If you think you’ve heard a lot of music lately drifting from the halls of Christ College, you’d probably be right! The music department has had an exceptionally busy month highlighted by visits from some very talented former pupils.

• Soprano Masterclass with Sarah-Jane Davies - Soprano songstress, Sarah-Jane Davies set the tempo for the month when she returned to her old school to deliver a singing master class to pupils. The English National Opera star put some of Christ College’s senior pupils through their paces in front of an audience of pupils and invited guests. (Pupils who took part were Billy Mason-Watts, Joshua Games, Rachel Williams, Alex Davies and Jordan Williams). A graduate of the Royal College of Music, Sarah-Jane represented Wales in last year’s BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition. Pupil Alex Davies said: “It was an amazing experience to sing with Sarah-Jane and I think we all learned a great deal from the class.”
• Lloyds TSB Young Musician of the Year 2008 - On Friday 22 February, the Lloyds TSB Young Musician of the Year Competition took place. Adjudicators Mark Duthie, Master of the Music at Brecon Cathedral and Helen Porter, Director of Music at Dean Close School in Cheltenham heaped praise on all of the competitors for their outstanding performances. The prize for best performance of a contemporary work was awarded to saxophonist Steffan Raw-Rees, but for his varied repertoire and communication with the audience, the Lloyds TSB Young Musician of the Year was awarded to soloist Joshua Games.
• Adam Khan Concert - Rounding off the month’s activities included a visit from classical guitarist and former Christ College pupil Adam Khan. Adam was awarded a Global Music Award in recognition of his most recent album ‘A Day In November’ and was also nominated as one of the ‘Top Achievers of Asian Origin’ for his 2006 concert schedule which took him to Asia, Europe and South America. This year will find Adam issuing a new recording of the complete works of Luys de Narvaez, giving recitals in Holland, Malaysia, Uruguay, Argentina, Peru and the USA, and undertaking an extensive tour of the UK with Luis Orias Diz as the Welsh-Argentine Guitar Duo. Adam will be performing in a recital at the college on 29 February and an invitation has been extended to the local community to attend this unique performance.

Emma Taylor, Head, said: “It was a privilege to witness the outstanding talent on display at the Young Musician of the Year. We’re also exceptionally pleased that some of our most talented former pupils have found the time to return to school to impart some of their skills and knowledge to our current pupils. Christ College has a very strong music department and we’re always looking for new ways to challenge and extend our pupils.”

Head of the Music, Jonathan Cooper commented “It is a great learning experience for pupils when we take the curriculum out of the classroom. This has been a particularly special month for the music department. Sarah-Jane and Adam are very gifted musicians and we’re so pleased that we were able to arrange these special events to benefit our current pupils.”

Pupil Awarded Oxbridge Choral Scholarship

Following an audition at Pembroke College, Oxford in September, Deputy Head of School Joshua Games has been awarded an Oxbridge Choral Scholarship. Now all he has to do is to earn an academic place to read Spanish and Arabic through the usual UCAS process. He is well on the way, as he gained 4 A grades at AS Level this summer.

Christ College Music Society: A weekend of Baroque Music

On Friday 9th March and Saturday 10th March 2007 Christ College Music Society hosted a weekend of Baroque music. On Friday 9 March (7.30 pm) there was a Lecture-recital by Rachel Podger on Bach’s Violin Partita No. 2 in D minor BWV 1004. Rachel is a leading international Baroque violin soloist and a wonderful musical communicator so this was a real treat not to be missed by music lovers. On Saturday 10 March (7.30 pm) Christ College Chamber Orchestra and Choir performed a programme of orchestral and choral works by Bach and Handel including Brandenburg Concerto No.5 BWV 1050 and Zadok the Priest. The 2006 Weekend raised £500 for Usk House Day Hospice. The £500 proceeds this year will go to the Christ College Foundation

Pupils awarded Associated Board Exam Results

Congratulations to the following pupils on their success in the AB Exams:

• James Davies - Singing - Grade 8 - Merit
• Poppy Mason-Watts - Singing - Grade 8 - Merit
• Rachel Williams - Singing - Grade 5 - Merit
• Jonathan Robinson - Singing - Grade 4 - Merit
• Catherine Jones - Violin - Grade 8 - Pass
• Dae Bin Im - Cello - Grade 8 - Merit
• Chris Pang - Piano - Grade 7 - Merit
• Kaiseree Dias - Violin - Grade 3 - Merit
• Jonathan Robinson - Alto Sax - Grade 4 -  Pass

A Music Weekend by Christ College Music Society

On Friday 10th and Saturday 11th March 2006, young performers from Christ College Brecon were joined by leading musicians from across South Wales to take part in a weekend of classical music to raise funds for Usk House Day Hospice in Brecon.

The concerts were organised by Christ College Music Society and took place in the Memorial Hall in support of the day centre for cancer patients.

On Friday, the clarinettist Malcolm Bennett, who is a visiting music teacher at the school, joined the Cambrian String Quartet to perform a popular programme including Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet and works by Schubert and Haydn.

On Saturday evening and in keeping with the 250 year celebrations of Mozart’s birth, the Christ College Chamber Orchestra performed the ‘Haffner’ Symphony.

The orchestra was also joined by Kazuma Furuta for a performance of Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto. Kazuma, who was born in Japan, is one of Christ College’s finest musicians and is currently studying music in the sixth form.