Tonight we were treated to the most amazing concert, where it was easy to forget that we were in a school theatre, not the Royal Albert Hall! It started rather cosily when we realised that we had nearly 100 more guests than expected and a moment of genius from Mrs Harrison saved the day…like the Pied Piper, Mrs Harrison led the children out to watch a movie! St. George’s Hall was still packed to the rafters but this only appeared to add to the Christmas cheer.
Miss Toyn, Director of Music, has every reason to be so proud of her department, as soloists, ensembles, small groups, band groups, choirs and finally the full orchestra dazzled and moved us! A number of parents caught me afterwards to say that this single event signals the start of the Christmas season for them and I couldn’t agree more, it was a great evening. Miss Toyn underestimates the change that she has brought to this aspect of school life, children thrive on expectation that is couched in joy. That is a winning formula as they keep reaching new heights but with such a sense of wonder and joy in their own and each other’s abilities and this is infectious!
As another observation from the day, your children are simply extraordinary in the way that they handle and manage the expectations of a packed school week. Running between Maths and English, preparing for their 11+/13+ and popping in an instrumental solo appears so natural. I know that if I were asked to handle a day like theirs I would struggle…I know that you are proud of them and you have every reason, they are extraordinary!
Tim Calvey