STUDENTS’ musical reputations have reached a crescendo after performing on an international stage.
Students from Richmond School and Sixth Form College have just returned from a prestigious trip to France.
Forty-one students and three staff spent six days in St Aubin de Cormier, Richmond’s twin town in Normandy, and Paris in a trip aided by Richmond School Trustees, the Twinning Association and the Rotary Club.
The Years 11, 12 and 13 musicians, who make up the choir, concert and swing bands, entertained crowds of visitors to Disneyland Paris.
They also performed to a packed house in Eglise Madeleine, a church in the heart of Paris just yards from the Louvre and Place de la Concorde.
Head of music Andy King said: “We had a fantastic reception from very appreciative audiences and we have just received a letter of thanks from Disney, of which the students should feel very proud.
“The students worked really hard in rehearsals and put in some amazing performances.”
The trip to France came after an exciting period that saw the school’s Chamber Choir win the performance prize at the National Festival of Music for Youth in Birmingham.
Earlier this year Mr King conducted the Stockton-based Tees Valley Youth Choir, during the filming of the Children in Need video God Only Knows, in which sixth former Sophie Overin performed on screen and sang in the recording.
She is also about to go head to head with her brother Dan in the grand final of the National Choir of the Year competition.
Dan, a former head boy at Richmond School and now an Oxford under-graduate, is a member of the Oxford Gargoyles which will be pitted against Sophie’s choir, also conducted by Mr King, The Northern Spirit Singers, in the final, due to be staged in Manchester on December 7.
“I am really looking forward to it,” said Sophie, 17, of Richmond. “But it will be an interesting test of our parents’ loyalty – will they support me or Dan?”
Mr King said: “Sophie is a fantastic singer and musician and I am really proud of all our talented musicians who have now performed on a local, national and international stage.”
The young musicians have a busy schedule of events ahead of them in the run up to Christmas including a concert at the Georgian Theatre with the WAGS Choir on November 15, a school Christmas concert on December 15 and a Carol Service at St Mary’s Church, Richmond, on December 18.
They will also start rehearsals shortly for the school’s annual extravaganza, the Queen and Ben Elton musical We Will Rock You, due to be staged from February 11-13, which will involve 60 students with principal parts given to mainly sixth formers.
