The School’s first ever 24 Hour Music Playathon turned out to be an inspiring event, with students from Year Seven to 6^th form participating with energy and enthusiasm from  the 9.30 am Countdown on Saturday to the Sunday morning Jazz Barbeque Breakfast.

The Playathon begun with pipes playing a Welcome to the Chieftain as the Headmaster set the official stopwatch running.  Choir members were ready with their parents and friends to join in with the Come and Sing event under Mr Olive’s direction – and the music didn’t stop until the final Cmin7 chord came crashing down on the piano 24 hours later in the Jazz Group’s rousing finale.

Solo perfomers signed up to play in slots between the organised group events and the evening was taken up with the open-mic mini festival, run by 6^th form student Dan South, featuring  the school’s wealth of acoustic and rock performers.

Other highlights included a fun Orchestra Session, in which school instrumentalists and their families joined in a rehearsal and performance of English tunes; and an African Drumming session which set the rafters ringing.

Sixth formers and friends rehearsed and performed a semi-staged run through of Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, with visiting soloist Gill Wilson as Dido and singing teacher Mr Toby Parr directing from the harpsichord. The cast were a little bemused to find themselves sight reading a Baroque opera in costumes ranging from pirate hats to clerical robes; but the session, organised by Mrs Chillingworth, served as a spirited introduction to one of next year’s A Level set works.

The night hours passed surprisingly quickly in Elyanore, with a core group of hardy students keeping the music going in shifts. Daylight was welcomed by a special arrangement of Grieg’s “Morning” from Peer Gynt, arranged by Orchestral Assistant George Strickland.

Fortified by bacon and sausage sandwiches, energy levels were cranked up again for the Jazz Finale in the Hall and the last hour ticked by surprisingly quickly with the help of saxophone, trombone, piano, double bass and drum kit.

The Music Department would like to thank everyone who supported the event with time, talent and donations.  Sponsorship money is still coming in, but we hope to have raised around £500 for school music funds.  There’s still time to sponsor our students in retrospect for their remarkable achievement and unfailing sense of fun.

Words by M Billowes