Taking to the Bridgewater Hall stage as the curtain came down, Head of Bolton School Foundation, Philip Britton, praised the 600 musicians and performers saying: ‘It has been a sublime evening of music-making by pupils from Years 2 to 13. Every seat in this great hall has been filled and our School community has come together to deliver a joyous Gala Concert. What a wonderful opportunity it has been for our pupils to play at such a prestigious venue and for our younger girls and boys to be inspired by older ones, showing them what they can become. Behind all these stunning performances – musicianship of this calibre is, of course, taught – thanks must go to the Music department and to all those that have helped with the logistics behind the scenes.’
The evening had begun with pupils from the Infant School, Junior Schools, Senior Schools and Sixth Forms – the Foundation’s Massed Ensemble - performing Bach’s dramatic Toccata and Fugue.
Everyone’s foot was then set-a-tapping when the Tuned Percussion Ensemble, comprising pupils from across Boys’ and Girls’ Divisions, launched into Mr Forgrieve’s Bridgewater Bash, specially written for such nights. The entertainment continued apace with a polished performance of Circle of Life by the Intermediate Concert Band, featuring pupils from Years 7 to 10 from both Senior Schools.
The Primary Division Choir brought a tear to many an eye when they performed Gary Barlow and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sing. The Senior Concert Band, featuring pupils from both Boys’ and Girls’ Divisions, was on fine form with their renditions of Cantina Band and Imaginarium. The first half of the programme closed with the Massed Voices of Year 7, along with older pupils, performing old classics Africa, I am a Believer and Mr Blue Sky.
The second half of the evening opened with the Girls’ Division Senior Choir, made up of pupils from Year 10 to Year 13, singing She Used to be Mine and the Chamber Choir offering up impressive renditions of How Can I Keep from Singing? and Sogno di Volare (A Dream of Flight). The Boys’ Division Lower School Choir, comprising pupils from Year 7 and 8, offered an equally enchanting Somewhere Only We Know before the joint Senior Orchestra offered up Intermezzo and Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture. The evening drew to a climatic end with a Massed Finale singing an emotive and uplifting version of Elbow’s One Day Like This.
Bolton School last performed at the Bridgewater Hall, pre-Covid in 2019, and, before that, in 2015 in celebration of the School’s 100th and 500th birthdays and in 2010.
Click on the gallery below to view photographs from the evening:
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