swimming, rounders, cricket and ultimate Frisbee to keep them occupied when not required for rehearsals.On the very first night of the concert, students were joined by sixteen boy choristers from Loughborough Endowed Schools. Led by Director of Music Alex Osiatynski, they performed the Britten rarity, Golden Vanity along with Bob Chilcott's Jazz Songs of Innocence.
All students were given an opportunity to perform solos in the Chapel Concert on the third night of the course. A huge variety of instruments including harp, organ, clarinet, accordion, violin and trombone were played to a very high standard, and a piano trio made the most of performing of the new Steinway grand piano. Other ensembles performing included a folk group, several small vocal ensembles and an orchestra.
After a well-deserved visit to Hunstanton beach and a leisure pool (very popular in such warm weather), the students on the iBMC performed a spectacular concert which opened the 2013 King's Lynn Festival. The concert which also featured King's Lynn Festival Chorus and the European Union Chamber Orchestra with trumpeter Crispian Steele-Perkins, was entitled 'Best of British', and celebrated music with a national theme across the ages. The iBMC students performed selections from Britten's Friday Afternoons as well as Handel's Zadok the Priest and The King shall Rejoice.
The Eastern Daily Press carried a review of the concert on Monday 15th July, and described the International Britten Music Course students as 'show stoppers, singing immaculately magical and truly uplifting'.