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Tuesday, 02 March 2010
The Bolton School Joint Jazz band has been chosen to perform at
the world famous Montreux Jazz Festival!
Every year in July, for more than two weeks, Montreux swings
with great sounds in what is one of the most prestigious festivals
in the world, and this year Bolton School musicians will be a part
of it!
Switzerland is world famous for its Jazz Festival, which is held
annually at the Montreux Music and Convention Centre on the shores
of Lake Geneva. The Festival began in 1967 and is one of the oldest
Festivals in the world, celebrating its 44 years in 2010.
Originally it featured almost exclusively jazz artists but today it
presents artists of nearly every imaginable music style and
attracts an audience of more than 200,000 people. It is aimed at
professional and semi professional musicians and over the years has
played host to an endless list of stars including Eric
Clapton, Johnny Cash, The Rolling Stones, Massive Attack, Sting,
Simply Red, BB King, Status Quo, James Brown, R.E.M., Bob Dylan,
Phil Collins, Alicia Keys, Paolo Nutini and The Black Eyed Peas to
name a few! The 2010 full line up will be announced in April.
The jazz band were chosen to perform at the festival after
submitting an audition CD which consisted of a compilation of their
best works so far, along with biographies and example programme
lists. They will leave school for Montreaux on Wed 7th July and
stay for three nights, performing one concert at the festival. The
pupils are then going on to perform at Disneyland Paris on the 12th
July.
Bolton School has a strong tradition of music making and the
Joint Jazz Band is one of many thriving ensembles at the
school. In 2004 music teacher Miss Fiona Berry formed a Jazz
Band in the Girls' Division and this grew to such an extent
that the Joint Jazz Band was later formed. Members are
now drawn from both the Girls' and Boys' Divisions of the school by
invitation only.
I am delighted that the students have earned a place at such a
prestigious festival - it is a tremendous achievement! The band has
flourished in recent years performing to a wide range of audiences
from private functions including weddings and corporate dinners, to
school concerts, including their outstanding performance at the
Bridgewater Hall in the gala concert. They have a diverse
repertoire and enjoy playing a variety of genres from swing and
jazz classics to original Latin, funk and blues charts. My aim is
to inspire and excite these young musicians of today who pave the
way for the music of tomorrow.
Miss Fiona Berry
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