Scotch College

Foundation Day concert 2000 ... yet another success

Foundation Day Concert 2000 was hailed by many as one of the very best. The opening work, Tchaikovsky's dramatic and lyrical Violin Concerto was performed by Allen Wang.

It was almost certainly the finest solo violin concerto that has ever been performed at a Foundation Day Concert. Allen achieved the changes of mood, the variation in tone and the sheer virtuosity demanded by the work, and also displayed a true understanding of the music. The orchestra accompanied superbly, with particularly outstanding intonation from the woodwind lines. The orchestra's own featured item was Ravel's Bolero. Stephen Liew maintained the famous side drum rhythm perfectly throughout the work, and there was some wonderful solos from Joshua Flynn (flute), Robert Commons (oboe), Timothy Luke (cor anglais), Lin Jiang (french horn), James Matt (clarinet) and a particularly outstanding saxophone solo from David Valmorbida. The String Orchestra performed two movements of Benjamin Britten's Simple Symphony (which is anything but simple) under the competent direction of Robert Wakely.

The Junior School Choir is always a notable feature, and Jenni Allen chose a repertoire which was both varied and challenging. The Evening Prayer from Hansel and Gretel was quite moving and was contrasted superbly by Git Along, Little Dogies. The School Choir's programme opened with the Tenors and Basses singing Loch Lomond and was followed by the whole Choir singing Panis Angelicus. The Choir's programme was concluded by John Rutter's fabulous arrangement of Down By The Riverside, which featured members of the Orchestra, with the Year 12's joining with a rounding chorus at the end. Andrew Hunter has taken Choral Music to remarkable heights during the last two years, and the Choir now has some 120 boys. The Symphonic Wind concluded the first half of the concert with a remarkable piece called Africa by Robert Smith. It featured an extended percussion section - consummately trained by Jude Hallum - and the works vibrancy spread infectiously through the audience with this truly thrilling work. Both Military and Pipe Bands played with their customary panache, but the high spot of their contribution was a moving performance of The Bells of Dunblane which combined the Pipes and Military Band. This recent work by Robert Mathieson, was written as a tribute to the 16 primary school children murdered in Dunblane Primary School. It was a moving performance, which displayed remarkable control and precision.

As a complete contrast the Amati Piano Trio (Frank Yang, Allen Wang and Ye Lian He) performed the 3rd Movement of the Mendelssohn D minor Piano Trio. The chamber players performed at the Harare International Festival of the Arts in Zimbabwe earlier this year. The trio's performance at Foundation Day was polished and precise.

Another polished ensemble is the school's Show Band, under its director Roger Schmidli. They performed a traditional programme which featured A Salute to Glenn Miller. The change of lighting, complete with mirror ball, was warmly appreciated by a very receptive audience. Adam Braithwaite was the suave vocal soloist, and saxophone soloists David Valmorbida and Hugo Moodie both performed with aplomb.

The grand finale was the school uniting in song with a Rodgers and Hammerstein selection from Oklahoma and South Pacific. The singing of There Is Nothin' Like A Dame displayed a vibrancy seldom experienced at Foundation Day, and James Worladge gave a relaxed and memorable performance of The Surrey With The Fringe On top. Any show selection tends to feel a little incomplete without female voices, and we were again delighted to welcome a contingent from PLC who were able to make the evening finale - Oklahoma! - give the Scotch community another night to remember. However, Foundation Day would never feel complete without its coda which was presented by Captain of Music Robert Commons, ably assisted by his two Vice-Captains, David Valmorbida and Adam Braithwaite whose pastiche on the evergreen cult film The Blues Brothers provided a fitting and humorous conclusion.