52
In School
Harvey and Megan Jones on oboe and flute respectively;
Berenice Cunningham-Walker, Ellie Potter, Stephanie
Foster, Ross Kelly (who also impressed on classical guitar),
and Chris Murphy singing; and of course the legendary Mr
Robson on keys (harpsichord). Also joining the Borlasians
was accomplished trumpeter (and husband of Mrs Davie),
Simon Davie, who was extended the privilege of being an
honorary Borlasian for the evening.
Perhaps what made the evening so special and gave it
such charm was the inclusion of great literature within
the programme. The spectacles of musical prowess
were interspersed with truly absorbing readings from
Mrs Birkett, Mr Glen, Mrs Brooke, Sophie Yazdi-Davis and
Oscar Murphy, by writers such as Dickens and C.S Lewis.
The combination of both music and literature- two of Mr
Robson’s great loves- made for an unforgettable evening
which certainly set the Christmas tone at Borlase.
The Christmas Cabaret
Shortly after Mr Robson’s triumph, Borlase digressed
from the norm in its musical Christmas celebrations; on
11 th December, Borlase hosted its first Christmas Cabaret
Concert. It is fair to say that the Christmas Cabaret had a lot
to live up to following the success of Mr Robson’s concert,
and it did not disappoint; the event encompassed a whole
new era of music, focusing on the contemporary aspect of
the Christmas period with performances from the school’s
Jazz Band, Gospel Choir, and a huge variety of soloists.
The masterminds behind the event were Mark Hartley
and Jenny Lewington-Chislett, who fashioned the theatre
into a pseudo-thirties jazz club; the audience sat at tables
in the theatre- with drinks in hand of course. Copious
amounts of tinsel and a real Christmas tree also facilitated
the theatre’s transformation. The programme included the
ever-popular ‘All I Want for Christmas is You’, ‘Santa Baby’,
and jazz classics such as Etta James’‘At Last’. The change of
Christmas tradition was a testament to the talents of the
jazz singers and contemporary instrumentalists at Borlase,
who brought a modern edge to Christmas cheer.
The Carol Service
Dr Parsons, head of music, describes Christmas as his
‘favourite time of the year’. This is hardly surprising given
the sheer numbers participating in the carol service
alone; over 160 students sang in choirs ranging from
Gospel Choir, Chapel Choir, Junior Girls’ Choir, Junior
Boys’ Choir, Madriguys and the Alumni Choir, all headed
up by Borlase’s senior choir, Cantorum. For Dr Parsons
the highlight came when Cantorum sang the beautifully
dissonant piece ‘O Magnum Mysterium’ by Morten
Laurisden. However, the event saw many highlights, from
the spine-tingling opening solos in ‘Once in Royal David’s
City’ shared alternately between James Breedon, Toby
Crossly, and Henry Powell, to the contemporary choral
twist offered by Gospel Choir. Both the Junior Girls’ and
Junior Boys’ choirs charmed the congregation with their
angelic voices, while the Alumni Choir (comprising a
combination of past students) were captivating, singing a
piece specially composed by ex-Borlasian Conrad Stevens-
currently studying composition at Guildhall- entitled ‘Now
Winter Nights Enlarge’. Madriguys were also enthralling,
performing their own arrangement of ‘Greensleeves’,
complete with guitar accompaniment from Ross Kelly. On
a personal level, the service offered a fantastic opportunity
to attempt writing for my own choir, Chapel Choir. Hearing
my arrangement of‘Silent Night’come to life in themagical
acoustic of All Saints’ Church was a truly special moment
for me.
Of course a huge thanks must go to our tech wizard,
Jenny, who expertly handled the logistics of essentially
transporting the entire contents of Borlase theatre to the
church. A special mention must also go to Mr Robson,
whose organ accompaniment rang through the church
with a spectacular jubilation. By the time his rousing
rendition of Widor’s Toccata had come to a close, it was
clear that Christmas at Borlase had well and truly begun.
Ellie Potter
Who Said Boys Don’t Sing?
Choirs at Borlase have had yet another successful year, and
the guidance of Dr Parsons since his arrival at the school
four years ago seems to have the ‘Gareth Malone effect’ on
the various vocal ensembles: boys are voluntarily turning
up to sing. Since being a member of Junior Boys’ Choir in
my first year at the school, where a grand total of six bright
eyed Year 7s were showing up every week and there was
no organised senior boys’ choir, boys’ singing has seen a
huge surge in popularity in recent years. Madriguys is now
an established and highly anticipated feature of every
senior concert, and with over twenty members from Year
9 right through to Year 13, the all-boys choir looks set to
stay.
This was my second year in Madriguys, so it was great
to see more of my classmates deciding to have a go at
being part of the choir, even though many of them had
little or no previous singing experience. I had been in their
position before and I knew that the prospect of turning
up for the first time not really knowing what’s going on
was daunting, but after a few weeks they all seemed to fit
right in and were clearly enjoying it. Our first performance
of the year was at the Autumn Concert all the way back
in November, where a rendition of Celine Dion’s ‘My Heart
Will Go On’fromTitanic stole the show and even impressed
