Music Department - Queen Anne's School, Caversham

Delighted to report that Jaey L6 has achieved her LTCL diploma on the flute. A fantastic result and well deserved after so much hard work. Congratulations!

Congratulations and thanks to all of our musicians and staff for a wonderful term. So many highlights including the Belgium tour, Chicago, a fantastic Sinfonia Orchestra Concert with Choirs, wonderful Concert and Jazz Band evening and then our first dedicated concerts for Singers and Middle School. You have excelled and I am really grateful to you all. Have a good Easter break.

Thank you to the 23 musicians and 5 staff who have just returned from a fabulous mini-tour to Belgium. They performed brilliantly in St Nicholas Church, Ghent and Brussels Cathedral to large audiences. Repertoire included Haydn's Violin Concerto in C, Bach Double, Vivaldi Four Violin Concerto, Vivaldi 'Spring' and CPE Bach's Cello Concerto in c minor. Not your average school concert repertoire! It was such a pleasure to work with them and enjoy the delights of Belgian chocolate and waffles!

The next three weeks will see 25 QA musicians travel to Belgium to perform in Brussels Cathedral and St Nicholaaskerk, Gent, Immediately on their return many will be involved in three nights of Chicago. Always amazed at the appetitie and enthusiasm for making music which these students show. Thank you all.

Term has started with brilliant news that Scarlet Year 10 gained her ATCL diploma on the piano. Congratulations to her!

And if that was not enough! Tuesday 15 November is our Eduqas A Level Music Conference 09.30 - 16.30 featuring Lectures online and live from leading university academics on the set works and a live performance of the Poulenc Trio. Dlighted that we have over 80 students from state and independent schools attending. It will be a very useful study day.

Tuesday 15 November at 19.00 in the Recital Hall we will be performing a Concerto Concert featuring our advanced students. Music by Bach, Vivaldi (Spring Concerto - Four Seasons), Mozart, Popper and Haydn. Do come and join us!

Today we had a great Lecture on Shakespeare and Music for our A Level English and Music students presented by Steven Jackson, Roy Blackwell and Mark Richards. Thank you to all involved in preparing and presenting this and for streching and challenging our students.

Monday 7 November saw our Lower School Musicians in action for their first concert of the academic year. Brilliant performances in all styles including soloists, 4s Band and QAS Voices. What a wonderful evening and well done to all involved.

Welcome back after half term. Last Tuesday QAS was delighted to host the Finale Concert of the Caversham Autumn Festival featuring the brilliant Ewan Millar. Fabulous concert and great audience. Thank you all!

Another wonderful week of musical events including a brilliant Music Scholars' Concert and an online lecture on Steve Reich on his birthday by two leading academics from Wales and the USA, finishing with a whole-school SOUL! (Sing Out Loud) and staff singing session today led by the amazing Emily Dickens and a great Lunchtime Concert. Variety is the spice of our musical life at QAS!

Thank you to all involved in hosting the Scriabin@150 Conference this weekend. It was fabulous to be able to welcome academics from around the World to QAS and share their research and ideas. An amazing event for us and a wonderful use of the facilites that we have for Music at QAS. A big thank you to Mark Richards for his enthusiasm and drive to make this the success that it was.