Students prepare for Shropshire school's first concerto competition
Students at a Shropshire school are preparing to perform with a live orchestra for the first time in their musical careers.
Concord College’s music department will be presenting top instrumentalists from across the school who have the unique opportunity to perform a movement from a Baroque or classical concerto with a 30-piece orchestra.
They will compete in a forthcoming concerto competition and charity concert and have spoken of their excitement.
The prestigious concert is in aid of the Anthony Morris Foundation, which enables young people whose families might not otherwise be able to afford the fees to attend Concord.
It will take place in the college theatre on March 7 at 7.30pm, with an open invitation to the public.
Following their preliminary auditions, the seven contestants will take to the stage to perform a movement from their chosen concerto in front of a live audience and an independent guest adjudicator.
The orchestra will perform Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro overture and Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No.3 1st movement.
The students from the Acton Burnell school who will be competing are Nico Li, 17; Davon Halim, 16; John Zhao, 15; Louis Tang, 17; Ronnie Tse, 18, Wing-Hin Lau, 16 and Seb Branfield, 14.
The performer whose musicality most impresses the adjudicator will be awarded the title ‘Concord College Concerto Competition Winner of the Year 2020’ and the young musicians, who have been practicing earnestly, are all looking forward to competing.
Ronnie said: “The audience will be treated to a wide variety of Baroque and classical pieces by different composers and styles, which are all well known and popular.”
Wing-Hin said preparation for the competition is what she treasured the most, adding: "It is the taking part that I appreciate.”
Davon, who has been playing piano for 11 years, said: “This will be the first time with an orchestra and I learnt the piece last summer.”
Nico has been playing the piano since he was four and John from the age of five.
Seb, who has been playing piano since he was six, added: “I am confident the concert will appeal to people of all ages, particularly younger people who will see musicians who are also young and therefore spark curiosity as well as a desire to play classical music.”
Admission is £10.
Bookings can be made by emailing Emily.Purvis@concordcollege.org.uk
The concert will also be made available as a pay-per-view live stream.
