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Well done Ambra & Evelyn!

We are always keen to shout about the successes of current students and OBs, and we were delighted to hear about two of our aspiring musicians, who recently performed at two sold-out concerts in France!

Ambra and Evelyn both travelled to Limoges to take part in two music festivals organised by our Head of Strings, Martin Bainbridge, giving concerts at St Germain de Confolens and St Christophe.

Both concerts were packed with an audience drawn from all age groups. Ambra, who played at Speech Day, performed two movements of unaccompanied Bach with two audience members describing her performances as sublime and reminiscent of the youthful recordings of the great virtuoso, Yehudi Menuhin.

Evelyn played works from her recent performance diploma recital, which resulted in her gaining 47/50, and the letters ARSM after her name, as a professional musical qualification. She played Albinoni’s entire Oboe Concerto, and Grovlez’s Sarabande and Allegro. The audience were mesmerised by the technical virtuosity and beautiful lyrical lines evoked in Evelyn’s performances.

The rest of the concert involved Martin Bainbridge, Ambra and our departing Director of Music, Simon Dearsley, who performed chamber music by Boyce and Shostakovitch. Philippa Dearsley sang in the first half works by Purcell, Handel and Dowland, and then in the second half works by Puccini, Barber, Quilter and Burleigh. Her voice filled both churches, and the audience warmly appreciated her diverse programme of songs.

The concert finished with Ambra, Evelyn and Mr Dearsley performing Bach’s Double Concerto for Oboe and Violin in C minor. At both concerts the performance created a standing ovation from the whole audience, shouting for more! Mr Bainbridge joined the musicians onstage and they performed the 60’s hit A Whiter Shade of Pale arranged by Phil Mango especially for Oboe, two Violins and Piano.

Ambra was a German exchange student and a Music Scholar at Barney for the year 2019, and now returns to her studies in Hamburg, while Evelyn will continue to be a Music Scholar as she joins the Sixth Form at Barney to study languages and music, having accomplished outstanding GCSE results. Congratulations Ambra and Evelyn; we wish Ambra all the very best for the future and look forward to welcoming Evelyn back to Barney!

Both concerts were packed with an audience drawn from all age groups. Ambra, who played at Speech Day, performed two movements of unaccompanied Bach with two audience members describing her performances as sublime and reminiscent of the youthful recordings of the great virtuoso, Yehudi Menuhin.

Evelyn played works from her recent performance diploma recital, which resulted in her gaining 47/50, and the letters ARSM after her name, as a professional musical qualification. She played Albinoni’s entire Oboe Concerto, and Grovlez’s Sarabande and Allegro. The audience were mesmerised by the technical virtuosity and beautiful lyrical lines evoked in Evelyn’s performances.

The rest of the concert involved Martin Bainbridge, Ambra and our departing Director of Music, Simon Dearsley, who performed chamber music by Boyce and Shostakovitch. Philippa Dearsley sang in the first half works by Purcell, Handel and Dowland, and then in the second half works by Puccini, Barber, Quilter and Burleigh. Her voice filled both churches, and the audience warmly appreciated her diverse programme of songs.

The concert finished with Ambra, Evelyn and Mr Dearsley performing Bach’s Double Concerto for Oboe and Violin in C minor. At both concerts the performance created a standing ovation from the whole audience, shouting for more! Mr Bainbridge joined the musicians onstage and they performed the 60’s hit A Whiter Shade of Pale arranged by Phil Mango especially for Oboe, two Violins and Piano.

Ambra was a German exchange student and a Music Scholar at Barney for the year 2019, and now returns to her studies in Hamburg, while Evelyn will continue to be a Music Scholar as she joins the Sixth Form at Barney to study languages and music, having accomplished outstanding GCSE results.

Congratulations Ambra and Evelyn; we wish Ambra all the very best for the future and look forward to welcoming Evelyn back to Barney!