A Canford Night at the Musicals – Part II

On the evening of Friday 10^th November, pupils, staff and families enjoyed a celebration of music from some of the world’s best loved musicals at a jazz concert supported by the Friends of Canford Music.  A much anticipated event as always, it sold out once again but a live stream offered all members of the Canford community the chance to be part of it.

The full orchestra, conducted by Alistair Hardie, opened the show with a stunning selection of pieces from ‘Phantom of the Opera’ by Lloyd Webber followed by a Canford arrangement of Defying Gravity from ‘Wicked’ by Stephen Schwartz.  The Concert Band, conducted by Katie Salmon, showcased some of the finest melodies from ‘West Side Story’ by Bernstein, while the Wind Orchestra, under the baton of James Aiken, performed a toe tapping medley from ‘Les Misérables’ by Schonberg and You Can’t Stop the Beat from ‘Hairspray’ by Shaiman. The final set was a mix of Jazz Band and pupil solo performances from ‘Anything Goes’ by Cole Porter, conducted by Director of Music Christopher Sparkhall, bringing an uplifting evening of music to a rousing conclusion.    

Christopher Sparkhall, Director of Music, commented:

We billed this as our Night at the Musicals II, having had such a successful similar concert in March.  It had been an eagerly anticipated sequel, and did not disappoint, with over 90 musicians involved across the year groups showcasing the depth of talent we have within the range of school bands and choral groups. Thank you to everyone involved in making this second celebration of Broadway classics this year a fantastic addition to our Christmas Term concert calendar.

To view the recording of the live stream, please visit the link below: