In an evening of ‘Music for Stage, Show and Screen’, an audience of friends, family and staff were treated to classic film scores, blockbuster hits and virtuosic vocals.

The Preparatory Divisions Choir delighted all with a rendition of The Lion King medley, performed to an audience of over 10,000 at the O2 Arena at the Young Voices concert in May. Students relished the opportunity to engage with choreography and its catchy tunes, and impressed still further in their argumentative delivery of ‘Anything You Can Do’ from the musical Annie Get Your Gun.

There were powerful performances of two numbers from The Greatest Showman from the Year 7 Girls’ Choir. This was followed by the Senior String Ensemble’s moving interpretation of John Barry’s hit score Out of Africa. The Training Orchestra did not disappoint with its energetic realisation of Mr Turner’s ABBA medley before fervent performances from the Year 7 Boys’ Choir of Queen’s ‘We Will Rock You’ and ‘We are the Champions’.

Senior Choir was given ‘licence to thrill’ with performances of ‘Skyfall’ and ‘We Don’t Talk About Bruno’ (Encanto), before Senior Orchestra continued to shake things up with its own medley of James Bond hits including the iconic 007 theme, ‘For Your Eyes Only’, ‘Nobody Does it Better’, and ‘Live and Let Die’.

Mr Meakin’s love of all things West Side Story provided the perfect bookend to the evening: the Senior Orchestra was joined by the Training Orchestra to perform the iconic ‘Mambo’ scene replete with driving Latin rhythms, trumpet descants (ft. Mr Rees), outrageous harmonies and no little audience participation. This performance, with students in Years 3-13, was a testament to the outstanding efforts of the New Hall Visiting Music Teachers.