50
In School
Music
Autumn Concert
On Thursday 22
nd
November, 2012, all the ensembles from
Borlase gathered in the theatre for the annual Autumn
Concert, a showcase of all the groups – junior and senior.
Orchestras, choirs and bands of varying sizes and ages
were featured: Orchestra and String Orchestra, Junior
Wind Band, Concert Band, Junior String Orchestra, Jazz
Band, Gospel Choir, Junior Girl’s Choir, Junior Boy’s Choir,
Flute Choir, Ukulele Club, Guitar Ensemble, Madriguys,
Chapel Choir and Cantorum. This massive variety of
ensembles really showed how diverse music is at Borlase,
from Orchestra playing Indiana Jones and Cantorum
singing Gershwin with a jazz trio backing to Junior Girls’
Choir singing Dancing Queen whilst dancing themselves.
Choreography was also incorporated into Madriguys’
emotional performance of My Heart Will Go On. However,
there was added excitement this year due to a total power
cut half way through the second half of the concert,
meaning Madriguys, Junior Girls’ Choir and Jazz Band had
to perform in the dark (although when the lights came
back on, Jazz Band did play again). This year’s concert had
a packed and very appreciative audience. Every year I am
amazed by the quantity of musical talent Borlase has to
offer for a school of its size and this year was no different;
well done to all those involved.
Christen Van Den Berghe Y12
Gospel Choir – Lillian Boutté
concert
On Tuesday 20
th
November, jazz and gospel singer Lillian
Boutté, hailing all the way from New Orleans (and the
official musical ambassador of the city), gave an intimate
concert in Christ Church, Marlow. Members of Gospel Choir
were offered discounted tickets to see this inspirational
performer, and therewere 8members whowent to see her.
Lillian and her band were extraordinary: rattling through
the genres of jazz, gospel and rhythm & blues, Lillian and
her band struck every member of the audience with awe.
Lillian herself was uplifting, with a soulful voice and cheery
demeanour that touched everyone who watched her, and
made us all leave with huge smiles on our faces. As if just
seeing this amazing woman wasn’t enough, she invited
us up on stage in the second half to sing “Oh Happy Day”
and “People Get Ready”with her (songs we had previously
sung in Gospel Choir). This was incredible. Somehow her
band managed to pick these up immediately and we got
up onstage with her. She was encouraging and gracious
in letting us share in the spotlight. Having increased our
moods tenfold by the end of the concert, she then offered
to do a workshop with us – this workshop will hopefully
be in July. Lillian was an inspiration to every member of
Gospel Choir who saw her, and her phenomenal gospel
singing influenced us all.
Christen Van Den Berghe Y12
Arts Captains’ Foreword
This year the Performing Arts has once again excelled when it comes to meeting expectations. Throughout the past nine
months the department has seen hundreds of students rehearse and perform in the fields of Drama, Music, Dance, Tech
Theatre, Make up and that is to just name a few! This year Borlase has hosted a variety of events open to the public that
really gave the school an opportunity to show the community what we are capable of. We held autumn and summer
concerts which gave students the opportunity to perform individually or as groups, and also showcased all of the choirs
that we have to offer at Borlase (a list that will be forever endless). The Christmas Carol Service was also an enormous
success once again, and the choirs really did the school proud. The theatre was in constant use once again this year as
well. As far as I know there was not a single after school throughout the entire academic year where the theatre was
not in use! There was of course the widely anticipated Senior Musical ‘Les Misérable’ this year also, however I shall say no
more on the topic and leave it down to you to read the following pages.
It’s been a privilege being Arts Captains this year at Borlase, and we could not be prouder of the achievements of not
just the school, but of the students involved in making the Performing Arts department, in our opinion, by far the best
department in the school!
Connie Bennett and Guy Lambert
